Ethereum Foundation Exodus Hits Eight Senior Departures in 2026, ETH Near $2,138

As of May 20, the Ethereum Foundation has confirmed at least eight senior departures in 2026, with five occurring in May alone. The latest exits of researchers Carl Beek and Julian Ma on May 18 follow earlier leadership changes, including the February resignation of co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak and the March 2026 mandate that redefined the Foundation’s role as a non-central steward. New Protocol cluster co-leads Will Corcoran, Kev Wedderburn, and Fredrik were appointed on May 11-12 after Barnabé Monnot, Tim Beiko, and Alex Stokes stepped away. ETH trades near $2,138 with $18 billion daily volume and no immediate price reaction, though governance uncertainty may pressure sentiment. Core developer counts have fallen to 169 from 225 a year ago while 31% of circulating ETH remains staked.