Ethereum Developer Eric Conner Steps Down, Blames “Lost Passion” Amid Leadership Issues

Eric Conner, a core developer in the Ethereum ecosystem, has announced his departure from the community, citing issues with leadership within the Ethereum Foundation (EF). 

Conner shared his decision on X (formerly Twitter) just days after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin revealed ongoing leadership changes within the foundation.

Eric Conner Exits the Ethereum Foundation

Despite being a part of the community for 11 years, Conner expressed disappointment with the leadership’s priorities, claiming he “lost passion.”

He expressed frustration over the leadership’s failure to prioritize the needs and demands of the community, which he described as the ecosystem’s last line of defense, ultimately leading to his decision to step away.

“I am no longer a dot eth. Perhaps someday those in leadership roles will realign with the community, but for now, I am out. Deep down, I truly hope Ethereum succeeds,” Conner remarked.

Conner also announced his plans to focus on the intersection of crypto and artificial intelligence. He revealed that he will begin this new journey with Freysa AI.

The departure news came after Buterin reaffirmed his authority over the foundation in a January 21 post. 

“The person deciding the new EF leadership team is me. One of the goals of the ongoing reform is to give the EF a “proper board”, but until that happens it’s me,” the post read.

This statement came amidst growing calls from the community to promote Danny Ryan, a researcher and developer, to a leadership role. Conner had previously voiced his support for Ryan,

 “If the EF doesn’t hire Danny Ryan as ED of the EF, it’s revolt time.” Conner wrote in a January 15 post.

Nonetheless, the debate took an alarming turn, with some X users resorting to harassment and even issuing death threats against EF executive director Aya Miyaguchi, pushing for her to resign—actions that Buterin condemned as “pure evil.”

Meanwhile, Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck, responded to Buterin’s remarks.

“Money talks and is never ‘actively toxic’ to top talent. It’s more toxic if ETH believers sell than if they hurt your feelings on X. EF leadership should be highly paid, and the price of the token should be one of several important KPIs for this role,” Sigel stated on X.

These developments succeeded Buterin’s confirmation of significant restructuring within the EF’s leadership on January 18.

In an X post, Buterin outlined the ongoing process, which he said had been in development for nearly a year.

“We are indeed currently in the process of large changes to EF leadership structure,” Buterin shared. 

He detailed the objectives, including improving technical expertise within leadership, strengthening ties with ecosystem stakeholders, fostering fresh talent, and enhancing support for app developers.

Additionally, Buterin emphasized the importance of safeguarding privacy, open-source principles, and censorship resistance across the Ethereum ecosystem.