CNBC Claims Only One Cofounder Directly Working On Ethereum As Merge Approaches

Vitalik Buterin: The Last Man Standing.

The most extensive upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain is expected to occur soon, bringing the network closer to its full potential. The eight co-founders of the Ethereum blockchain project have gone their separate ways, with only one remaining actively involved in developing the network.

Vitalik Buterin, who first proposed the Ethereum network in 2013, is the only one of the founders still directly working on the project full-time, according to CNBC. He is currently the lead developer of Ethereum 2.0, the most anticipated upgrade to the network, which is set to launch in phases over the next two years.

The other seven co-founders are not actively involved in the Ethereum project and are pursuing other projects. Both Charles Hoskinson and Gavin Wood, instrumental in developing the Ethereum network, founded their rival blockchain networks – Cardano and Polkadot.

Last year, Anthony Di Iorio, who leads a blockchain-focused software firm Decentral in Toronto, abandoned Ethereum due to personal safety concerns. The other co-founders have gone on to work in a variety of sectors.

According to CNBC, even Joseph Lubin is no longer working on Ethereum (although he and ConsenSys say they are leading the teams developing Ethereum 2).

CNBC Writes

“The Ethereum project had eight co-founders: Vitalik Buterin, Mihai Alisie, Anthony Di Iorio, Amir Chetrit, Charles Hoskinson (the original 5 Ethereum co-founders), Gavin Wood, Jeffrey Wilcke, and Joseph Lubin. Now, only Buterin is actively working for the Ethereum blockchain.”

The Merge

The Ethereum upgrade will see the network move from a Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus algorithm to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) algorithm. This will make Ethereum more scalable and energy efficient. The upgrade is expected to be completed in phases, with the first phase – called the “merge” – set to occur in September or October.

Despite the high-profile departures, Ethereum has continued to thrive with a large and active community of developers building applications on the network. The upcoming upgrade to Ethereum 2.0 is expected to increase interest in the platform further as it brings several significant improvements, including improved scalability and security.

With Buterin remaining at the helm, Ethereum is well placed to continue its position as the world’s leading smart contract platform.

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