3 Key Avalanche Foundation board members resign, what’s going on?

Three key board members of the Avalanche Foundation have reportedly stepped down from their positions. According to Chinese journalist Colin Wu, Omer Demirel, Aytunç Yildizli, and Vikram Nagrani formally left the board of the Avalanche Foundation and its subsidiaries earlier this week. 

In a long-heartfelt message shared on X Friday, Demirel described the resignations as a “well-considered” decision. He told his followers that stepping down was difficult, but insisted they all chose to leave the foundation collectively. 

“This has been a difficult decision given our passion, dedication, and commitment to Avalanche and its people, as well as all the hard work we have done for the ecosystem and the community since we joined the Foundation,” Demirel wrote.

He also said that Yildizli had stopped being CEO on February 28, 2025, and that the board had been in a “holding pattern” since then, trying to find solutions. However, the three former board members did say they would keep helping the Avalanche ecosystem.

Avalanche board members leave unexpectedly

There is trouble and the departing board members acknowledged that. Their resignations come as a shock to the community, ecosystem partners, and stakeholders.

“We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished together and are inspired by the brilliant, tenacious, and passionate community members who have driven Avalanche’s growth,” Demirel denoted.

Reflecting on their time at the foundation, the ex-AvalancheFDN director listed some of the projects that were launched under their leadership. He cited the establishment of the Avalanche Foundation’s brand and identity, the publication of its first annual report, and the introduction of incentive and grant programs such as infraBUIDL() and infraBUIDL(AI).

“We have supported the community and project teams, launched incentive and grant programs, conceived and launched AiFRED, brought new builders to Avalanche, and most recently worked to bring the vibes and attention to Avalanche when other ecosystems have been faltering,” he explained. 

Demiral concluded his message by calling the community “incredibly talented individuals,” that they would miss dearly. “We wish the very best for the Avalanche ecosystem and you, our beloved community.”

The community reacts, asks why the directors left

The resignation announcement sparked conversations across the Avalanche community on social media, who were trying to find out what exactly caused the three to say their goodbyes.

A community member on X, going by the pseudonym web3zous, asked: “Why resign now, and who will take over? Personally, I think timing matters a lot in these decisions, leaving when things are shaky spells doubt.”

“It was a collective resignation. Somebody or something somewhere got messed up,” said another member, replying to web3zous.

Some Avalanche supporters like Pakt World developer BJ pleaded with the community to stop pressing for answers now to discourage conflicts from arising.

“Let’s be respectful of the Avalanche foundation departures and refrain from hot take speculation. Only a handful of ecosystem leaders know the true story. And there are likely competing ‘true stories’ depending on perspective. They gave us their best. We owe them ours.”

Others lamented the loss, saying the three leaving will be a “huge loss for the Avalanche community.” 

“I have personally witnessed how passionate they were about their work. You can’t simply hire people to replace that kind of dedication, these roles require true attachment. I hope the Avalanche Foundation can manage this transition. Thank you for everything.“

At the same time, CoinGecko data shows that AVAX, Avalanche’s native token, has dropped 3% in the last 24 hours and is now trading at $19.95. Charts on TradingView show that if AVAX finds support and refuses lower levels of $18, the price could go up toward $25 in the coming weeks.

AVAX’s immediate support level lies around $16.00, a threshold that if breached on the lower side, could prompt a negative reaction. But a decisive break above $22.00 would be seen as a bullish signal. 

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