Concerns about the future of the Ethereum platform were raised by an engineer from the Ethereum Foundation, warning that the lack of clear leadership is slowing down critical developments.
Harikrishnan Mulackal, who serves as a solidity expert and compiler engineer, pointed out that the upgrade process for Ethereum has become sluggish, with only one proposed change to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) in the last five years.
Lack of leadership could harm the network
According to Mulackal, the decentralized nature of Ethereum leads to delays in decision-making. He noted that while decentralization is a key advantage, it also makes necessary changes difficult to implement. The only proposed upgrade to the EVM, which was transient storage, was almost abandoned at the last moment. He believes that without a more structured approach, the network may struggle to keep ahead of competitors.
“This is why I left the Ethereum Foundation. The lack of a clear and cohesive vision for Ethereum and the EVM makes progress on the EVM impossible. I have seen EVM changes repeatedly get shut down because they did not check a certain box. The problem is that everyone has different priorities…” https://t.co/tkangynycx – HARI (@_hrkrshnn) March 14, 2025
Mulackal suggested that the network should prioritize execution over research and proposed a schedule of one hard fork per quarter to accelerate improvements. He believes that faster updates could help maintain the platform’s edge in the blockchain space.
ETH’s current trading price is $1,927. Chart: TradingView
Internal divisions may pose a larger issue
Mulackal touched on warnings similar to those from industry figures. Wintermute CEO Evgeny Gaevoy had previously stated that leadership issues, rather than its technology, could be the reason for its decline. Gaevoy pointed out that there are conflicting leadership dynamics within the organization, with some pushing for market-driven incentives while others focus on social justice goals. He warned that this internal conflict could lead to setbacks.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin acknowledged the difficulties and is apparently reorganizing the Ethereum Foundation. However, it remains to be seen whether these developments will support or undermine the network’s core values.
Development slowing down
Even as it remains a major player in the blockchain scene, the pace of development on Ethereum has slowed. Mulackal asserted that over the past five years, only questions have been raised about whether the network can keep up with competing blockchains. Before “redesigning” Ethereum, developers have emphasized thorough research. However, Mulackal believes that this cautious approach is currently holding the platform back. He argues that Ethereum should focus more on delivering useful improvements rather than spending years researching potential harms.
Image from Equiti, chart from TradingView
