- The Ethereum Foundation published an unusual, anime-style governance Mandate on March 13, 2026, featuring imagery from the controversial Milady NFT collection.
- The document’s tone and a depicted “seppuku pledge” sparked online blame for a wave of resignations by senior contributors, including all three protocol leads.
- Milady’s founder resigned in 2022 after being exposed as the operator of a racist suicide cult account, a history referenced by critics prior to the Mandate’s release.
In March 2026, the Ethereum Foundation released a visually bizarre governance document, which coincided with a wave of resignations by its senior contributors. The illustrated Mandate featured anime artwork influenced by Vitalik Buterin‘s favored NFT collection Milady and included a cartoon pledge of death by suicide. Its arrival followed weeks of significant departures from the organization’s leadership ranks.
Social media commentators widely blamed the document for the exodus, though no departing contributor directly cited it. “Forgot about the ‘sign or leave’ the new EF mandate. Seems to be the real reason behind departures?” wrote one analyst. A report suggested staff were asked to sign the Mandate or face termination.
The document’s page 11 features an illustration referencing a “seppuku” suicide pledge, sourced from a satirical license hosted by the Remilia collective. Remilia created the Milady Maker NFTs, whose value has declined over 90% from its 2024 peak. Milady’s founder resigned in 2022 after investigators exposed his operation of a racist suicide cult account.
Consequently, over half a dozen contributors announced resignations after the Mandate’s publication. All three Ethereum Foundation protocol leads left within months, alongside researchers and other key staff. The document’s unconventional style and associations have therefore created significant internal turbulence for the organization.
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