New Ethlabs initiative launches as Ethereum Foundation cuts 20% of staff

A new Ethereum-focused research and development organization has launched, backed by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, Bitmine, SharpLink, and more than 50 prominent contributors across the ecosystem. 

This comes as the Ethereum Foundation completes a major organizational overhaul and workforce reduction.

Called Ethlabs, the non-profit R&D lab says its mission is to help make Ethereum “the settlement layer of the global economy” through protocol research, infrastructure development, and adoption-focused initiatives.

The launch was one day before the Ethereum Foundation announced a sweeping restructuring that includes the departure of roughly 20% of its workforce. EF says it’s part of a broader effort to focus resources on core strategic priorities.

Ethlabs positions itself as independent Ethereum R&D hub

In its launch announcement, Ethlabs described itself as an independent organization focused on bridging protocol development with real-world adoption.

The group said it plans to work with users, applications, wallets, Layer 2 networks, infrastructure providers, institutions, ETH holders, core developers, and researchers, translating ecosystem needs into protocol improvements, shared standards, infrastructure, and products.

The initiative has attracted support from a broad cross-section of the Ethereum ecosystem. Backers and contributors include representatives from Uniswap, Base, Optimism, Eigen Labs, Flashbots, Polygon, Coinbase, Nethermind, ENS, L2Beat, and several members of the Ethereum Foundation.

Ethlabs describes this approach as a “multi-node future,” arguing that Ethereum’s long-term success depends on a distributed network of organizations.

Ethereum Foundation announces major restructuring

The announcement arrives amid one of the most significant organizational changes in the Ethereum Foundation’s history.

On June 23, the Foundation unveiled a new operating structure. It is built around dedicated Protocol, Access, User, Community, and Institutional layers, alongside Operations and Management functions.

The Foundation said the restructuring concludes a months-long review of its mandate, treasury management, and organizational priorities. As part of the process, 54 employees will leave the organization.

The largest group within the new structure remains the Protocol Layer.

Ethereum development becomes increasingly distributed

While Ethlabs and the Ethereum Foundation are separate organizations, the timing of the two announcements highlights a broader shift in how Ethereum development is organized.

For years, the Foundation served as the primary hub for much of Ethereum’s research and coordination. The emergence of independent organizations backed by major ecosystem participants suggests a growing distribution of responsibility across multiple institutions.

That trend mirrors Ethereum’s broader philosophy of decentralization, extending it beyond the protocol itself and into the ecosystem’s development and governance structures.

Final Summary

• Ethlabs has launched with support from Joseph Lubin, Bitmine, SharpLink, and dozens of Ethereum ecosystem contributors.
• The announcement comes as the Ethereum Foundation restructures its operations and cuts approximately 20% of its workforce.