The departures also come as the foundation has unveiled a new strategic framework known as “CROPS,” an acronym that stands for cypherpunk values, resilience, open source development, permissionlessness and security. Foundation leaders presented the framework as a way to clarify the EF’s mission and reinforce Ethereum’s core values as the ecosystem becomes increasingly decentralized. Supporters saw it as a reaffirmation of Ethereum’s founding principles, while critics argued that it did little to address concerns about execution, organizational effectiveness, and the network’s competitive position.
Among the harshest critics was former Ethereum researcher Dankrad Feist, who suggested that the recent spate of executive departures reflected deeper management issues rather than disagreements over strategy.
“The people leaving the Ethereum Foundation are CROPS believers,” Feist wrote on X. “The problem is not the strategy, but the management.”
Feist’s comments were notable because they challenged the prevailing idea that the recent departures were due to dissatisfaction with the foundation’s new direction. Instead, he argued that many of those who left supported the very vision of CROPS, making the loss of talent a reflection of leadership deficiencies rather than ideological disagreements. “Unfortunately, the exodus of talent is truly bearish for Ethereum,” he added.
Other community members echoed his concerns about the Foundation’s internal dynamics. “I am saddened to see the dysfunction at the Ethereum Foundation,” Coinbase head of engineering Yuga Cohler wrote on X.
