Francesco D’Amato Leaves Ethereum Foundation for Ethlabs

D’Amato confirmed his departure on social media, citing a desire for a new beginning during a period of significant change for the ecosystem. During his tenure at the Foundation, his work spanned critical areas including maximal extractable value (MEV), consensus mechanisms, and data availability sampling. At his new post, he intends to prioritize reducing Ethereum’s transaction finality time, aiming to accelerate the network's settlement capabilities for institutional adoption.

Ethlabs, which launched in June, serves as an independent research hub founded by a cohort of former Foundation researchers including Ansgar Dietrichs and Barnabé Monnot. The organization maintains a focus on protocol R&D, ranging from network capacity to monetary design. Supported by backers like Joe Lubin, the group operates with the stated goal of providing a long-term home for core researchers outside the Foundation’s direct influence. This migration follows the Foundation’s recent decision to reduce its workforce by 20% and dissolve its internal Protocol Support team, a move that has catalyzed the formation of several new independent development entities.