Ethereum Foundation researcher Dankrad Feist recently joined the Tempo project, sparking widespread discussion within the community. Tempo is an EVM-compatible chain focused on the payment sector, backed by well-known investors such as Stripe and Paradigm, demonstrating strong financial strength.

This move has raised concerns in the Ethereum community about talent loss. Some believe that these emerging blockchain projects, supported by significant venture capital funding, may attract more core talent from Ethereum. Although Joseph Lubin has attempted to ease tensions, stating that these new chains may complement the Ethereum infrastructure rather than compete directly, divisions still exist within the community. Some view Tempo as a testing ground for innovation, while others question whether it can truly bring value to the Ethereum ecosystem.

This event highlights the long-standing issues of talent competition and incentive mechanisms faced by Ethereum. Earlier, core developers had publicly criticized the low compensation levels of the Ethereum Foundation and its overly centralized governance. Although Feist still retains his advisory role, his choice to join a well-funded new project will undoubtedly provoke more thoughts from others.

Venture capital-backed blockchain projects can offer more competitive salary packages, and the decision-making process is faster, which is very appealing to top developers. This situation may prompt the Ethereum community to reevaluate its talent retention strategies and incentive mechanisms to ensure competitiveness in the rapidly evolving blockchain industry.

With the continuous evolution of blockchain technology, how to retain core talent while maintaining innovative vitality has become an important challenge for mature projects like Ethereum. This not only concerns the development of the project itself but will also affect the future landscape of the entire blockchain ecosystem.