Former Ethereum Foundation Employee Sues EF and Vitalik Buterin, Alleging She Was Fired 13 Days After Cancer Diagnosis

Source: PANews2026/11/09 23:31

Analysis

The lawsuit shifts a governance dispute inside the Ethereum Foundation into a US federal courtroom, naming co-executive director Bastian Aue and Vitalik Buterin alongside EF-affiliated entities. The core allegation is timing: Fulton disclosed an ovarian cancer diagnosis on March 24, joined a 53-employee letter against the EF's Mandate the next day, and was terminated on April 6 within 30 minutes of another organizer. Because the claims rest on ADA and FMLA violations, the case will likely turn on internal communications and the sequence of the Mandate rollout rather than on protocol decisions. Watch whether the court addresses the request to void her separation agreement, whether other signatories of the joint letter face consequences, and whether the EF publicly clarifies the Mandate's contested language. None of this is adjudicated yet, and the complaint's characterization remains disputed.

If you have any feedback or questions about this content, please contact us at crypto.news@kcex.com

PANews, November 9: According to court documents published on CourtListener, Kayleen Fulton (Nixo), former head of the Ethereum Foundation's (EF) Protocol Support team, filed a lawsuit on November 4 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The defendants include EF-affiliated entities, co-executive director Bastian Aue and Vitalik Buterin, and the claims include violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. The complaint alleges that on March 24, Fulton notified management in writing that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the next day led 53 employees in a joint letter opposing the EF's Mandate, which required all staff to sign a clause containing a "seppuku" suicide oath. On April 6, she and another organizer, Trent Van Epps, were fired one after the other, 30 minutes apart. Fulton is seeking damages and asking the court to declare her separation agreement void.

Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this website are sourced from public platforms and are for reference only. These articles do not represent the views or opinions of KCEX. All copyrights belong to the original authors. If you believe that any reposted article infringes upon the rights of a third party, please contact crypto.news@kcex.com for removal. KCEX makes no representations or warranties regarding the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of reposted articles, and shall not be liable for any actions or decisions made based on such content. Reposted materials are for informational purposes only and do not constitute advice, endorsement, or basis for any commercial, financial, legal, and/or tax decisions.