Ethereum stands on the cusp of transformative breakthroughs. With rapid advancements in zkEVMs enabling Layer 1 to scale while maintaining verifiability, security, and censorship resistance, the ecosystem is poised to onboard millions more users. Layer 2 solutions are also maturing, reinforcing Ethereum’s role as the foundational trust layer.
To meet these challenges, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) is reshaping its Protocol Research & Development teams under a new unified banner: Protocol. This change emphasizes sharper focus and collaboration around three strategic goals: scaling Layer 1, scaling blobs, and improving user experience (UX).
Strategic Goals and Leadership
The EF has identified clear priorities to guide its efforts:
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Scale Layer 1 — Led by Tim Beiko and Ansgar Dietrichs
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Scale Layer 2 — Led by Alex Stokes and Francesco D’Amato
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Improve UX — Led by Barnabé Monnot and Josh Rudolf
Dankrad Feist supports these leads as strategic advisor. The EF aims to ensure accountability and accelerate progress across these critical initiatives.
Team Structure and Collaboration
Protocol is now a leaner, more united organization with tighter feedback loops and stronger cross-team collaboration. Leadership is charged with maintaining high technical standards and fostering continuous growth within teams.
The EF recognizes the importance of the wider Ethereum ecosystem and collaborates closely with other core research and development teams to bring features to production without replacing them.
Looking Forward: New Roles and Community Engagement
To advance this mission, Protocol is hiring key positions including UX Lead and Performance Engineering Lead. Exceptional candidates passionate about Ethereum’s future are encouraged to apply through the General Application.
The Ethereum Foundation is also working to enhance governance forums to better capture community signals and translate them into impactful actions.
Conclusion
Ethereum’s “Protocol” initiative marks a new chapter in its core development journey, combining focus, expertise, and community collaboration to ship breakthrough technology at scale. Together, the EF and the Ethereum ecosystem aim to realize the vision of the world computer.