The seven most influential protocol teams on Ethereum—Aave Labs, Aragon, Curve, Lido Labs Foundation, Spark Foundation, The Graph Foundation, and the Uniswap Foundation—have come together to form the Ethereum Protocol Advocacy Alliance (EPAA) in response to the increasingly stringent regulatory scrutiny facing cryptocurrencies from global policymakers.
This unprecedented collaboration marks a rare show of unity among Ethereum’s core builders, aiming to defend the open infrastructure that safeguards over $100 billion in on-chain assets.
01 Regulatory Storm Approaches: Ethereum Protocols Join Forces
As regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrencies intensifies in the U.S. and Europe, Ethereum’s leading protocol teams are no longer staying silent.
On November 5, 2025, seven top protocol teams announced the formation of the Ethereum Protocol Advocacy Alliance (EPAA), directly addressing global policy threats that jeopardize the governance of decentralized systems.
The birth of this alliance signals a new era of crypto governance maturity, as builders evolve into advocates.
Unlike traditional industry associations, the EPAA has no central leadership, budget, or lobbying department. Instead, it collaborates with existing advocacy networks to provide policymakers with technical insights and the credibility of developers.
Anthony Leutenegger, CEO of Aragon, emphasized in a statement: "We have firsthand experience with the technical and practical complexities involved in building on-chain systems. Bringing together the most credible protocol teams will help ensure that regulatory outcomes are workable for the builders driving this space forward."
02 EPAA: A Unified Front Defending a Decentralized Future
EPAA’s founding members represent some of the most prominent protocols in the Ethereum ecosystem, each playing a critical role in the decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape.
Currently, Ethereum’s total value locked (TVL) stands at $78.6 billion, with Aave remaining the largest DeFi protocol, holding over $39 billion in TVL.
Together, these protocols power DeFi, stablecoins, and smart contracts across the global web3 ecosystem.
The EPAA’s goal is to ensure that laws and regulations accurately reflect how blockchain systems actually operate, rather than relying on external perceptions.
Sam Kim, Chief Legal Officer at Lido Labs Foundation, commented: "Decentralization is the cornerstone of Ethereum’s credibility and resilience. Through EPAA, we’re ensuring that policy recognizes and protects this principle."
03 Four Core Principles: EPAA’s Policy Framework
The EPAA has established a shared policy framework focused on four key priorities, aiming to provide clear guidance for regulators while protecting the core values of the Ethereum ecosystem.
Safeguarding Protocol Layer Neutrality
The alliance’s top priority is to protect the neutrality of the protocol layer, ensuring that code itself is not subject to regulatory constraints.
This principle is rooted in the fundamental nature of blockchain systems—the protocol layer serves as foundational technological infrastructure and should remain neutral, not subject to the same regulations as financial institutions.
Promoting On-Chain Transparency
EPAA advocates for on-chain transparency as a basis for real-time, verifiable compliance.
The inherent transparency of blockchain provides unprecedented traceability and verifiability, which can serve as an effective tool for real-time compliance rather than relying solely on traditional after-the-fact reporting mechanisms.
Preserving Innovation Flexibility
The alliance stresses the need to avoid rigid or overly broad standards to preserve flexibility for innovation.
This stance aims to prevent premature or excessively strict regulatory frameworks from stifling innovations that have yet to emerge, while still providing appropriate protections for consumers and the system.
Maintaining Global Access
Lastly, EPAA is committed to maintaining global access to permissionless, decentralized infrastructure.
This principle is about preserving the global and open nature of blockchain technology, ensuring that anyone, anywhere, can access these innovative financial infrastructures.
Brian Nistler of the Uniswap Foundation noted that the protocol’s past regulatory battles have underscored the necessity for developers to be actively involved in the policy-making process.
04 Addressing Global Policy Threats and Regulatory Uncertainty
The formation of the EPAA comes at a time when lawmakers worldwide are considering new regulatory frameworks for DeFi and smart contracts.
In Washington and Brussels, officials are working to define how decentralized infrastructure without a central operator should be classified—an issue the EPAA aims to clarify.
This initiative comes amid growing public interest in cryptocurrencies.
According to the "2025 Crypto Survey" conducted by Strategy & PwC, retail investors now allocate between 5% and 20% of their portfolios to digital assets.
In the U.S., a survey by the DeFi Education Fund and Ipsos found that 56% of Americans want full control of their funds and believe they should be able to transfer money digitally without intermediaries.
Additionally, 42% of Americans said they would participate in DeFi if regulations were clearer.
Tomasz K. Stanczak, Co-Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, endorsed the initiative:
"Efforts like the Ethereum Protocol Advocacy Alliance reflect a growing recognition that stakeholders in the Ethereum ecosystem play a critical role in educating policymakers."
05 Builders Become Advocates: Crypto Governance Matures
The establishment of the EPAA marks a pivotal shift in crypto governance—from pure technical building to active policy advocacy—reflecting the ecosystem’s increasing maturity.
Connor Spelliscy, Executive Director of the Decentralization Research Center, commented: "Those building decentralized systems should have a say in the rules that govern them."
This builder-led advocacy approach is fundamentally different from traditional financial industry lobbying.
The EPAA has no central leadership or lobbying arm; instead, it relies on its members’ technical expertise and real-world experience to provide trusted technical insights to the policy-making process.
The alliance has already established partnerships with several existing organizations, including the DeFi Education Fund, Decentralization Research Center, and European Crypto Initiative, to jointly provide technical support to policymakers.
This collaborative model allows the EPAA to leverage the policy and legal expertise of these organizations while maintaining a focus on the technical dimensions most familiar to its members.
06 Looking Ahead: More Protocols Expected to Join
While the EPAA currently consists of just seven founding members, it was designed from the outset to expand over time.
This leaves the door open for other Ethereum protocol teams to join the initiative, and more members may become part of the alliance in the future.
As the global regulatory landscape continues to evolve, the EPAA plans to actively participate in key policy discussions, helping lawmakers understand the technical realities of decentralized systems rather than making policy based on misconceptions.
The alliance’s presence also means that the next time policymakers consider new rules for DeFi or smart contracts, the developers who build these systems will have a direct seat at the table to provide technical input.
Such direct technical engagement may help prevent the creation of impractical or harmful regulations, thereby protecting Ethereum’s ability to continue innovating.
Looking Forward
The blockchain world is witnessing a pivotal moment. With the formation of the EPAA, Ethereum builders are no longer just writing code—they are directly involved in shaping the legal landscape surrounding their technology.
Global policymakers are now faced not with scattered voices, but with a unified front composed of the most credible protocol teams.
As regulatory discussions continue, the EPAA’s efforts could make the difference between Ethereum and its $100 billion-plus ecosystem growing safely—or being stifled by excessive regulation.
