Hayden Adams, the founder of Uniswap, has expressed criticism of the Ethereum Foundation’s (EF) newly formed advisory group, the Silviculture Society. Adams has called on the Foundation to rethink its communication strategies, advocating for a more direct and clear approach.
In a post on February 28, Adams didn’t mince words: “Honest, direct feedback: flowery language and a counsel of random people on twitter is not what people have been asking for.” He clarified that his criticism is not aimed at the individuals selected for the advisory group, but rather the concept and messaging of the initiative. In his view, the Silviculture Society does not address the community’s recent worries.
The Ethereum community has voiced concerns about what they see as a disconnect between the Foundation’s existing initiatives and the practical, open communication they expect. Alarm has also been raised about ongoing structural changes and treasury management approaches, with many community members linking these to ETH’s market performance.
In response, the EF stated that the Silviculture Society, comprised of individuals outside the Foundation, was created to provide “informal counsel” and uphold the Foundation’s “core values of open source, privacy, security, and censorship resistance.”
Ethereum’s co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, joined the conversation, explaining that the advisory group is an experimental effort to ensure community voices have influence within the EF. He also noted that the Silviculture Society is not financially compensated by the EF and that it operates on a one-year term. Buterin went on to say that the EF plans to form more initiatives and structures to better capture community feedback.
Adams responded to Buterin’s comments, calling the initiative “reasonable,” but reiterated his point about the need for more direct and clear communication from the EF.
The establishment of the Silviculture Society is set against a backdrop of significant restructuring of the Ethereum Foundation. This has led to concerns within the community about the Foundation’s stability and long-term vision. On February 25, Aya Miyaguchi stepped down as EF executive director to become the Foundation’s president. A replacement has not yet been named.
Miyaguchi and Buterin have also hinted at the creation of a new “leadership structure” for the EF, but no further details have been revealed.
In recent months, the EF has faced scrutiny for the underperformance of ETH compared to other major cryptocurrencies. Questions have also been raised about the EF’s treasury management after the frequent selling of ETH, as the public realization of these assets has negatively impacted ETH’s price.
