Dear Aeternity Community,

Over the past two years, the Aeternity Foundation has not only fulfilled its original mandate — it has significantly outperformed expectations across every strategic front.

However, following the decision by the Foundation’s primary donor to discontinue funding, the board has resolved to wind down operations. As a result, I will be stepping down as Chairman, proud to have delivered on every commitment made to this community.

Defining Excellence Through Results

In an industry where well-funded projects often struggle to ship, Aeternity turned limited resources into world-class outcomes. Here’s what we accomplished — together:

Technical Excellence

• 1,000,000+ blocks with zero critical failures — unmatched reliability in production
• Hyperchains, launched at Web Summit 2024 — a pioneering hybrid consensus (PoS + PoW) live since Q1 2025
• Ceres Upgrade — record community participation driving scalability and throughput
• 600%+ growth in State Channels (Q3 2024) — proof of product-market fit and adoption

Strategic Infrastructure

• DEX overhaul — a professional-grade dashboard with optimized UX and liquidity programs fueling sustainable TVL growth
• Cross-chain integration via AERK Bridge and BitcoinOS — placing Aeternity at the intersection of key ecosystems
• NucleusDAO — a decentralized governance layer powering protocol sustainability and community-led decision-making
• Ængel AI Assistant — simplifying developer onboarding and accelerating technical adoption
• Grant program impact — 30+ funded projects, 100+ recipients, 100% completion, zero outstanding obligations

Market Performance

• +1,297% growth on Google Play
• +206% on Chrome Store
• +58% on App Store
• Return to CoinMarketCap Top 1000 — regaining market relevance and visibility

Global Leadership

• Keynote presence at Web Summit, TOKEN2049, Web3Fest, Blockchain Week Istanbul
• Established AE China DAO — unlocking strategic expansion into Asia
• 60%+ reduction in operational costs — while expanding delivery and output

A New Chapter Begins

The Aeternity Foundation achieved what many believed to be impossible: delivering enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure with startup-level efficiency and execution. Every milestone was met. Every promise kept. Every resource maximized.

As we close this chapter, we leave behind:

• A battle-tested blockchain running at peak performance
• A decentralized, global, and self-sustaining community
• Open-source tools ready to power the next generation of innovation

This is not an end — it is an evolution. From foundation-led development to community-led decentralization.

The Future is Yours to Build

To our contributors, partners, and community: you didn’t just witness the transformation of a blockchain — you made it happen.

We proved that greatness isn’t defined by resources, but by clarity of vision, relentless execution, and a refusal to compromise on delivery.

The infrastructure is complete. The ecosystem thrives. The future is yours to build.

Thank you for walking this journey with me.

With deep respect and gratitude,
Nikola Stojanow
Chairman, Aeternity Foundation

“In an industry defined by promises, we chose to be defined by delivery.”