Not many people know that behind Ethereum’s transition to Proof-of-Stake, there is a researcher named Danny Ryan who plays a key role.
It’s not just about technical calculations or cryptographic jargon, but how Ryan slowly shaped the direction of one of the largest blockchain networks in the world. Ryan’s journey at the Ethereum Foundation was not always smooth, but that’s where his story is interesting.
Why Danny Ryan Walked Away at the Top
For seven years, Danny Ryan has been a consistent figure leading discussions, research, and technical coordination for Ethereum 2.0, especially during the development of the Beacon Chain.
He is known as a detailed figure, but also able to speak in simple language, especially when explaining why Proof-of-Stake is not just an upgrade, but a kind of “energy diet” for Ethereum. Just imagine, the energy consumption of this network dropped by more than 99% after The Merge.
But who would have thought, amid praise and expectations, Ryan decided to resign from the Ethereum Foundation in September 2024. The reason? Health and the need for personal time. Not a step we often see in an industry full of ambition and 24-hour work. But that’s where his human side lies. He is not a robot who can continue to oversee one project without a break.
Still Ethereum, Just a Different Playbook
Although he stepped down, Ryan did not completely leave the crypto space. In March 2025, he reappeared. This time as one of the founders of Etherealize, along with Vivek Raman. His focus was slightly different—more on the bridge between Ethereum and large financial institutions.
An interesting move, considering that Ryan was previously known as “very much an engineer” who focused behind the scenes. Now? He talks about business strategy, marketing, and narrative.
His goal is quite clear: how Ethereum can appear in a more established financial world. Not as a competitor, but as a technology that can be used by large institutions.
And this isn’t just wishful thinking. In January 2025, there was even a community initiative through on-chain voting that supported Ryan to lead the Ethereum Foundation. The wallets that voted represented more than $159 million ETH. But, he still chose a different path.
Ryan’s communication style has also changed. If in the past his tweets were full of technical terms, now sentences like “Ethereum must be able to sell itself to the old financial world” have started to appear. No wonder, because his new role demands it. But still, he still occasionally appears in developer forums, as if to remind that he has not completely separated from his roots.
Danny Ryan is not a flamboyant figure who likes to appear on stage. But his footprint in the Ethereum world is too big to ignore. He not only helped change the way blockchain works, but also tried to bridge worlds that have long been considered incompatible: Ethereum and traditional financial institutions.
Who knows, in the future, the bank where we save our money will actually use technology built from the lines of code that he once helped design.