A lead developer of the Geth Ethereum client has accused the Ethereum Foundation (EF) of secretly establishing and funding a second Geth development team. Péter Szilágyi, a core developer, alleges that EF undermined the existing Geth team by encouraging them to work at other firms, proposing salary cuts, and even offering $5 million for the team to spin off into a private company. According to Szilágyi, this secret initiative was only revealed in November 2024 after being kept hidden from him, Felix, and Martin until then. He further alleges that he was subsequently fired after confronting Josh Stark, a representative of the Foundation, regarding these undisclosed actions. 
The accusations come as the Ethereum Foundation (EF) undergoes significant restructuring, including staff cuts and a shift in focus towards institutional investors. The EF has announced new initiatives aimed at promoting the blockchain protocol to attract more interest from institutional players. The controversial move follows the foundation’s recent announcement of budget-driven changes and increased transparency through regular financial reports on operational costs and reserve balances.