The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has published a comprehensive mandate detailing its philosophy and long-term role in supporting the Ethereum blockchain. This document frames Ethereum as a tool for individual freedom in an increasingly centralized digital world.
The foundation asserts it is a steward, not an owner, of Ethereum. Its core purpose is to ensure Ethereum remains a decentralized and resilient tool for self-sovereignty, where users control their identities, assets, and actions. Four key properties must guide development: censorship resistance, open source, privacy, and security (CROPS).
The EF measures its success by its eventual unnecessity, planning to focus on essential, long-term research and coordination that the broader ecosystem cannot yet undertake. The goal is to reduce the foundation's relative influence as Ethereum matures and becomes robust enough to outlast it. The mandate positions Ethereum as part of an "infinite garden" of open technologies supporting decentralized systems and reiterates its commitment to "uncapturing the individual" and entrenching freedoms.