EF formalizes DeFipunk strategy, adds new leadership, and sets roadmap for crypto-native DeFi innovation.
Ethereum Foundation is increasing its focus on decentralized finance and crypto-native values. A new team will help build and support DeFi protocols and work more closely with developers. As per the firm, this move shows a stronger commitment to DeFipunk, which is based on cypherpunk ideals. More so, new leadership roles and structural changes reflect a wider plan to guide Ethereum’s future growth.
EF Expands DeFipunk Vision With New Protocol-Focused DeFi Division
Under the new structure, the Ethereum Foundation has created a dedicated DeFi unit within its App Relations team. The group will focus on early-stage protocol design, research, and builder support. App Relations operates under Ecosystem Acceleration, led by Jason Chaskin.
Charles St. Louis, former CEO of DELV and a governance architect at MakerDAO, joins as DeFi Protocol Specialist. Ivan, co-founder of Gearbox Protocol known as ivangbi, takes on the role of DeFi Coordinator. Both will help shape strategy and guide teams building decentralized applications.
The team outlined its vision in a public statement. DeFi, in its view, must remain permissionless, censorship-resistant, privacy-first, self-custodial, and open source.
“We recognize the challenges involved in fully getting to this point—our role is to advocate for these principles, support teams working toward them, showcase the ones doing it, and be clear about how to get there and why it matters,” the team added.
St. Louis later wrote that DeFipunk represents finance that could not exist without Ethereum, rather than finance that mirrors traditional systems.
Core focus areas include:
- Supporting new protocol development aligned with crypto-native values.
- Advancing research in protocol security and application design.
- Creating direct communication channels between DeFi teams and EF.
- Coordinating with EF’s Privacy Cluster on privacy-focused initiatives.
Ethereum Foundation Eyes AI Agents and Onchain Futures in DeFi Roadmap
The blog post also referenced forward-looking ideas. Concepts such as user-controlled AI agents, high-throughput onchain futures markets, futarchy DAOs, and zero-knowledge private undercollateralized lending were mentioned. At the same time, existing DeFi projects will continue receiving support.
Clearer public channels for updates, events, and ecosystem news are also planned. The DeFi team aims to improve transparency around engagement and resource allocation.
Restructuring comes after a wider reorganization that began last year. Basically, the goal is to improve how funds are used and how Ethereum’s long-term vision is shared. As competition among smart contract networks grows, focus on crypto-native finance shows where Ethereum Foundation plans to direct its resources next.
Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to
Disclaimer.
Related Articles
Culper Research shorted ETH, BitMine: Ethereum has entered a death spiral, Fusaka upgrade fee collapsed by 90%
Short-selling firm Culper Research publicly shorted Ethereum (ETH) and BitMine (BMNR), accusing the Ethereum Fusaka upgrade of causing transaction fees to plummet by 90%. The firm warned that the risk of a "death spiral" is increasing and questioned the sustainability of Ethereum's economic model. Culper cited Vitalik's recent sale of 20,000 ETH, indicating the founder's negative outlook on the current situation, and challenged the interpretation of active address growth, suggesting it may be the result of address poisoning attacks.
動區BlockTempo5m ago
Culper Research Shorts Ether and BitMine, Citing Fusaka Upgrade 'Death Spiral' Risk
Short seller Culper Research has disclosed a bearish position on Ethereum and ETH-linked securities, including treasury firm BitMine, arguing that the network's December 2025 Fusaka upgrade has "impaired ETH tokenomics" by flooding the network with excess blockspace and driving transaction fees down approximately 90 percent.
CryptopulseElite7m ago
Culper Research shorted Ethereum, citing the upgrade as the trigger for a death spiral
Culper Research report indicates that Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade caused excess block space, leading to a 90% drop in transaction fees, potentially entering a "death spiral" cycle, resulting in decreased staking demand and network security. The report mentions Vitalik Buterin selling large amounts of ETH, questioning Tom Lee's bullish outlook, and points out BitMine's loss risks held in Ethereum.
MarketWhisper57m ago
Bitwise donates $100,000 to Ethereum open-source developers
Bitwise Asset Management announces a $100,000 donation to Ethereum open-source developers to support Protocol Guild and PBS Foundation. This is part of Bitwise's annual support for open-source developers, which previously included a $233,000 donation to Bitcoin developers.
GateNews1h ago
Bit Digital: As of the end of February, Ethereum holdings increased to 155,434.4 ETH, valued at over $305 million
ChainCatcher News, according to PRNewswire, the Nasdaq-listed Ethereum treasury company Bit Digital released a holdings update report. As of today, the company's Ethereum holdings have increased to 155,434.4 ETH, valued at approximately $305.4 million, with an average purchase price of $3,045. Additionally, the company disclosed that as of today, a total of 138,2696 ETH have been staked, accounting for about 89% of its total holdings, generating approximately 313.9 ETH in staking rewards.
GateNews1h ago
The market declines again, and the whale that rebounded and accumulated $14.54 million worth of ETH on 02.26 is now reducing its holdings.
Odaily Planet Daily reports that according to Ai Aunt monitoring, the market has declined again, and the large whale who rebounded and accumulated on 02.26 with 14.54 million USD worth of ETH is reducing their holdings. An hour ago, they sold 4,000 ETH on-chain at an average price of 2077.39 USD (valued at 8.309 million USD), with a previous one-week accumulation price of 2075.45 USD. Therefore, this sale only yielded a profit of 7,760 USD. Currently, they still hold 3,008 ETH on-chain.
GateNews1h ago
