Tomasz Stańczak stepped down as co-executive director of the Ethereum Foundation
TLDR
Stanchak will step down as co-CEO of the Ethereum Foundation at the end of February 2026.
The foundation has proposed two network reforms by 2025 and developed clear quantum security strategies.
Over 20 Ethereum Layer 2 projects have come together to discuss scalability, functionality and diversity.
Stanchak plans to continue as a lead developer, focusing on agent development and management systems.
Tomasz K. Stańczak At the end of February 2026, he announced his resignation as co-CEO of the Ethereum Foundation.
Bastian Au will continue the collaborative leadership structure alongside Hsiao Wei Wang. Stanchak shared details via a blog post and promised to address community questions on ETDenver and future podcasts. The transition refers to a planned change for the organization after the transition year.
Achievements during his tenure at the Ethereum Foundation
During his tenure as Stanchak's Executive Director, he oversaw rapid organizational change and strategic improvements across multiple areas.
“The future is bright for builders, Ethereum, EF and me,” he said in the announcement, expressing his positive outlook.
The Foundation has become more accessible to institutions and the wider developer community, speeding up the decision-making process.
Compensation policies have been introduced, treasury management has been strengthened, and communication channels have been greatly expanded through social media and podcast engagements.
The organization It has made significant progress on key initiatives by 2025. Two network upgrades were successfully completed, demonstrating the performance capabilities of the core development team.
The foundation has developed clear quantum security strategies, with leading researchers finalizing specifications and engineers working on implementation. Post-quantum security now occupies a certain place in the protocol roadmap.
New specialized groups have emerged to address the evolving needs of the ecosystem. An independent decentralized AI team started providing standards and solutions for the agent economy.
The EcoDev team was specifically focused on supporting founders, institutions and governments on Ethereum. An international policy support group was created to oversee regulatory and policy issues in the states.
The connection between Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions has received significant attention throughout the year. The foundation created a platform group and brought together more than 20 Ethereum L2 projects at the Network School to discuss scalability, diversity and interoperability.
Teams working on native packages, native packages, and synchronous integration have been launched with clear directions for 2026.
Major Ethereum rolls have further added alternative layer 1 chains in stable coin movement and trading transactions.
Transition and future direction
Stanchak expressed confidence in the foundation's current state and future direction. He pointed out that the leadership in the organization has grown to be able to make independent decisions and protect its ownership.
The roadmap became clearer, goals were established, and the organization achieved a healthy balance between long-term goals and necessary adjustments.
He emphasized that several important organizational reforms have been completed or are in progress.
The Foundation plans to release a unified LEAN Ethereum and Core Development Roadmap proposal soon. This document outlines the long-term protocol evolution path that the protocol team supports.
It aims to provide coordination guidance for 2026 and beyond, building on recent network improvements. The proposal addresses important protocol improvements and coordination mechanisms for core developers.
Stanchak has announced plans to continue contributing to Ethereum through various channels. He intends to work more as a lead developer and product developer, focusing on core development and management systems.
His direct messages remain open to those seeking connections within the foundation or discussing Ethereum's strategic vision. He plans to put pressure on the system to move at the appropriate speed.
Incoming co-executive director Bastian Awe holds key responsibilities in the organization. He has previously led major operations alongside senior executives such as Josh Starc and Tju Liang.
James Smith continues to drive EcoDev's transformation with a focus on developers, founders and institutional partnerships. Hsiao-Wei Wang will continue in her co-ED role, providing continuity during the leadership transition.
