Ethereum Foundation's Silviculture Sparks Community Debate as Uniswap Founder Advocates for Transparent Blockchain Governance
Updated on:12/23/2025 05:44 PM Ethereum Foundation's Silviculture Sparks Community Debate as Uniswap Founder Advocates for Transparent Blockchain Governance
The Ethereum Foundation's newly formed advisory group, known as the 'Silviculture Society,' has ignited significant debate within the cryptocurrency ecosystem, drawing sharp criticism from Uniswap founder Hayden Adams. In a February 28 social media post, Adams voiced his concerns that this initiative fails to address pressing issues important to Ethereum stakeholders and community members.
"My critique isn't directed at the 15 individuals selected for this advisory board," Adams clarified. "Instead, I'm questioning the fundamental concept and communication strategy behind the Silviculture Society, which doesn't effectively respond to recent community concerns."
The controversy highlights what many Ethereum supporters perceive as a growing disconnect between the Foundation's current initiatives and the transparent, practical communication expected from one of blockchain technology's most influential organizations.
Adams specifically called upon the Ethereum Foundation to implement more direct and transparent communication channels, suggesting that the Silviculture Society announcement exemplifies the type of unclear messaging that has frustrated community participants.
In response to the mounting criticism, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin elaborated on the advisory group's purpose, explaining that it consists of external advisors providing "informal counsel" to help preserve the Foundation's commitment to "core values of open source, privacy, security, and censorship resistance."
Buterin clarified that the Silviculture Society operates without financial compensation and serves a fixed one-year term. He also indicated that additional feedback mechanisms would be established to better incorporate community input into Foundation decisions.
Following Buterin's detailed explanation, Adams acknowledged the initiative as "reasonable" while maintaining that the Ethereum Foundation should adopt communication styles similar to Buterin's direct and transparent approach.
The establishment of the Silviculture Society coincides with substantial organizational changes within the Ethereum Foundation. On February 25, executive director Aya Miyaguchi transitioned to a new role as Foundation president, with her successor yet to be announced.
Miyaguchi and Buterin have referenced the development of a new "leadership structure" for the Foundation, though specific implementation details remain undisclosed.
The Ethereum community has expressed growing apprehension about the Foundation's strategic direction, particularly as ETH has underperformed compared to other major cryptocurrencies in 2024. Concerns have emerged regarding the Foundation's treasury management practices, with public disclosures of ETH sales potentially influencing the cryptocurrency's market valuation.
Industry analysts suggest that the current situation reflects deeper tensions within the Ethereum ecosystem between centralized governance approaches and the decentralized principles fundamental to blockchain technology.
