Joe Lubin: Ethereum Foundation layoffs and restructuring are not a crisis; the focus will be on core technologies and value such as AI agents.

According to Odaily Odaily, Ethereum co-founder and Consensys CEO Joe Lubin stated that the recent layoffs, budget cuts, and leadership changes at the Ethereum Foundation are not a crisis, but rather a necessary evolution for the organization. In an interview, Lubin pointed out that the Ethereum Foundation should focus on safeguarding the core protocol technology and value, while tasks such as adoption, ecosystem expansion, and institutional cooperation should be undertaken by other organizations. Maintaining neutrality and credibility is crucial to avoiding conflicts between commercial interests and developers. There is a misunderstanding among the public regarding the foundation's role: EF's responsibility is to maintain the Ethereum protocol, not to lead commercialization or market competition strategies. Lubin also stated that the future of Ethereum will be shaped by multiple organizations, rather than relying on a single institution for leadership. He refuted claims that Ethereum is declining, stating that the network is still steadily developing and pointing to its years of scaling efforts as laying the foundation for the next wave of adoption, including autonomous AI agents for on-chain transactions and increased institutional use. The Ethereum Foundation's shift in focus is precisely to ensure the protocol can support next-generation applications, while the new organization will handle promotion and commercialization. Lubin points out that the next wave is the smart agent economy, where hybrid human-machine systems will use Ethereum's infrastructure for transactions. The Ethereum Foundation's restructuring is a healthy institutional optimization that will help Ethereum maintain robust development under decentralization and embrace future technological and business innovations. (CoinDesk)