The Ethereum Basis (EF) is dealing with extra group backlash, this time within the wake of influential developer Dankrad Feist’s announcement that he was leaving to affix payments-focused Tempo, backed by Stripe and Paradigm.
The high-profile departure raised issues about Ethereum’s means to compete with VC-backed networks like Tempo, and sparked debate about whether or not the EF sufficiently values prime expertise.
Dankrad has been a superb researcher and has made immensely priceless contributions to the Ethereum that we all know and love at the moment, together with Danksharding, consensus analysis and rather more. Wishing him luck in his new efforts. https://t.co/dlSwu3fpen
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) October 17, 2025
Tempo vs. Ethereum
Whereas Fiest’s submit claims, “Ethereum and Tempo are strongly aligned,” observers don’t see it that method. One referred to as the result “doubly bad,” given Feist’s concentrate on scaling options on the EF.
One other predicts that Tempo will “ship faster, be quicker and have better distribution via Stripe’s integrations,” and that reasonably than competing on funds, Ethereum ought to concentrate on changing into “the cypherpunk chain.”
I’m excited to announce that I will not be leaving Ethereum and can proceed to dedicate all my power to make Ethereum Cypherpunk once more.
— sudo rm -rf –no-preserve-root / (@pcaversaccio) October 17, 2025
Paradigm founder Matt Huang insists in the meantime that “Tempo will be a permissionless chain,” however will launch with a “permissioned validator set to get going and decentralize further from there.”
Nevertheless, Columbia Enterprise College’s Omid Malekan argues that “permissioned networks do not provide validators the plausible deniability required for a chain to be neutral” and transitioning from one to the opposite is unlikely.
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Since Friday, the controversy has widened, drawing influential trade voices and even former EF collaborators.
Polygon Basis CEO Sandeep Nailwal weighed in, saying he’s “started questioning my loyalty toward Ethereum.”
He describes feeling a “moral loyalty towards Ethereum” however claims that the group is a “shit show.”
Nailwal additionally factors out hypocrisy: “When Polymarket wins big, it’s ‘Ethereum,’ but Polygon itself is not Ethereum. Mind-boggling.”
“Major” contributors “are forced to question or even regret their allegiance,” he lamented.
In June, Péter Szilágyi, former key developer for the Go-ethereum (Geth) shopper, criticized the EF after being fired.
He additionally weighed in on the present “existential crises,” copying a letter despatched to management in Might 2024. Many have targeted on the comparatively low pay cited within the letter.
the lead engineer for Ethereum is paid $105k a yr, pre-tax, with no advantages, no raises, and no incentives
ethereum has a market cap of $480b and the muse not too long ago offered $43m of $eth
the place is the cash going? pic.twitter.com/2PX4AQ53lH
— hype (@VarrockBank) October 20, 2025
Certainly, Szilágyi acknowledges the predicament for employees who “set out to build something great, but we will readily shed all our principles the moment there’s (enough) money on the table.”
Final yr, Feist and then-colleague Justin Drake got here underneath scrutiny for conflicts of curiosity when saying advisory roles at EigenLayer.
That Eigenlayer advisorship appears fairly tame by comparability now, doesn’t it
— laurence (@functi0nZer0) October 17, 2025
Vitalik’s response
Vitalik Buterin has performed peacemaker, noting Polygon’s successes as a community and Nailwal’s contributions, particularly to philanthropic initiatives.
He additionally praised Feist’s “immensely valuable contributions” together with the Danksharding scaling design.
Buterin fielded a wave of criticism early this yr, which resulted in a shakeup of the muse and a deployment of treasury funds throughout decentralized finance initiatives.
Regardless of the modifications, this newest departure means that points on the EF stay.
