Ethereum Core Developer Eric Conner Departs Community Amid Leadership Concerns
In a significant development for the Ethereum ecosystem, Eric Conner, a long-standing core developer, has announced his departure from the community after 11 years of involvement. Conner cited a “lost passion” and dissatisfaction with the current leadership of the Ethereum Foundation (EF) as the primary reasons for his exit.
Conner shared his decision on the social media platform X, expressing frustration over what he perceived as the leadership’s failure to prioritize community needs and demands. He stated, “I am no longer a dot eth. Perhaps someday those in leadership roles will realign with the community, but for now, I am out. Deep down, I truly hope Ethereum succeeds.”
He criticized the Ethereum Foundation for its lack of transparency and disconnect from the community. He announced his intention to concentrate on the intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, beginning a new journey with Freysa AI.
The situation has sparked intense discussions about Ethereum’s future governance and leadership structure. There appears to be a divide over Ethereum’s future direction and how closely it should adhere to decentralization principles.
This announcement comes in the wake of recent statements by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin regarding ongoing leadership changes within the foundation. On January 21, Buterin asserted his authority over the EF, stating, “The person deciding the new EF leadership team is me.” This declaration was made amidst growing community calls to promote Danny Ryan, a researcher and developer, to a leadership role.
The situation has sparked intense debate within the Ethereum community. Some supporters have gone to extreme lengths, with reports of harassment and even death threats directed at EF executive director Aya Miyaguchi. Buterin strongly condemned these actions as “pure evil.”
In response to the unfolding events, Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck, suggested that EF leadership should be highly compensated, with the price of Ethereum (ETH) serving as one of several key performance indicators for leadership roles.
As for Conner’s future plans, he announced his intention to focus on the intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, beginning a new journey with Freysa AI.
This departure highlights the ongoing challenges and debates within the Ethereum community regarding governance, leadership, and the future direction of one of the most prominent blockchain ecosystems in the world.
Angel Marinov is the Managing Editor at Coinlabz. With extensive knowledge of crypto payments and blockchain use cases, Angel is a trusted source of accurate and timely information
