Ethereum researcher resigns from EigenLayer advisory role, guarantees no future project overlap
Over the weekend, the biggest news in the Ethereum ecosystem was the simultaneous resignation of two Ethereum researchers, Justin Drake and Dankrad Feist, from their advisory roles at the staking protocol EigenLayer. They announced that they will be refocusing their efforts on the development of the Ethereum mainnet. Following this event, we may see more Ethereum core developers starting to pay attention to the issue of conflict of interest. In fact, in a report two months ago, we pointed out that there is no conflict of interest within Ethereum, as many people from the Ethereum Foundation are working on the Optimistic rollup project.
Ethereum developers discuss the development dilemma and reveal that Ethereum has deviated from the right track.
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Ethereum Foundation Researcher Sparks Controversy by Accepting Project Tokens
Justin Drake took to Twitter to issue a statement, citing concerns over neutrality as the main reason for his decision to resign from his role as an advisor at EigenLayer and depart from the entire team. He mentioned that he had already stepped down from his advisory role at EigenFoundation in September and expressed his apologies to the Ethereum community and his colleagues at EigenFoundation for the turmoil he caused himself. In hindsight, he described the move as a poor decision for everyone involved.
In May of this year, Ethereum researchers Justin Drake and Dankrad Feist simultaneously announced that they had accepted advisory positions at EigenLayer, acknowledging that they would receive a substantial amount of tokens for this role. They believed this did not constitute a conflict of interest, which is likely the "turmoil" Justin Drake referred to.
Researchers collectively resign from advisory roles, declaring they will no longer engage to maintain neutrality
Justin Drake stated that he will reject all future invitations for advisory roles, angel investments, and security committees. He emphasized that this decision was made out of his own commitment to neutrality, with no external pressure to do so.
Justin Drake also highlighted that Ethereum's antifragility has been a recurring source of inspiration for the team, always finding ways to become stronger. He foresees challenges in 2024 but optimistically views 2025 as a fantastic year for Ethereum and a vibrant year for L1 development. He looks forward to meeting friends at Devcon.
Dankrad Feist also tweeted: "I have decided to resign from the Eigenlayer advisory role. While I believe this role was dedicated to good-faith negotiations, aimed at ensuring Eigenlayer and Ethereum remain in good standing, I recognize that perceptions of such relationships vary and the resulting conflicts of interest are difficult to resolve for many."
He added: "Eigenlayer is a great project, and I hope it continues to benefit Ethereum in many ways. However, Ethereum has many crucial tasks ahead, and I will be focusing all my energy on completing them. This will enable me to more effectively execute Danksharding and other important projects."
Related
- Ethereum Devcon SEA: The most diverse and grand event in the eyes of the Ethereum Foundation's executives
- EigenLayer's EIGEN token will be transferable on September 30th. Daily Coin Research: Being criticized now is better than being unnoticed.
- Faith Tested? Ethereum Core Developer: "I Often Doubt My Career Choice - Shouldn't This System Collapse?"