Evan Van Ness, the founder of the popular Ethereum newsletter Week in Ethereum News (WiE), announced on social media that the newsletter will shut down following the Ethereum Foundation’s (EF) decision to withdraw funding. Van Ness stated that this decision was made after a conversation earlier this year with EF leadership, who shared that they no longer saw value in continuing WiE.
Week in Ethereum News (WiE) Shuts Down
So @WeekInEthNews has ended. Here’s why: https://t.co/WUjuqAuVtn pic.twitter.com/Xd01Go6Gjz
— Evan Van Ness 🧉 (@evan_van_ness) January 1, 2025
As per the letter shared by Ness, in 2024, WiE received very little funding from the Ethereum Foundation, with the support being largely symbolic.
Van Ness reflected on the positive impact the newsletter had over the years. He noted that at various conferences, developers shared how WiE influenced their careers, from guiding their decision to buy Ethereum (ETH) to shaping their paths in Solidity and security. At one point, Week in Ethereum News was considered the primary source of Ethereum-related news for many in the ecosystem.
However, despite its success in shaping the Ethereum community, WiE struggled to find a sustainable business model, leading to its closure. Van Ness explained that selling ads and securing sponsorships proved difficult as many marketing directors failed to recognize the value of developers as a target audience. Ness further added, “My standards are high and it was just too time-consuming to do in a profitable manner”.
In response to the announcement, some of the X users offered to ‘chip in’ support for the Newsletter outlet.
Lukas Schor, co-founder of Safe, expressed his disappointment on social media. He pointed out the stark contrast between the Ethereum Foundation’s $135 million spending in 2023 and their unwillingness to fund one of the most influential technical newsletters in the ecosystem. Schor thanked Van Ness for his contributions, adding that WiE had been a highlight of his Saturdays for years.
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