The Ethereum Foundation has defined maximal extractable value (MEV) extraction as a structural threat and set out an execution plan to make privacy a protocol default.

On June 22, The Defiant, a blockchain media outlet, reported that AERUGO (아에루고), chief strategic adviser (CSA) at the Ethereum Foundation, unveiled a six-point execution plan and said the foundation will adjust both its operations and protocol priorities.

There are three main points. The Ethereum Foundation said it will treat MEV extraction not as a simple market phenomenon but as a structural, network-level risk. It also said it will elevate privacy from an optional feature to a core design principle. It further presented a plan to shift the foundation’s internal compensation system to ETH and Ethereum-based stablecoins.

The foundation will also adjust how it operates. AERUGO said it will move the foundation’s reward system to ETH and Ethereum-native stablecoins. This is seen as a signal that the foundation will more actively use assets directly linked to the network’s value.

The plan draws attention because it presents technical agendas and operating principles as a single package. MEV refers to a structure in which certain participants can capture additional profits during block production and transaction ordering. The Ethereum Foundation’s decision to define it as a structural threat is closer to meaning that it will address issues of network fairness, user experience and transaction costs at the protocol level.

The push to make privacy a default is in the same context. Until now, privacy features in the Ethereum ecosystem have largely relied on separate tools or optional functions. The foundation made clear that it will treat privacy as a core principle and adjust design priorities accordingly.

The change in how the foundation pays compensation has both symbolic and practical aspects. If the foundation directly uses ETH and Ethereum-based stablecoins, it can more closely tie ecosystem assets to its operations. In particular, applying this to recurring expenses such as salaries and rewards links to a message that the foundation will prioritize Ethereum-based financial infrastructure over external assets.

The announcement did not disclose a specific implementation timeline or detailed system design. The six action items largely set priorities and direction. As a result, the next point to watch will be what technical measures and operating policies follow in practice.

In this situation, what the market will focus on is that the foundation has elevated MEV and privacy from peripheral issues to core execution tasks. Attention is on what changes the foundation’s stated direction will bring to future protocol discussions, ecosystem service design and how the foundation manages its funds.

1. Intro Vitalik recently wrote about where the EF should go; Aya added a note to explain how we got here, and why. I’ll write about the execution. We now have enough clarity to stop treating “what is the EF for?” as an open-ended question. Our mandate is clear: The EF exists…