PANews reported on March 14 that the Ethereum Foundation released a new 38-page mission statement document, "EF Mandate," which outlines its development philosophy, priorities, and long-term role in the Ethereum ecosystem. The document states that Ethereum's core goal is to promote "self-sovereignty," ensuring that users have ultimate control over their identity, assets, actions, and agents.

The document states that Ethereum's core objective is to safeguard user self-sovereignty, meaning that users have ultimate control over their identity, assets, and actions. The foundation emphasizes that Ethereum's development must always adhere to four core attributes: censorship resistance, open source and freedom, privacy, and security (collectively known as CROPS), stating that these principles should not be sacrificed for efficiency or convenience. It also places Ethereum within a broader open technology ecosystem, referring to it as part of the "Infinite Garden," an open digital infrastructure network jointly built by developers, the community, and institutions.

The Ethereum Foundation stated that it positions itself as a "guardian" of the project, not an owner or ruler, and its responsibility is to uphold the network's long-term vision and open values. The Foundation also emphasized that as the ecosystem matures, its influence should gradually decrease, with more responsibilities being assumed by the broader community and developer ecosystem.