Former Ethereum Foundation Leader Flags Funding Gap as Governance Shifts
Former Ethereum Foundation member Trent Van Epps said Ethereum needs new funding institutions as the Foundation reduces its central role in the ecosystem. He framed the issue as a practical public-goods funding challenge rather than an existential crisis for the network.
What happened?
Former Ethereum Foundation member Trent Van Epps said Ethereum needs new funding institutions as the Foundation reduces its central role in the ecosystem. He framed the issue as a practical public-goods funding challenge rather than an existential crisis for the network.
Why it matters
Former Ethereum Foundation member Trent Van Epps warned that Ethereum must develop new funding institutions as the Foundation accelerates its shift toward a smaller, less central role. Speaking on CoinDesk’s Markets Outlook with Jennifer Sanasie, Van Epps said he left the organization after it became clear that the Foundation would push more authority and legitimacy into the wider Ethereum ecosystem.
Former Ethereum Foundation member Trent Van Epps warned that Ethereum must develop new funding institutions as the Foundation accelerates its shift toward a smaller, less central role. Speaking on CoinDesk’s Markets Outlook with Jennifer Sanasie, Van Epps said he left the organization after it became clear that the Foundation would push more authority and legitimacy into the wider Ethereum ecosystem.
The development matters because Ethereum’s core infrastructure still requires sustained financial support even as its main coordinating institution deliberately steps back. Van Epps estimated that core protocol development needs about $30 million per year, while the Ethereum Foundation’s treasury is expected to decline over time.
Van Epps described the situation as a funding gap for public goods, not a collapse in Ethereum’s technical direction. He said the challenge is identifying organizations willing to finance the work that keeps the network reliable and secure, especially when many companies benefit from Ethereum infrastructure without directly contributing to its maintenance.
He pointed to Protocol Guild, an initiative he helped build, as one attempt to support Ethereum core developers. According to Van Epps, the project has distributed nearly $40 million over roughly four years, but he said it is not large enough on its own to replace broader ecosystem funding.
The comments follow recent Ethereum Foundation leadership changes and workforce reductions, which have prompted new questions about how Ethereum governance should work over the long term. Van Epps said he expects the Foundation to keep operating in a narrower role while newer organizations focus on areas such as research, commercialization and ecosystem growth.
Despite the funding concerns, Van Epps remained optimistic about Ethereum’s position. He said the network continues to have strengths in decentralized finance, stablecoin settlement and EVM adoption, while arguing that Ethereum also needs stronger advocacy around ETH as an asset and a clearer narrative connecting the token to the network’s on-chain economy.