Ethereum Foundation's Strategic Developments Highlighted in Recent Interview

According to PANews, a recent interview with Hsiao-Wei, Co-Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, has shed light on several key aspects of Ethereum's current development. Technologically, The Merge successfully transitioned Ethereum from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS), likened to changing an engine mid-flight, showcasing Ethereum's ability to upgrade its core architecture without downtime. Hsiao-Wei emphasized that the greatest challenge was not technical but involved 'integrating people'—coordinating developers, clients, and stakeholders. Organizationally, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) is undergoing significant functional differentiation and specialization. EF has been reorganized into three major business groups, with specific functions outsourced to external organizations like Etherealize, which focuses on interfacing with traditional finance and Wall Street. This division reflects Ethereum's ecosystem gradually moving towards a decentralized governance model. Financially, EF is exploring diverse management strategies beyond simple ETH sales, such as DeFi lending, staking, and asset tokenization, indicating a more mature financial approach. Hsiao-Wei noted that EF's coin sales are a necessity—about 75% of the foundation's expenses require fiat currency, explaining the need for sales even during unfavorable market conditions. Hsiao-Wei's candid perspective on the Ethereum Foundation's role is particularly thought-provoking. She stated, "If an organization within the community emerges that can replace EF's role, the foundation may scale down," indicating EF's willingness to relinquish power when appropriate. This contrasts sharply with other blockchain projects where founding teams often seek to expand their authority. Furthermore, Hsiao-Wei highlighted several promising future application trends, including identity, social design, and mini-program ecosystems, aligning with the current trend of Web3 permeating everyday applications.