A former Ethereum Foundation employee has sued the nonprofit alleging disability discrimination, retaliation, and unfair employment practices after being fired over her refusal to sign a bizarre workplace mandate. Kayleen Fulton, who earned $195,000 annually as a lead in the Protocol Support team, was terminated after organizing a protest letter against 'The Ethereum Foundation Mandate'—a 38-page vision document distributed to approximately 250 employees in Q1 that included an illustrated 'Source Seppuku' suicide pledge on page 11. The pledge required employees working on Ethereum software to vow to 'take his or her own life with a sword' if they failed to keep source code publicly accessible, though Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin later claimed the pledge was 'artwork' and 'not meant to be taken literally.' Fulton disclosed her ovarian cancer diagnosis to the company on March 24, roughly two weeks before her termination. The lawsuit, filed in Denver and reported by The Denver Post, seeks unspecified damages and alleges interference with Fulton's rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Ethereum Foundation Distributed 1,000-Year Mandate with Sword Suicide Pledge
The Ethereum Foundation distributed a 38-page document titled 'The Ethereum Foundation Mandate' to its approximately 250 employees in Q1. The document presented a vision for the next 1,000 years. On page 11 of the finalized document, employees encountered an illustrated page containing a suicide pledge. The page required anyone working on software used by the Ethereum Foundation to ensure that source code and associated documents remained free and publicly accessible. The pledge stated that employees must 'take his or her own life with a sword upon failure to uphold any of the pledges in this license, or upon modification or removal of any part of this license.' The message was reinforced by an illustration featuring a cartoon cat.
At the end of the 38-page document, employees were presented with two options: agree to commit to the direction of the mandate, which included signing up to the suicide pact, or request a settlement payment and 'leave the EF without delay.'
Eighty Employees Voted Against Pledge, Ultimatum Issued in Final Version
The mandate went out as a draft in late February. Resistance to signing the suicide agreement was 'swift and vocal,' according to The Denver Post. About 80 of the Ethereum Federation's 250 employees voted to remove the suicide pledge. Despite this resistance, when the mandate was distributed in its final version in March, the suicide pledge remained—though it appeared in the form of illustrated text rather than in the body of the main copy.
The Ethereum Foundation subsequently argued that the 'Source Seppuku License' had morphed into an artwork rather than part of the main text of the mandate. Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin insisted that the artwork was 'not meant to be taken literally.'
Kayleen Fulton Fired After Organizing 53-Signatory Protest Letter
In March, resistance to the mandate culminated in a response letter led by then-employee Kayleen Fulton. The letter endorsed the general direction of the document but declined to tick any boxes and declined to resign. Though this formal protest bore 53 names, only Boulder woman Fulton and a colleague who helped organize the letter were fired.
Vitalik Buterin reportedly stated that the company should not 'reward making a stink with outcomes,' explaining the reasoning for singling out Fulton. By September, eight senior employees had left the Ethereum Foundation, with most of the 53 protest letter signatories either resigning or being terminated.
Fulton disclosed her ovarian cancer diagnosis to the company on March 24, roughly two weeks before being fired. The lawsuit thus claims interference with her rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act in addition to disability discrimination, retaliation, and unfair employment practices.
Vitalik Buterin Defended Pledge as Artwork, Criticized Employee Resistance
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin defended the suicide pledge by characterizing it as 'part of the artwork of the mandate' and insisted it was 'not meant to be taken literally.' Buterin reportedly criticized employees who resisted the mandate, stating that the company should not 'reward making a stink with outcomes.'
The lawsuit filed by Fulton seeks unspecified damages from the Ethereum Foundation. The case, FULTON v. ETHEREUM ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED et al., was filed in Denver and reported by The Denver Post.
FAQ
What did the Ethereum Foundation mandate require employees to pledge?
The Ethereum Foundation's 38-page mandate distributed in Q1 included an illustrated 'Source Seppuku' suicide pledge on page 11. The pledge required employees working on Ethereum software to vow to 'take his or her own life with a sword' if they failed to keep source code publicly accessible or modified any part of the license. Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin later claimed the pledge was 'artwork' and 'not meant to be taken literally.'
Why was Kayleen Fulton fired from the Ethereum Foundation?
Kayleen Fulton, a lead in the Protocol Support team earning $195,000 annually, was fired after organizing a protest letter signed by 53 employees in March. The letter endorsed the general direction of the mandate but declined to accept the suicide pledge ultimatum and declined to resign. Vitalik Buterin reportedly stated the company should not 'reward making a stink with outcomes.' Fulton had disclosed her ovarian cancer diagnosis on March 24, roughly two weeks before her termination.
How many Ethereum Foundation employees resisted the suicide pledge mandate?
About 80 of the Ethereum Foundation's approximately 250 employees voted to remove the suicide pledge when the mandate was distributed as a draft in late February. In March, 53 employees signed a formal protest letter organized by Kayleen Fulton. By September, eight senior employees had left the organization, with most of the 53 protest letter signatories either resigning or being terminated.
