A new Ethereum-focused nonprofit, Ethlabs, has launched with backing from Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, treasury firms BitMine and SharpLink, venture investor SNZ, and over 50 ecosystem leaders. The organization aims to accelerate Ethereum adoption by bridging protocol development and real-world use, positioning itself as a complement to the Ethereum Foundation. The launch has sparked debate within the community about whether Ethlabs could evolve into a more execution-focused alternative to the Foundation.
What is Ethlabs?
Ethlabs describes itself as a nonprofit research and development lab dedicated to transforming Ethereum into "the settlement layer of the global economy." Founded by former Ethereum Foundation researchers including Barnabé Monnot and Julianne, the organization will focus on identifying ecosystem needs and translating them into protocol improvements, standards, infrastructure, and products. It plans to work with users, wallets, Layer-2 networks, infrastructure providers, institutions, application developers, ETH holders, and researchers.
SharpLink CIO Matt characterized Ethlabs as an independent organization that will help prepare Ethereum for its next phase of institutional adoption. The venture intends to contribute to critical Ethereum research and development, building infrastructure and products where the ecosystem needs them most.
Backers and Community Support
Ethlabs' anchor backers include BitMine, SharpLink, and Joseph Lubin. Additional contributors span virtually every corner of the Ethereum ecosystem, including EigenLayer, Flashbots, Coinbase, Optimism, Polygon, ZKsync, EtherFi, Dragonfly, ENS, and Etherealize. The coalition also includes former Ethereum Foundation researchers and product leads, as well as institutional advocates and venture investors.
Debate: Alternative to Ethereum Foundation?
The launch has prompted discussion within the Ethereum community, particularly because Ethlabs is led by former Ethereum Foundation veterans. Some observers have questioned whether the organization could become a more execution-focused counterpart to the Foundation. The debate has been fueled by Ethlabs' open advocacy for both Ethereum and ETH, a departure from the Foundation's traditionally neutral stance toward the asset.
Kalshi's product leader remarked that Ethlabs could represent a model that "just won't dump gorillions of ETH every quarter for every reason," referencing long-running community criticism of the Ethereum Foundation's periodic ETH sales. Ethereum Foundation Head James Smith has defended those sales as a way to fund operations. While Ethlabs has not positioned itself as a replacement, its emergence as a well-funded organization backed by major ETH stakeholders is likely to continue fueling debate.
The launch comes at a critical time for Ethereum, which is among the leading blockchains for stablecoins, DeFi, tokenized real-world assets, and equities. ETH price has declined 5% this week, from $1,870 to around $1,732.