Former Ethereum Foundation protocol support lead Kayleen Fulton has filed a lawsuit against the nonprofit network development foundation and co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The complaint was filed on Nov. 4, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, naming former co-executive director Bastian Aue and four other parties as defendants.
Fulton, known in the crypto community as Nixo, alleges disability discrimination, retaliation, and medical leave violations by the defendants. Her termination took effect on April 6, 2026, just 13 days after she notified management of her cancer diagnosis in late March 2026.
The firings that day were not limited to Fulton alone. Her foundation colleague Trent Van Epps was also dismissed by Bastian Aue on the same day, roughly 30 minutes apart. Prior to the dismissals, Fulton and Van Epps organized a joint statement signed by 53 foundation staff members responding to new mandate directives from management.
The objection letter from dozens of staff members broadly supported the general direction outlined in the mandate. However, workers rejected a clause requiring employees to pledge allegiance and agree to the new mandate as a condition of continued employment.
Ritual Suicide Clause and Mandate Details
The lawsuit also reveals employee objections regarding the draft mandate, including a reference to ritual suicide. Bastian Aue clarified to staff that the phrase was purely figurative and not intended literally. However, tensions surrounding the mandatory employment pledge continued within the foundation.
The Ethereum Foundation’s official mandate, eventually released in March 2026, outlines the foundation’s future role in developing the ecosystem. The guidelines include commitments to censorship resistance, open-source code provision, privacy protection, security resilience, network protocol upgrades, and developer tooling support.
Vitalik Buterin’s Role and the Foundation’s Defense
Vitalik Buterin’s inclusion in the civil suit centers on his position as a member of the foundation’s supervisory board. The complaint alleges that Buterin played a role in adopting and enforcing the mandate directives that sparked the employment dispute.
The foundation has denied all allegations. According to a letter dated May 14, 2026, cited in court documents, legal counsel representing the foundation’s Singapore affiliate, Ethereum Asia Pacific Limited, maintained there were no legal violations or retaliatory acts, asserting that Fulton’s separation agreement is legally binding.
The wrongful termination dispute is now awaiting a jury trial. In her complaint, Fulton seeks compensatory damages and restitution for lost earnings during the period following her dismissal.
Reported by Cointelegraph.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
