The departures also occur while the foundation has unveiled a new strategic framework called “CROPS”, an acronym meaning cypherpunk values, resilience, open source development, permissionlessness and security. Foundation leaders presented the framework as a way to clarify the FE’s mission and reinforce Ethereum’s core values as the ecosystem becomes increasingly decentralized. The fans saw it as a reaffirmation of the founding of Ethereum principles, while critics argued that it did not address concerns about execution, organizational effectiveness and the network’s competitive position.
Among the most vocal critics was former Ethereum researcher Dankrad Feist, who suggested that the recent wave of executive departures reflected deeper management problems rather than disagreements over strategy.
“People leaving the Ethereum Foundation are CROPS believers,” Feist wrote on X. “The problem does not come from the strategy, but from the management.”
Feist’s comments were notable because they challenged the prevailing notion that recent departures stemmed from dissatisfaction with the foundation’s new direction. Instead, he argued that many of those who left the party supported the CROPS vision itself, making the loss of talent a reflection of leadership shortcomings rather than ideological disagreements. “The talent exodus is unfortunately really bearish for Ethereum,” he added.
Other community members echoed their concerns about the Foundation’s internal dynamics. “It makes me sad to see the dysfunction of the Ethereum Foundation,” Head of Engineering at Coinbase Yuga Cohler wrote on X.
