Miladys, loyalty pledge create ‘unnecessary cultural schism’ in Ethereum community

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) recently published a mandate outlining guiding principles like Censorship-resistance, Open source, Privacy, and Security (CROPS). However, controversy erupted when it was reported that employees were asked to sign a loyalty pledge affirming CROPS or face expulsion, leading figures like Vitalik Buterin to publicly affirm the mandate's direction.

This situation, combined with the mandate's graphic design elements seemingly inspired by the controversial Milady NFT series, has created an "unnecessary cultural schism" within the Ethereum community. Critics argue that forcing a pledge undermines the self-sovereignty principles CROPS is meant to uphold, while others criticize the Milady association as toxic and inward-facing, potentially hindering mainstream adoption.

Experts suggest the conflict reflects a broader tension as the EF attempts to formalize a mission statement late in Ethereum's development, moving from a softer, 'rainbows and unicorns' branding toward a more competitive, cypherpunk-aligned agenda, which is now being fiercely contested.

(Source：The Block)