Ethereum Foundation (EF) Co-Executive Director Tomasz Stańczak announced today that he will step down from his leadership role at the end of February 2026, marking a significant shift in the organization’s executive team.
Stańczak, who has co-led the foundation with Hsiao-Wei Wang since early 2025, said in a blog post that he believes the foundation and the broader Ethereum ecosystem are “in a healthy place” as he prepares to hand over the reins to Bastian Aue, who will serve as co-executive director alongside Wang.
Stanczak’s tenure began during a tumultuous period for EF. He joins after longtime executive director Aya Miyaguchi moved to a new leadership position amid community criticism that the foundation was not doing enough to actively promote the Ethereum ecosystem.
At the time, critics pointed to a clear disconnect between EF and the developers, including conflicts of interest, conflict over strategic direction, and dissatisfaction with ETH price performance. The criticism spurred a broader leadership shake-up.
While Stańczak emphasized his confidence in the team’s ability to fulfill EF’s mission, he also expressed a willingness to remain involved in the ecosystem.
“I plan to continue working directly with cutting-edge technology and the founders of Ethereum. I hope to see and support the realization of the vision I have spoken about over the past few years. This is one of the most exciting times to be an Ethereum builder,” Stanczak wrote.
Read more: Ethereum Foundation’s Aya Miyaguchi leaves executive director role
