A new chapter in the infinite garden

My expensive Ethereum neighborhood,

As we speak, I’m excited to show the web page and share that I will probably be closing this chapter as Govt Director of the Ethereum Basis quickly and entering into a brand new position as its President. This new alternative will permit me to proceed supporting EF’s institutional relationships, and to increase the attain of our imaginative and prescient and tradition extra broadly. I’m feeling deeply grateful and enthusiastic for what’s forward, and whereas I made this determination a yr in the past, latest occasions have given me the right alternative to replicate on what really issues to me.

These previous few weeks have illuminated one thing profound about Ethereum — a fact that turns into clearest in moments of stress, when debates come up over the community’s efficiency or ETH’s market worth. Throughout the globe, groups and people communicate of Ethereum as if it have been their very own, but this very stress is the place our best power lies: Ethereum belongs to everybody exactly as a result of it belongs to nobody. Our tradition of permissionlessness doesn’t simply tolerate disagreement — it grows stronger by means of it. And within the midst of all of it, we’ve seen new, hopeful vitality emerge, reminding me that it’s typically in darkness that we discover the north star—one thing we too typically take with no consideration.

I’d wish to borrow from Stewart Model’s Tempo Layering to clarify how I view issues in Ethereum. He presents a framework for a way the world works, which was impressed by Brian Eno’s Shearing Layers. Over time, this mannequin has formed the considering of a various group of influential folks, technologists, artists, futurists, and organizations alike.

Upholding Ethereum’s Values

The place does Ethereum match inside these layers? Is it within the fast-moving outer layers, the place fast experimentation occurs? Or on the core, the place nature and tradition evolve extra slowly? I don’t suppose the reply lies solely in both. If we wish Ethereum to be greater than a short-term product, if we wish it to weave into the material of the world for the long run, we’d like all layers, transferring in any respect paces. And if we don’t need Ethereum to ever be confined to a short-term product of 1 firm, then all layers can not—and mustn’t—be dominated by EF.

The Ethereum Basis works to determine gaps and imbalances throughout these layers. EF’s position has by no means been to regulate or personal all domains in Ethereum. As a substitute, our duty—our accountability—lies in upholding Ethereum’s values. By way of each our actions and our non-actions, we’re accountable for guaranteeing that Ethereum stays resilient, not simply as a community, however as a broader ecosystem of individuals, concepts, and values—by no means decreased to a single group’s product.

The worth of credible neutrality doesn’t imply treating the whole lot equally, it means making principled decisions that shield Ethereum’s integrity at its core. Our philosophy of subtraction is commonly misunderstood: It’s not minimalism, nor does it imply doing much less for the sake of it. It’s a type of subtractive design considering that focuses on outcomes quite than inflexible strategies. Subtraction is just not the method, however the end result we try for: a panorama with fewer imbalances, and fewer centralization that might compromise Ethereum’s values. As a substitute of assuming that much less is at all times higher, this mindset acknowledges that attaining steadiness typically requires considerate complexity or including new mechanisms to make sure that nobody entity, EF included, dominates Ethereum’s evolution.

Guided by philosophy

EF has helped bootstrap new tasks, new organizations and new heroes by proudly owning solely what we have been finest suited to personal. Numerous choices, guided by this philosophy, have helped Ethereum develop into the most important ecosystem of its type whereas maintaining its potential infinite. Ethereum can do the whole lot, be all over the place, and serve everybody, with every area powered by the brightest minds, and above all, it should stay free from seize. These values are our north star, and that is how we obtain the unique imaginative and prescient of Ethereum because the world pc.

This philosophy flows by means of the whole lot we do.

Some examples of the place our actions have impacted Ethereum R&D and infrastructure:

As a substitute of controlling, we steward All Core Dev calls to create area for technical choices to emerge by means of neighborhood knowledge.We promote shopper variety, not simply in quantity, however for shoppers to achieve success and maintained by completely different groups throughout the ecosystem to keep away from single factors of failure. The shopper incentive program has additionally been supporting shopper groups of their work.We help the coordination of R&D interop retreats, understanding that actual breakthroughs occur when various groups cross-pollinate concepts.Some efforts start as seeds that we plant—like Account Abstraction or cross-L2 coordination, however they’re designed to develop past our preliminary tending and now flourish by means of neighborhood cultivation.The Merge, and the shift to proof of stake, was nothing wanting a mission-impossible. Not solely as a result of it needed to be executed seamlessly whereas 1000’s of functions continued working, however as a result of it required a fragile steadiness: management with out management, coordination with out centralization.

Devcon has grown into one thing really distinctive inside the Ethereum ecosystem. It’s not a standard convention, and it offers an area the place neighborhood hubs and domain-specific occasions are led by these driving progress in their very own corners of the ecosystem. We concentrate on nurturing management inside various communities, empowering them to form their very own visions and join with their folks. Though this method makes coordination extra advanced, calls for extra time and sources, and requires us to embrace a degree of unpredictability, we consider that is one of the simplest ways to replicate what Ethereum really is—a community of unbiased but interconnected communities, every contributing to the entire. Devconnect, which we’ve hosted since 2021, is a pure extension of this philosophy: creating areas for deep, targeted collaboration whereas permitting completely different communities to guide in their very own means.

In executing our efforts with this philosophy, I’ve inspired our workforce to maintain a key precept in thoughts: EF should hold evolving, simply as Ethereum itself is a dwelling, dynamic entity. Nevertheless, we should keep away from evolving like a conventional company, as a result of our purpose is not for EF to “win” – it’s for Ethereum to win over the long-term whereas staying true to its core values. Because the ecosystem’s wants evolve, our focus shifts from merely asking, “How can EF execute this?” to “How can Ethereum accomplish this, and what position ought to EF play?” This doesn’t imply stepping again; quite, we step ahead with function, technique, and intention, at all times guided by our mission to protect the integrity and values of Ethereum.

Irreplaceably Distinctive

It’s been wonderful to witness this progress of the ecosystem. Seven years in the past, after I joined EF, Ethereum had fewer voices. Participation—each in constructing and securing the community—was concentrated in fewer fingers and areas. Again then, as an Eclectic Dreamer (a title I most popular over Govt Director), I typically requested myself: What makes Ethereum not simply completely different, however irreplaceably distinctive? The reply was at all times clear but profound: true resilience, rooted in Ethereum’s values. Ethereum doesn’t develop like a machine; it grows like a backyard, strengthened by its biodiversity, flourishing as a result of the sport as an entire is infinite. This imaginative and prescient—the Infinite Backyard—was born from that realization. As we speak, Ethereum thrives as a collage of voices: core builders and researchers refining the protocol, L2 groups enabling scalability, utility builders bridging Ethereum to the true world, and native communities shaping its future in their very own methods. This richness—the place technical and social innovation intertwine and affect one another—isn’t only a characteristic of Ethereum; it’s the explanation it endures.

After we hear “decentralization is the one method to construct in my nation” from somebody in a spot the place democracy is damaged, it reminds us how Ethereum’s technical decisions carry profound human implications. Whereas this infinite recreation can’t be performed by EF alone, we stay dedicated to upholding the values that permit Ethereum’s technical and social innovation to proceed to serve humanity.

Thanks

After I first mentioned the potential for transitioning to President with Vitalik a yr in the past, it was with the intention of continuous to nurture the distinctive tradition of Ethereum, and serving as a voice to bridge the hole between Ethereum and the broader world neighborhood. As within the Tempo Layering, tradition strikes the slowest, but it offers a robust basis for the whole lot that follows (“If the gradual components should not sometimes irritating, they don’t seem to be doing their job – SB”). Tradition endures far past market cycles, sustains us by means of winter, and propels us by means of spring.

Thanks to each single one who was a part of my journey throughout my final seven years, and to those that inspired me to remain true to myself. Rising EF and supporting Ethereum typically required unconventional approaches, and choices that challenged conventional organizational knowledge. I am deeply grateful to those that impressed me to remain daring, and to belief that pursuing our values would gentle the trail ahead. It has by no means been a simple experience, and I couldn’t have made it with out you. And my deep appreciation to everybody on the Ethereum Basis, previous and current, who patiently and courageously participated on this extraordinary and unconventional journey collectively.

Thanks to all of you who hold reminding me why we’re right here within the first place.

Let’s proceed constructing within the backyard.

—

Aya Miyaguchi