Ethereum Foundation removes warrant canary after ‘voluntary enquiry from a state authority’

The Ethereum Foundation’s disclosure of the probe went unnoticed for weeks

article-image

Mia Stendal/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

The Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit supporting the Ethereum ecosystem, removed the warrant canary indicating it’s never been served a government subpoena from its website on Feb. 26. 

“[W]e have received a voluntary enquiry from a state authority that included a requirement for confidentiality,” Ethereum web developer Pablo Pettinari wrote alongside a code commit removing the canary. 

The Ethereum Foundation performs functions such as handling grants and providing research for the Ethereum ecosystem. It emphasizes that it does not control or lead Ethereum. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin serves on its executive board. 

The Ethereum Foundation erroneously removed its warrant canary in 2019 — though this time seems to be for real. 

The price of ether (ETH) fell more than 2% immediately after the news broke, furthering a bearish week for the token. 

Industry watchers were quick to point out that the Ethereum Foundation’s “voluntary enquiry” could be no big deal. 

“It’s extremely common for crypto protocol foundations to receive voluntary requests for information from federal and state regulators. And subpoenas are about as sure as the sunrise for a crypto entity,” Mike Selig, partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, said on X. 

The Ethereum Foundation did not immediately return a request for comment.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template.png

Research

The march toward an interoperable and onchain-by-default internet depends on reliable messaging and value transfer across heterogeneous domains. Crosschain protocols now process >$1.3T in combined annual transfer volume and secure tens of millions of user interactions, yet no single design dominates.

article-image

The goal, per Santiago Santos, is to make crypto a relatable piece of tech for people who may not even understand it

article-image

Stripe stablecoin unit aims to operate under a federal charter enabling regulated stablecoin issuance and custody services

by Blockworks /
article-image

Will TradFi make crypto better or create more problems than it solves?

article-image

Subtle decisions by risk curators saved Aave from significant turmoil

article-image

The new Rootstock Institutional unit aims to connect professional investors to Bitcoin-native yield and liquidity strategies anchored in BTC’s security layer

by Blockworks /
article-image

DOJ files record civil forfeiture against more than 127,000 BTC linked to scam activity

by Blockworks /