The Ethereum Foundation has appointed Pascal Caversaccio, known in the community as pcaversaccio or pc, to its board. The announcement on July 29 confirmed his initial one-year voluntary term, expanding the governing body to four members.

Caversaccio joins President Aya Miyaguchi, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Swiss counsel Patrick Storchenegger. The board sets the foundation's long-term vision and ensures management strategies align with its core values. It also functions as a security council that safeguards the organization's mission and maintains compliance as a Swiss foundation.

Background of the New Board Member

Caversaccio is a longtime Ethereum contributor with deep expertise in blockchain security and privacy. He co-founded and leads SEAL 911, a free around-the-clock emergency response service for active or imminent crypto security incidents. The group has handled more than 3,300 tickets, coordinated over 125 war rooms and helped protect more than $180 million in assets.

He has also served on the foundation's Silviculture Society, an informal advisory group focused on censorship resistance, open-source development, privacy and security. Caversaccio authored The Ethereum Cypherpunk Manifesto in 2024 and Ethereum Privacy: The Road to Self-Sovereignty in 2025. His technical contributions include tools such as the CreateX deployment framework and the snekmate security library for Vyper smart contracts.

Context of Leadership and Structural Changes

The appointment occurs during a period of significant reorganization at the Ethereum Foundation. In June, the organization reduced its workforce by about 54 people, or roughly 20 percent, and restructured around five core clusters covering protocol, access, user, community and institutional work, plus operations and management.

Privacy and security were designated non-negotiable protocol guarantees. The protocol team is tasked with advancing research on layer-1 privacy, post-quantum security, safer upgrades and defenses against harmful practices. The board had previously operated with three members following the resignation of co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang earlier in the year. Other senior departures have also taken place as the foundation shifts toward a role of long-term stewardship rather than serving as the central hub for ecosystem development.

Several independent organizations have recently formed to take on related functions. These include EthLabs, a nonprofit research and development studio established by former senior foundation researchers; Ethereum Institutional, focused on engagement with banks and asset managers; and EthSystems, a for-profit effort building applied privacy and cryptography tools for institutions. These groups have received support from major Ethereum treasury firms and Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin.

Role and Expectations

Caversaccio's board service is unpaid and begins with a one-year term. The foundation has not detailed specific committee assignments, expanded voting powers or measurable targets for the period. Management continues to handle day-to-day execution while the board provides oversight on strategic alignment and Swiss legal obligations.

The addition places operational security experience directly within the foundation's highest governing body. SEAL 911's prior collaboration with the foundation, including sponsorship of a security engineer earlier this year to address crypto drainers, indicates an existing working relationship. Protocol-level work on privacy, post-quantum protections and related priorities will continue through researchers, developers and the broader Ethereum governance process.

No further details on potential reappointment or exact term end date have been released. Any extension would require a subsequent board decision.