Inside the Ethereum Foundation's year of internal upheaval

The Ethereum Foundation is shedding its skin. What started as a quiet year has turned into a series of high-profile departures and policy shifts that have the community checking their watches. Executive Director Aya Miyaguchi recently announced she's stepping back into an advisory role, adding another name to a list of exits that includes veteran researchers and core developers. It's not just about the faces; the foundation is tightening its belt on conflict-of-interest rules after backlash over researchers taking lucrative roles at restaking giant EigenLayer. Critics have long barked about the EF's lack of transparency regarding its $1.6 billion treasury, and these moves look like a frantic attempt to professionalize before the next bull run hits. While the organization insists this is natural evolution, the sheer volume of 2024 exits suggests a deeper cultural pivot is underway. Can the skeleton crew maintain its grip on the roadmap while the big names walk out the door?