As Solana becomes the “darling” of the Trump administration, there are concerns about whether Ethereum’s time is up. There are several angles to consider. First off, ETH prices
Ethereum
1.59%
Ethereum
ETH
Price
$1,740.99
1.59% /24h
Volume in 24h
$6.22B
Price 7d
are nothing but stagnant and non-inspiring for permabulls. On the other hand, the community discontent about the actions of the Ethereum Foundation (EF).
Well, there is nothing to take away from the foundation. They steered the blockchain and its dedicated team of developers through rough patches. Even though it remains the most active smart contract platform by total value locked (TVL) and developer activity, the community wants more.
Right now, the attention is on the EF and the discomfort it is causing ETH holders, thanks to its constant selling to cover operational costs.
The Ethereum Foundation: A Cause For Frustration?
To understand where the noise is coming from, we must know the purpose of the EF. The team created the EF from launch, structuring it as a non-profit organization. Its sole purpose was to support the broader Ethereum ecosystem and promote the network as the best there is.
However, to do this, the foundation needed funds. During the ICO, they were allocated 3 million ETH, a reserve to ensure all their work was done smoothly. The problem is that over the last few years, especially in 2024, they have been regularly selling at a pace that rattled the community’s confidence.
(Source)
While the primary argument is that the EF is using the chain, many believe the foundation should prioritize staking their stash and generating yield instead.
In turn, the yield will cover their operational costs, reducing the pressure of frequent selling. According to Staking Rewards, staking ETH yields roughly 3%. Over 33.57 million ETH remain staked so far.
(Source)
The staking path proposes also aligns with what Vitalik Buterin, one of the many Ethereum co-founders, thinks. However, as the co-founder stated, there were regulatory challenges regarding whether they should sell.
Generally, by staking, EF would be aligning with the long-term goals of making Ethereum secure while also not spooking other holders to sell.
Then again, if they choose to sell, the community thinks the best way to do so will be by selling via the over-the-counter (OTC), not via exchanges like Kraken, Gemini, or Coinbase as they usually do.
Using an OTC agent would minimize public scrutiny and, most importantly, improve the foundation’s perception of its financial prudence.
Aave CEO Proposal Aims To Streamline Foundation Operations
How EF should proceed has mostly been the suggestion of the community and, in some instances, Buterin.
In a post yesterday, Stani Kulechov, the CEO of Aave–a DeFi protocol whose tech is relied on by Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial, chimed in, proposing more radical overhaul of the foundation’s financial strategy.
Some of his suggestions include reducing staff and, crucially, streamlining operations.
At the same time, the Aave CEO thinks diversifying the foundation’s treasury would generate more yield.
If they invest in various DeFi and non-DeFi projects, they would receive more yield and funding for their operations.
As practical as this may be, the foundation would potentially be in a conflict-of-interest situation, yet it is supposed to be neutral, entirely tasked with supporting the app builder ecosystem, not specific projects.
Additionally, the CEO thinks the best way to fund the foundation is by suggesting and implementing a sustainable revenue model. Here, funding will be from transaction fees.
Only time will tell which path the foundation and Ethereum will take. Before then, the foundation will be pressured not to sell like they did last year.
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