Ethereum Foundation lays off 20% of staff in restructuring

The Ethereum Foundation, a key nonprofit supporting the development of the Ethereum blockchain, has laid off 54 employees, representing approximately 20 percent of its staff, as part of a major organizational restructuring. The cuts, effective immediately, conclude a months-long overhaul and are designed to create a leaner, more focused entity better positioned to execute long-term priorities.

The foundation announced the changes in a blog post on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, framing the move as necessary to avoid excessive disruption from short-term market movements. The new structure organizes the foundation's work into five specialized "clusters": Protocol Layer, Access Layer, User Layer, Community Layer, and Institutional Layer. These will be supported by separate operations and management groups.

Management stated that the Protocol Layer cluster exists to make Ethereum harder to corrupt or capture and easier to rely on, explicitly separating that core development mission from market-facing or commercial pressures. The Institutional Layer, meanwhile, will focus on engaging with governments, enterprises, and financial firms.

The restructuring follows the publication of the...