Ethereum Foundation’s Argot Faces Backlash Over Vyper Snub

The Ethereum Foundation launched the Argot Collective — a long-term, non-profit organization for Ethereum software development.

However, the initiative has sparked controversy, especially among proponents of the Vyper programming language.

The Argot Collective shared the announcement, revealing a structure to support Ethereum-related projects for up to a decade, with the backing of long-term grants. Based on the blog, Argot’s mission is to foster a non-hierarchical, democratically governed environment that promotes software development for the Ethereum ecosystem free from commercial pressures.

Argot will focus on several projects, including Solidity, Fe, and other Ethereum tools. It will provide ongoing support for these languages to enhance Ethereum’s developer environment. The Argot Collective is designed to “eliminate rent extraction or exploitative profit-seeking.” It will also serve as a counterbalance to finance-driven entities within the Ethereum community.

Read more: A Deeper Look into the Ethereum Network.

Notably, Fe is a safety-focused Ethereum smart contract language that uses Vyper as a foundation. Vyper is also a contract-oriented programming language that targets the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). The absence of funding for Vyper raises red flags for developers who rely on it.

The Foundation’s critics argue that Vyper’s lack of funding could undermine security and usability for projects that depend on it, making it more difficult to maintain and develop. Nevertheless, the Ethereum Foundation seems to overlook this.

“A group which was deciding to fund projects within Ethereum Foundation (now independent). With a focus on languages (c), they did not fund Vyper (used by Curve Finance, Lido Finance, and yearn Finance). However, they funded Fe (used by exactly no one). Coincidentally and unrelated, members of the group = team members of the funded projects,” Curve founder Michael Egorov remarked.

Egorov’s comments hint at a deeper skepticism, suggesting that personal or professional affiliations within the Foundation may have unduly influenced the decision. The idea is that Vyper’s integral role in decentralized finance (DeFi) warrants support similar to what Argot is now providing for other EVM-compatible languages.

“I find it a bit sad but also a bit cypherpunk that Vyper is always left out of these organizations/collectives. Kind of a ‘you don’t own me’ underdog positioning or incredibly talented people,” another X user commented.

Nevertheless, the launch of Argot reflects a broader organizational shift within the Ethereum Foundation. It has moved toward empowering independent bodies to steer various facets of its development.

In the statement, Argot explained that it is committed to “financial and organizational transparency,” intending to release detailed documentation on budgets, governance, and plans. Argot also promised that the organization would maintain financial autonomy through grants and staking income. This is as opposed to traditional financing models, rejecting equity sales, token offerings, or closed-source projects.

Some community members have also speculated that the preference for niche languages within Argot might reflect a quiet push toward technical decentralization. Reportedly, the Ethereum Foundation is looking to ensure diverse tool support across the EVM.

“This is something I’ve said for years, Solidity (and related projects) finally spinning out from the EF [Ethereum Foundation] into their own independently organized and financed foundation. This is incredibly bullish for Ethereum,” an X user said.

Yet, for Ethereum’s DeFi heavyweights, these assurances may fall short. The funding disparity appears to undercut projects essential to Ethereum’s financial ecosystem, with experimental languages seemingly taking priority over ones that are already integral to DeFi’s infrastructure.

The general sentiment in the replies to Egorov’s comment is that funding should follow impact. Critics see Vyper as vital to Ethereum’s security and usability. They argue that excluding it from funding signals a potentially harmful bias in the Foundation’s approach to resource allocation.

The fallout from this controversy has opened a broader debate around Ethereum’s funding priorities. The potential influence of personal affiliations on decision-making within the ecosystem is also a concern based on feedback.

Read more: How To Fund Innovation: A Guide to Web3 Grants

 As the Argot Collective prepares for its official launch in early 2025, the Ethereum Foundation may find itself increasingly pressured to address these concerns. For now, the community awaits further clarifications, hoping that the Foundation’s actions will ultimately reflect the decentralized, democratic ethos it aims to embody.

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