Key Highlights
- Ethereum Foundation researchers Carl Beek and Julian Ma resigned after several years of work on Ethereum’s core technology.
- Beek contributed to major upgrades like the Beacon Chain, while Ma worked on projects such as FOCIL and faster Layer 2 confirmations.
- Their departures add to a broader period of restructuring and personnel changes within the Ethereum Foundation.
Two researchers at the Ethereum Foundation (EF), Carl Beek and Julian Ma, announced on Monday that they are stepping down from the organization after several years of work on Ethereum’s core technology.
Both shared the news in separate posts on X, marking the latest departures from the nonprofit that supports the development of the Ethereum blockchain.
Carl Beek’s exit and work
Carl Beek said his last working day will be Friday, May 29, after spending about seven years at the Ethereum Foundation. During his time there, he worked on key Ethereum infrastructure efforts, including contributions to the Beacon Chain, which supported Ethereum’s move from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake in 2020.
He also participated in early technical projects such as the KZG ceremony and protocol design work linked to Ethereum’s early scaling systems. Beek said he feels thankful for the experience and proud of what he helped build. He explained that Ethereum gave him a rare chance to work on a system that affects a huge global network worth billions of dollars.
“To every researcher, core dev, EFer, and community member, whether we worked together closely or not: thank you,” he said.
He added that he recently welcomed a newborn child and now plans to spend more time with his family while thinking about what to do next.
Julian Ma departs after four years
Julian Ma announced his departure separately, saying he is leaving after roughly four years with the Ethereum Foundation. He worked mainly in market design, cryptoeconomics, and protocol scaling.
Among his main contributions were FOCIL (EIP-7805), a proposal aimed at strengthening censorship resistance by preventing proposer seat trading, and the Fast Confirmation Rule (FCR), which reduces bridging time between Ethereum Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks to about 13 seconds.
Ma said that over time, his role shifted from research work into more product and growth-focused work. He explained that this change made him want to move on and explore new ideas in crypto and financial systems.
Ongoing departures at Ethereum Foundation
The departures are part of a broader wave of personnel changes at the Ethereum Foundation.
In recent months, several prominent contributors have left the organization, including former co-executive director Tomasz K. Stańczak and longtime team member Josh Stark. Other contributors, including Barnabé Monnot and Tim Beiko, have also moved on from their roles.
Changes and internal debate at EF
The Ethereum Foundation itself went through structural changes in 2025 to improve execution speed and technical direction.
The organization made some adjustments in its leadership roles and increased focus on scaling Ethereum’s base layer while continuing work on rollup systems. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has also taken a more visible role in roadmap discussions, especially around scaling strategy and long-term protocol design.
At the same time, the foundation has faced some internal debates about its direction. There have been discussions about its main focus areas, including values like censorship resistance, open-source work, privacy, and security, often grouped under “CROPs.” Some of these changes have caused debate within the community about how Ethereum should grow in the future.
The departures of Beek and Ma highlight the ongoing transition as the Ethereum Foundation adjusts its structure and strategy while continuing to support one of the largest blockchain networks in the industry.
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