Tomasz Stanczak, Co-Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, discussed his decision to avoid venture capital during an interview with ETHPanda on December 29, 2025. Stanczak clarified that his choice was not a deliberate rejection of funding but rather a strategic decision during the early development stages of Ethereum's core infrastructure. He cited the project's immature state and his lack of prestigious academic background and fundraising experience as barriers to convincing investors. Stanczak opted for self-funding to advance the project, relying on tangible results rather than repeated explanations to validate his approach. He believes that while this path is challenging and pressure-laden, it allows for more manageable stress levels by being accountable only to the project's outcomes, aligning better with the needs of early-stage core technology exploration.