Latest developments: Trent Van Epps says Ethereum’s long-term decentralization strategy is entering a critical transition phase.
- Van Epps said he left the Ethereum Foundation after it became clear that the organization was going to accelerate its “subtraction” philosophy of expanding authority and legitimacy into a broader ecosystem.
- He described the Ethereum Foundation as intentionally reducing its central role rather than consolidating power, arguing that multiple independent institutions should ultimately coordinate the ecosystem.
- These comments follow recent Ethereum Foundation leadership changes and staff reductions, which have fueled questions about Ethereum’s future governance.
- Van Epps joined CoinDesk’s Jennifer Sanasie on the markets outlook.
What this means: Van Epps argues that Ethereum faces a practical funding challenge rather than an existential crisis.
- He estimates that developing the core protocol requires around $30 million per year, even as the Ethereum Foundation’s cash flow gradually declines over time.
- According to Van Epps, the problem is not reducing technical needs but identifying new organizations willing to finance public goods that maintain the reliability and security of the grid.
- He said his Protocol Guild initiative distributed nearly $40 million to core Ethereum developers over about four years, but was not enough on its own to replace broader ecosystem funding.
