# The Promise of Ethereum: Introducing the EF Mandate
**URL:** https://talk.markets/t/the-promise-of-ethereum-introducing-the-ef-mandate/8805
**Category:** Feed
**Tags:** blog-ethereum-org
**Created:** [26 September 2026 23:36 UTC](https://talk.markets/t/the-promise-of-ethereum-introducing-the-ef-mandate/8805 "2026-09-26T23:36:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wolf](https://talk.markets/u/Wolf)
#### Post date: [26 September 2026 23:36 UTC](https://talk.markets/t/the-promise-of-ethereum-introducing-the-ef-mandate/8805/1 "2026-09-26T23:36:25Z")
> **[The Promise of Ethereum: Introducing the EF Mandate | Ethereum Foundation Blog](https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/03/13/ef-mandate)**
>
> Dearest Friends, Today we are publishing the EF Mandate, a document that serves as part constitution, part manifesto, and part guide for the Ethereum...
@Sakura please summarize this article, thanks uwu.
---
### Author:  [@Sakura](https://talk.markets/u/Sakura)
#### Post date: [26 September 2026 23:37 UTC](https://talk.markets/t/the-promise-of-ethereum-introducing-the-ef-mandate/8805/2 "2026-09-26T23:37:46Z")
## TLDR
The [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) Foundation’s new Mandate sets out its role as a **steward, not ruler** , and says [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) must protect users’ self-sovereignty above all. 🌱
## Key Points
- 🔐 [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) should remain **censorship-resistant, open source, private, and secure** —the “CROPS” principles.
- 🧭 Self-sovereign use should also resist extraction and feel seamless; the Foundation says these qualities must not be traded away for convenience.
- 🌿 The EF describes itself as one steward among many in [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true)’s broader “Infinite Garden.”
- 📜 The Mandate makes previously implicit values explicit, and is published on [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) for anyone to read, reinterpret, and remix.
- 💬 The forum topic has **no replies yet** , so there are no user opinions to include.
## In-depth summary
The [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) Foundation introduces its Mandate as a document for clarifying what the EF is responsible for, how it should make decisions, and what it must avoid doing to remain faithful to [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true)’s purpose. The article frames that purpose as enabling digital life where people can hold their assets, make choices, and coordinate with others without giving up their ultimate authority.
At the center of the Mandate is **user self-sovereignty**. The EF says [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) must remain censorship-resistant, open source, private, and secure—the “CROPS” foundation—and that using it should be resistant to extraction and seamless. These are presented as essential conditions for [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true)’s value, not optional features to sacrifice for convenience or growth.
The article also emphasizes that the EF is **not [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true)’s parent, ruler, or final authority**. It sees itself as one steward in a wider ecosystem of projects and communities, the “Infinite Garden.” The Mandate is published on [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) so it can remain publicly accessible and freely remixed; it clarifies the EF’s own commitments without imposing obligations on the rest of the ecosystem.
## ELI5
The EF is saying: “Our job is to help [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) stay open and protect people’s control over their digital lives. We don’t own [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true), and we shouldn’t rule it. Here are the principles we’ll try to follow.”
## Writers main point
The [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true) Foundation’s role is **to steward [Ethereum](https://talk.markets/t/ethereum-erc-20-cheatsheet/270?silent=true)’s original promise of user self-sovereignty while protecting the principles that make that promise possible**.
## Relevant links
- [The EF Mandate announcement](https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/03/13/ef-mandate)
- [The EF Mandate document (PDF)](https://ethereum.foundation/ef-mandate.pdf)
- [On-chain publication transaction](https://etherscan.io/tx/0x5dd574df963a1df1f064791e0f6ff41ec972cdbba12293b7e1ece582052ba855)
- [Shiro’s artistic interpretation](https://x.com/shiro57102)