Commotions On The Body Of The Ethereum Foundation: Vitalik Buterin Criticized About Sentralization

The commotion in the body of the Ethereum Foundation; Vitalik Buterin has been criticized for centralization (Photo; Doc. Bitcoinist)

JAKARTA - In recent weeks, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) has faced sharp criticism regarding its leadership structure. The discussion heated up after Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, rejected calls from the community to replace EF leadership. The debate highlights tensions between the principle of decentralization on which Ethereum is based and the management of organizations that are still seen as too centralized.

For additional information, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) was founded in 2014. This Swiss-based nonprofit organization was formed to support the development of Ethereum and its ecosystem. The EF played an important role in its initial fundraising through Ethereum's Initial Coin Offering (ICO) in mid-20201, which generated more than 18 million US dollars (approximately IDR 291.6 billion at the exchange rate at that time).

One of the starting points of controversy is comments from leading crypto investor CoinMamba on platform X. CoinMamba has publicly called for Aya Miyaguchi's resignation, Executive Director of EF since 2018, saying, "If we continue to put pressure on him, he will step down."

In response to this, Vitalik Buterin stated that the leadership decision in the EF was under his authority, adding that the reforms were currently underway aimed at forming a more formal board of directors. However, until the reform was realized, Buterin emphasized, "It was me."

This statement drew criticism from the Ethereum community, which questioned the extent of Buterin's control over the EF and whether it was in accordance with Ethereum's decentralization principle. Charles Hoskinson, former founder of Ethereum and founder of Cardano, became one of the most vocal critics.

Hoskinson called Buterin's unilateral decision a form of centralization. "Is it appropriate that Vitalik unilaterally determines EF leadership?" asked Hoskinson. Previously, Hoskinson had also described Ethereum as a dictator' because of Buterin's too much concentration of power.

Aya Miyaguchi's Substitute Candidate

Jerome de Tychey, President of Ethereum France, emerged as one of the potential candidates to replace Aya Miyaguchi. He called for more transparent reforms in the EF, including better communication with the community. In addition, Joseph Lubin, co-founder of Ethereum and CEO of Consensys, proposed a joint leadership model between Danny Ryan and de Tychey.

Danny Ryan, known for his contribution to the Ethereum transition from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS) through the The Merge process, is also touted as a strong candidate. However, Ryan resigned from the Ethereum ecosystem in 2024 for health reasons.