Key Highlights
- Bastian Aue will replace Tomasz Stanczak as co-Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation starting in March 2026.
- Stanczak is transitioning from administrative leadership back to technical work focused on agentic AI and core protocol building.
- The leadership shift comes as the foundation expands globally and prioritizes post-quantum security and institutional growth.
Tomasz Stanczak announced today that he is resigning from his role as co-Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation at the end of the month. Bastian Aue, who has been handling policy support and long-term projects at the organization, will assume the expanded leadership role alongside current co-ED Hsiao-Wei Wang.
The change marks a shift for the main non-profit that supports the Ethereum ecosystem as it enters a new phase of institutional and technical development. According to the announcement, Stanczak plans to return to a more active role as a core developer and product builder within the ecosystem.
Refocusing on tech
The leadership change occurs at a time when the Ethereum Foundation is refocusing on emerging technologies like agentic AI and quantum security.
Stanczak said that while his ability to work independently at the EF may lessen over time, the organization is currently in a strong position that balances long-term goals with the need for change.
By handing over responsibility to Aue, the foundation seeks to keep its momentum in speeding up decision-making and enhancing communication with the global builder community.
Stanczak’s journey
Before joining the Ethereum Foundation’s leadership, Stanczak was a founder and developer in the industry, establishing Nethermind in 2017.
During his time as co-ED, he focused on the relationship between Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions and worked on improving transparency on budgets and structure within the foundation.
His time as co-ED was also marked by his efforts to make the role of co-ED more effective and attractive by empowering talent both within the EF and the wider ecosystem.
Future roadmap
The Ethereum Foundation plans to publish a proposal for a merged LEAN Ethereum and a core development roadmap to guide the development of the protocol in 2026 and beyond.
It also plans to establish internal teams for decentralized AI and global policy support while furthering its “Ethereum Everywhere” initiative with locations in cities such as San Francisco, Lagos, London, Berlin, and Hong Kong.
Return to core development
Stanczak said his next steps will include participating in agentic core development and governance. He said, “I plan to act more as a core dev, a hands-on product builder and among other things, work on the agentic core development and agentic governance.”
The transition appears structured to ensure stability as the foundation addresses challenges such as post-quantum security and the incorporation of Ethereum into the global financial infrastructure.
Stanczak expressed gratitude to the community and the EF board for the chance to serve in a leadership role.
As Aue prepares to take on the co-ED position, the foundation remains focused on becoming more open to institutional uses and a new generation of builders.
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