Danny Ryan, a pivotal researcher in Ethereum’s transition to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, has announced his resignation after seven years of working within the Ethereum ecosystem. Ryan played a crucial role in the development of Ethereum 2.0, particularly during the highly anticipated event known as “The Merge,” which marked Ethereum’s departure from the energy-intensive proof-of-work (PoW) system.
Ryan Cites Personal Reasons for Departure In a GitHub post, Ryan revealed personal reasons for his departure, clarifying that his decision is not a criticism of Ethereum or the broader crypto space. He acknowledged the intensity of his role and the all-consuming nature of being a leader in Ethereum’s research and development, stating that it’s time for him to step aside and make room for new pursuits.
“Being at one of the many helms of the complex ship that is Ethereum is an all-consuming experience,” Ryan wrote. “It’s been one of the greatest experiences of my life, but it’s time for me to relinquish it, making space for other things.”
Ryan reflected on his time at Ethereum, recalling how he initially joined as “a random person from the internet” and quickly found a place where he could make a significant contribution. Over the years, he played an instrumental role in the launch of Ethereum’s Beacon Chain in 2021 and regularly provided updates on Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) through the Ethereum Foundation’s blog.
He assured the community that Ethereum’s research and development are in capable hands, with a depth of leadership and experience across multiple teams, and that any remaining challenges facing the protocol are solvable with “a bit of time and effort.”
As of September 13, Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), was trading at $2,416.
Vitalik Buterin to Endorse Only Advanced Layer 2 Solutions In related Ethereum news, co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced that starting next year, he will only publicly endorse Layer 2 (L2) solutions that have advanced beyond their developmental “training wheels” phase. Buterin’s shift in focus aims to enhance the security and trustworthiness of Ethereum’s scaling solutions, particularly rollup projects.
Buterin argued that moving away from “glorified multi-sigs” to a more robust cryptographic trust system is essential to the long-term success of these scaling solutions. He highlighted several zero-knowledge rollup (ZK-rollup) teams that are expected to reach Stage 1 by the end of the year, a key milestone for broader adoption of Ethereum’s L2 infrastructure.
Despite his commitment to L2 advancements, Buterin has recently been linked to a series of Ether sales. Since August 30, his associated wallet has sold 950 ETH, valued at approximately $2.28 million, in smaller, strategic batches. The latest sale involved 190 ETH, converted to $441,971 in USDC, bringing the total sales to 950 ETH.
As Ethereum continues to evolve, both Ryan’s departure and Buterin’s focus on maturing L2 solutions underscore the ongoing changes within the Ethereum ecosystem.
