Hsiao-Wei Wang Resigns as Ethereum Foundation Co-ED

High attention and emotional sentiment detected.

Wang shared the news in a post on X on Wednesday. She had recently returned from a sabbatical, and then she decided to step away. So far, the Foundation has not named a permanent successor.

Hsiao-Wei Wang Resigns After a Sabbatical

In her statement, Wang said the break gave her room to reflect. According to her, that time clarified her priorities and the life she wants to build next.

She put the decision plainly in the post. “After my sabbatical, I have decided to step down as co-executive director and board member of the Ethereum Foundation, effective today,” she wrote.

She also set the move in a wider frame. In her words, “Ethereum has always been bigger than any one role, any one organization, or any one moment.”

For now, she expects to spend more time closer to home. Still, she stressed that she is not leaving the community. She remains, in her words, “a proud member” of the ecosystem.

From Researcher to Co-Executive Director

Wang joined the Ethereum Foundation research team in mid-2017. At the time, she worked as a core Layer 1 researcher. Her focus covered sharding, consensus, and Beacon Chain design.

Over roughly seven years, she helped shape several major upgrades. Her work touched the Beacon Chain, The Merge, Shapella, and Dencun. Together, those upgrades moved Ethereum to Proof-of-Stake.

The Beacon Chain matters here for one reason. In simple terms, it became the backbone of that transition. It coordinated the validators that now secure the network.

She also built community offline. For years, she organized Ethereum events across Taiwan and Taipei.

Then, in March 2025, the Foundation promoted her. She became co-executive director alongside Tomasz Stanczak. Her start date was set for March 17, 2025.

How the Leadership Structure Took Shape

The co-executive director role sits at the top of the nonprofit. In practice, it covers strategy, operations, and research coordination. It also keeps the Foundation aligned with Ethereum’s open-source values.

The current setup arrived during a wider reshuffle. In early 2025, Aya Miyaguchi moved from executive director to president. That shift followed community criticism of the Foundation’s strategy.

To balance the workload, the board then split the top job. Wang led on research, while Stanczak led on operations. According to the EF, the pairing matched a technical leader with an execution leader.

Another Name on a Growing List of Exits

Wang’s resignation does not arrive in isolation. Instead, it lands during a long run of senior departures.

According to CoinDesk, at least eight senior people have left the Foundation in roughly five months. The Block reported a similar pattern. It listed protocol leads such as Barnabe Monnot and Tim Beiko among the exits.

Tomasz Stanczak set the tone in February 2026. He stepped down at the end of that month. The board then named Bastian Aue interim co-executive director.

Aue guided the transition while Wang was on her break. Now, he continues to steer the interim leadership. No replacement has been confirmed.

Vitalik Buterin and Developers Praise Her Work

The response from inside Ethereum has been warm. Co-founder Vitalik Buterin offered a long tribute, which The Block reported.

He framed her career in years, not months. Buterin said Wang “has been a steadfast contributor to the Ethereum ecosystem for a decade.”

He also pointed to the timing. She took on “perhaps the most challenging position in the Ethereum Foundation,” he said.

Then he closed with encouragement. He praised how she acted, and said he looks forward to her “next adventures.”

Core developers echoed that tone on X. Several engineers thanked her for her Beacon Chain and Merge work. Few framed the exit as a crisis.

Two Stories About the Same Departure

The coverage splits into two readings. Both can be true at once. The first reading is simple and personal.

By that account, Wang made an individual choice after a sabbatical. The handoff looks orderly. The tone stays amicable, and Bastian Aue keeps the lights on.

The second reading is broader. Because so many senior people have left, some observers describe a brain drain. They also question the Foundation’s strategy and governance.

For now, neither side disputes her stated reasons. Still, the steady drumbeat of exits keeps the Foundation under scrutiny.

What Comes Next for the Ethereum Foundation

Several questions remain open. Chiefly, the board has not said who will fill the role, or when.

It is also unclear whether Wang will keep contributing in research. She said only that she wants time closer to home for now.

On the market side, ETH traded near $1,680 to $1,750 around the announcement. That marked a roughly 5% drop over 24 hours. Analysts tied the move to broader conditions, not to this news.

The next signal to watch is the search for a permanent leader. Until then, Bastian Aue guides the Foundation. The community waits to see how the transition settles.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.