Wallets holding $159 million in Ether (ETH) have informally supported Danny Ryan as the next leader of the Ethereum Foundation (EF). This vote highlights ongoing leadership challenges within the foundation. The community is calling for a change.
The voting platform is simple. It offers a yes or no option regarding Danny Ryan's potential appointment as executive director of the EF. As of now, 582 wallet owners have voted. Out of those, 569 (that’s 99.98%) are in favor, while only 13 (or 0.02%) are against. Keep in mind, this vote isn’t official and isn’t linked to any formal proposal from the EF.
Danny Ryan is a well-known figure in the Ethereum community. He played a key role as the lead coordinator for the Merge, which shifted the network from a proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake system. He also oversaw the launch of Beacon Chain in 2021. In September 2024, he stepped back from the Ethereum Foundation due to health issues.
The voting page was created by Fabrice Cheng, co-founder of Quadrata. Cheng mentioned that this platform is a way for the community to show support in a more constructive manner than some of the negative comments that have emerged.
Calls for new leadership at the Ethereum Foundation have increased during this bull market. Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has struggled compared to other major coins. According to TradingView, ETH's share of the overall crypto market cap has dropped by 36% over the past year. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies like XRP and Solana have seen significant gains. Much of the criticism has been directed at Aya Miyaguchi, the current executive director, who has led since 2018.
On January 15, Ryan made a post on X urging the community for a peaceful approach. He said, “Even if you want to see changes with the EF, and even if your criticisms are valid, please look toward and help build a positive future. Please, put the pitchforks away.”
After not posting since September 2024, Ryan has recently returned with two detailed posts on X. In one, he called for peace within the community and praised Miyaguchi’s contributions. The second post discussed his current relationship with the Ethereum Foundation and his potential future involvement.
Ryan noted that he has “opened a dialogue” with Vitalik Buterin and others at the Ethereum Foundation about his potential role in this “new era.” These discussions began before his recent posts and are still ongoing.