Ethereum Foundation hit by fresh exit as Hsiao-Wei Wang steps down
Hsiao-Wei Wang has stepped down as co-executive director and board member of the Ethereum Foundation, effective immediately.
Summary
- Wang said her sabbatical helped her decide to leave Ethereum Foundation leadership effective immediately.
- Her exit follows Tomasz Stańczak’s February departure and Bastian Aue’s interim leadership appointment this year.
- Ethereum Foundation still funds protocol research as Glamsterdam and wider roadmap work continue this year.
She announced the decision on X after returning from a sabbatical. Wang said the break gave her time to review her priorities and the next phase of her life. She said she came to feel it was the “right moment” to step back from her formal role.
She thanked Bastian Aue for guiding the transition while she was away. Wang did not announce a new job or project, but said she expects to spend more time closer to home. She also said she remains a member of the Ethereum community.
Buterin credits Wang’s research and community work
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also responded to Wang’s exit, saying she had been a “steadfast contributor” to the Ethereum ecosystem for a decade. He recalled her early role in the Ethereum research community and said she helped make research and consensus work more organized.
Buterin also pointed to Wang’s work outside protocol research. He said she helped build a strong Ethereum community in Taipei through people and events. He added that Wang handled her foundation leadership role “skillfully and gracefully” during a difficult period for Ethereum and the wider industry.
His comments add context to Wang’s departure by placing her work across both technical coordination and community building. Wang has not announced her next role, but Buterin said he looks forward to her next steps.
Exit follows earlier leadership change
Wang’s exit comes months after another change at the top of the Ethereum Foundation. In February, Tomasz Stańczak stepped down as co-executive director, and the board appointed Aue as interim co-executive director.
The Ethereum Foundation said at the time that Aue had deep knowledge of its structure and values. It also said he had worked with Wang and Stańczak on decisions across grants, enterprise work, and operations.
Wang and Stańczak had been named co-executive directors in March 2025. The foundation said then that Wang brought seven years of research experience, including work tied to the Beacon Chain and Ethereum’s wider research process. The appointment created a dual-leadership model after Aya Miyaguchi moved into the president role.
Ethereum work continues across teams
Wang used her message to point to the Ethereum community beyond the foundation. She said Ethereum has always been “bigger than any one role” and credited builders, researchers, educators, node operators, validators, and users.
As previously reported by crypto.news, the Ethereum Foundation has continued to fund protocol and infrastructure work. Its Q1 2026 grants supported Geth, Erigon, Lighthouse, validator security tools, zero-knowledge research, and public infrastructure.
Crypto.news also reported that the foundation has faced other staff changes in 2026. The Protocol Cluster transition included exits or sabbaticals involving Barnabé Monnot, Tim Beiko, and Alex Stokes, while new leads took over key areas. That transition came as core teams kept work moving across scaling, security, and client development.
Roadmap remains under watch
The leadership change lands as Ethereum developers prepare for major roadmap work. Crypto.news earlier reported that the Glamsterdam upgrade focuses on Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation and Block-Level Access Lists.
Those changes aim to make block building more transparent and help clients process data more efficiently. Ethereum teams are also tracking gas repricing, Layer 1 scaling, privacy, and future security work.
The change also comes as the foundation narrows its role. Crypto.news recently reported Vitalik Buterin’s view that the Ethereum Foundation should act as one node in the wider Ethereum system, not as Ethereum’s parent or permanent steward.
