A major shift is brewing in the Ethereum landscape, and this time, it’s not just about technology—it’s about price. A new organization, the Ethereum Community Foundation (ECF), has officially introduced with a bold, unapologetic mission: to drive Ethereum (ETH) toward a $10,000 valuation. Led by industry veteran Zak Cole, the group aims to reignite momentum behind the asset by funding infrastructure and fostering institutional adoption, all while speaking the language many Ethereum holders have long wanted to hear.

Cole took the stage at the Ethereum Community Conference in Cannes, France, and delivered a powerful message that struck a chord across the crypto world. “Ethereum is the backbone of decentralized finance and stablecoins. It’s the monetary base layer of the internet,” he declared. He criticized the current trajectory of the original Ethereum Foundation, suggesting it had strayed from its economic and strategic priorities. “The Ethereum Foundation got us here—but strategically, economically, culturally, it’s gone off track,” Cole said.

With passion and purpose, Cole described the Ethereum Community Foundation as a new entity that would fill the void. “We are the Ethereum Community Foundation. We say what the EF can’t. We do what the EF won’t. We serve ETH holders—because you deserve better,” he proclaimed to an energized crowd.

At the core of this movement is a radical notion: talking about price should not be taboo. “The ticker is $ETH—that’s the mandate,” Cole emphasized. “ETH isn’t an experiment anymore. It settles billions in stablecoins. It backs sovereign capital, DAOs, and treasuries. ETH to $10K  It’s a requirement. A benchmark.”

The reception to his speech was electric. Prominent Ethereum supporter and crypto entrepreneur Ryan Sean Adams called it “the spiciest presentation I’ve seen from an Ethereum event,” echoing the sentiments of many who believe Ethereum needs a renewed, value-driven direction.

So how does the Ethereum Community Foundation plan to turn vision into reality? The organization is pledging capital toward building what it calls “credibly neutral, immutable, tokenless infrastructure” that directly supports Ethereum’s core use cases. This includes funding projects that increase ETH burn, improve network scalability, and enhance overall protocol utility.

The ECF’s first initiative, the “Ethereum Validator Association,” is designed to give validators more influence in the network’s governance. By using staked ETH to signal preferences on upgrades and proposals, the initiative hopes to amplify the voices of those most invested in Ethereum’s long-term success.

This approach signals a strategic alignment between technical development and economic incentives—a pairing that could help ETH regain its competitive edge. Currently, Ethereum leads the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, commanding 55% of the total value locked (TVL) in DeFi protocols, according to data from DefiLlama. Despite this dominance, Ethereum’s price action has lagged significantly behind Bitcoin.

The ETH/BTC chart tells a sobering story. Since early 2023, Bitcoin has surged from $16,000 to over $110,000, while Ethereum has moved from around $1,600 to just $2,600. This persistent underperformance has led to a prolonged downtrend in the ETH/BTC ratio, now nearly 30 months in decline.

While Ethereum’s technological base remains strong and its institutional relevance continues to grow, price appreciation has not kept pace. This disconnect is what the ECF is determined to fix. Their belief is simple: for Ethereum to fulfill its role as the internet’s financial backbone, its market value must reflect its economic utility.

Whether the Ethereum Community Foundation can succeed in its ambitious mission remains to be seen. But one thing is clear—the conversation around Ethereum has changed. With a growing chorus demanding more transparency, economic focus, and community-driven growth, ETH holders may finally be getting the advocacy they’ve long been waiting for.