Hsiao-Wei Wang has resigned as co-executive director and board member of the Ethereum Foundation (EF), effective immediately. She is the second person to leave the top leadership position in 2026.
After an extended sabbatical, Wang said the time away led her to reassess her priorities. She plans to remain part of the broader Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem and contribute to its growth from outside the organization.
Nine Years at the Foundation’s Core
Wang joined the EF research team in 2017 and rose to co-executive director in April 2025. She contributed to several major protocol upgrades over nearly a decade. These included the Beacon Chain, The Merge, Shapella, and Dencun.
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin responded on X, describing Wang as a steadfast contributor to the ecosystem over her decade with the foundation. He noted that she managed the foundation’s co-leadership role with skill and grace during one of its most demanding stretches.
Her departure follows that of former co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak, who stepped down in late February. Bastian Aue then took on the interim co-director role. The Ethereum Foundation introduced new leadership arrangements in early 2026 to respond to developer community pressure.
Eight Ethereum Foundation Exits Raise Questions
Wang’s exit is the latest in a growing pattern. At least eight senior researchers and executives have left the EF since January. Consequently, those departures have fueled persistent questions about EF governance and strategic direction.
Community questions about the Ethereum Foundation’s leadership have grown throughout 2026. Critics have pointed to the pace of protocol decisions and an absence of long-term direction. As a result, the EF restructured its core team to address those pressures earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the foundation has tried to respond on multiple fronts. It announced a broader leadership restructure to realign with community expectations. Separately, Vitalik signaled a reduction in EF influence as part of a push toward decentralized oversight.
However, the exits have continued. The EF now heads into a transition period with a fully renewed executive structure.
In her farewell message, Wang called on the global community to carry Ethereum forward independently. She signed off by encouraging developers and contributors worldwide to take ownership of the network’s future. She described her exit as a personal realignment rather than a withdrawal from the ecosystem.
Whether the restructured leadership restores internal stability remains uncertain. Further departures could continue to test the organization’s standing with developers and researchers in the months ahead.
