Ethereum Loses Key Member Eric Connor

Eric Conor, the main developer of Ethereum, left the community, stating that leadership problems led to a loss of passion after working for 11 years.

Eric Conor, the lead developer of Ethereum, is leaving the community, stating that leadership issues have led to a loss of passion after working for 11 years.

Connor posted the news on his X account (formerly Twitter) just days after co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, shared plans to rebuild leadership within the foundation.

Ethereum Developers Exodus

Eric has worked at the Ethereum Foundation for the past 11 years. Despite being a key developer for all this time, he expressed disappointment with the leadership's priorities, stating that he had "lost his passion".

He stated that the needs and demands of the community are the last line of defence for the ecosystem. The leadership failed to recognise and prioritise this, leading to his decision to leave office.

In a post regarding this decision, Connor stated:
"I am no longer a dot eth. Perhaps one day those in leadership roles will realign with the community, but for now I'm leaving. Deep down, I really hope Ethereum succeeds."

Connor announced his plans to work in a combined cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence sector, revealing he is joining Freysa AI for this new project.

The news of his departure came after co-founder Vitalik Buterin reaffirmed his authority over the Ethereum Foundation.

In a post, Buterin emphasised his role in the foundation:
"The person who decides the new EF leadership team is me. One of the goals of the ongoing reform is to give the EF a 'real board of directors,' but until then, I'm there."

This statement emerged in the context of a growing call to promote Danny Ryan, a developer, to a leadership position.

Eric expressed his support for Ryan in a post on X, dated 15 January: "If the EF does not hire Danny Ryan as EF Executive Director, it is time for a revolt."

The overall debate took an alarming turn, with many posting offensive content on X, even going so far as to threaten Aya Miyaguchi, Executive Director, forcing her to resign. Buterin commented on this behaviour, calling it 'purely evil'.

Matthew Sigel, head of digital asset research at VanEck, responded to Buterin's comments on X:
"Money talks and is never 'actively toxic' to top talent. It is more toxic if ETH believers sell rather than hurt your feelings about X. EF leadership should be well paid, and the price of the token should be one of the important KPIs for this role."

The ongoing developments within EF confirm the restructuring of leadership.

On X, Buterin outlined the steps, stating that plans have been in development for a year:
"We are indeed currently in the process of major changes in the EF leadership structure."

He spoke of detailed goals, including improving technical leadership. The new era also focuses on strengthening ties with key stakeholders in the blockchain ecosystem. Vitalik expressed his views on the importance of cultivating new talent and improving support for application developers.

He also emphasised the need to safeguard user privacy, resistance to censorship and open-source principles.