Tomasz Stanczak will step down as co-executive director of Ethereum Foundation (EF) at the end of February, less than a year after his appointment. He will be replaced by Bastian Aue, who joins Hsiao-Wei Wang as head of the non-profit organization overseeing the Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem.
We just announced an update on a change within the leadership team. @tkstanczak is a unique talent and leader, accomplishing more in a single year than most could ever hope for. His exceptionally open-minded mentality also inspired us all. This is why we accepted…
-Aya Miyaguchi (@AyaMiyagotchi) February 13, 2026
The departure follows a significant organizational overhaul initiated in April 2025, intended to streamline operations and address community concerns about transparency – as part of a so-called “1000-year survival vision.”
Stanczak, formerly of Nethermind, was hired to accelerate execution and clarify the roadmap alongside Wang. His mandate focused on strengthening coordination within the ecosystem, a change reflecting the slight austerity hitting the Ethereum Foundation with regards to treasury management and operational focus.
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Ethereum Foundation Leadership Transition: Stanczak Targets New Strategic Direction on Ethereum
Just to clarify, based on some messages I’m receiving – I’m not planning on taking a break, I’m finalizing the transition by the end of February with the EF and then building on Ethereum starting March 1st. There will be many of you at EthSF and DAS then at EthCC.
– Tomasz K. Stańczak (@tkstanczak) February 13, 2026
In a blog post published Friday, Stanczak confirmed his departure, saying he plans to launch a new project in March 2026. “I am leaving my role as co-director at EF. Bastian Aue is taking over the role of co-director alongside Hsiao-Wei Wang,” Stanczak wrote in an official update. He emphasized that the Foundation remains strong for builders and indicated that he will remain available to answer questions at the next ETHDenver event.
During his brief tenure, Stanczak prioritized the “agentic economy” and convened more than 20 Layer 2 teams to address fragmentation and interoperability. Under his leadership, the Foundation also continued to strengthen ecosystem security, as shown by its recent partnership with the Ethereum Foundation to seal wallet-draining contracts and protect users. Stanczak noted that a “LEAN Ethereum” roadmap is being prepared for 2026 to provide additional coordination guidance.
Aue, which previously managed grants and operations, is providing institutional continuity as the network approaches its next technical milestones, in a move applauded by prominent figures in the Ethereum ecosystem such as Danny Ryan.
THANKS @tkstanczak 🙏
And welcome Bastian 🔥
Bastian is the most thoughtful and wise person I have ever worked with.
While I was at EF, Bastian was my main source of advice for every difficult decision I made during that time, and I still seek his perspective regularly…
– Dannyryan (@dannyryan) February 13, 2026
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Ethereum Roadmaps and Future Agent
The leadership shakeup comes as Ethereum moves toward supporting AI agents and institutional finance. Vitalik Buterin has highlighted this direction, recently discussing Ethereum’s future AI infrastructure needs and the transition to on-chain financial infrastructure. Stanczak’s departure is not expected to disrupt the upcoming “Glamsterdam” upgrade, which focuses on strengthening the protocol rather than new features.
The Foundation continues to manage significant resources to ensure the sustainability of the network. This approach is reminiscent of how Vitalik Buterin and Ethereum OG have historically directed capital toward security and long-term viability. According to Forklog, Buterin praised Stanczak for significantly improving the efficiency of several departments during his tenure.
Stanczak is expected to further address questions regarding the transition at ETHDenver. The market will monitor whether the Foundation maintains its accelerated pace under the new interim leadership structure.
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Daniel Frances is a technical writer and Web3 educator specializing in macroeconomics and DeFi mechanics. Hailing from crypto since 2017, Daniel leverages his experience in on-chain analytics to write evidence-based reports and in-depth guides. He holds certifications from the Blockchain Council and is dedicated to providing “insight gain” that overcomes market hype to find real utility for blockchain.
