A new independent nonprofit organization, Ethereum Institutional, has launched with the goal of accelerating institutional adoption of Ethereum, its Layer 2 networks, and the broader ecosystem.
The organization is led by David Walsh, Marius Smith and Matthew Dawson. Walsh previously led the Ethereum Foundation’s corporate efforts, while the organization said his leadership brings experience spanning institutional engagement, capital markets and Ethereum ecosystem development. It said its mission is to provide institutions with a neutral and independent point of contact when evaluating Ethereum for tokenization, stablecoins and other on-chain financial infrastructure.
In announcing the initiative on X, Ethereum Institutional said institutions needed “a credible and independent gateway” to the Ethereum ecosystem. Although Ethereum’s neutrality is one of its defining strengths, the group argued that neutrality has often left companies without a clear organization to engage with when making long-term infrastructure decisions.
This launch comes as the Ethereum Foundation continues to reduce its role to core protocol management, with ecosystem participants increasingly creating independent organizations focused on specific areas such as business development, institutional outreach, and developer support. The move follows broader changes at the foundation, including a restructuring of leadership and long-standing calls from the community for greater transparency.
