Ethereum L2 track has new developments. Neel Somani, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Eclipse, announced his departure in October this year to focus on research in the field of machine learning.

The founder's departure was somewhat unexpected. When Somani founded Eclipse in 2022, the initial idea was quite straightforward—an expansion solution based on Solana Virtual Machine. At that time, the Solana ecosystem was active, and this approach aligned with the market hot spot. But they quickly sensed the change and decisively shifted in 2023 to build high-performance Ethereum L2.

The timing of this shift was well-chosen. Last year, Eclipse completed a $50 million Series A funding round, enough to support their continued development of the Ethereum L2 path. From adapting to the Solana ecosystem to independently building Ethereum L2, Eclipse's technical route adjustment actually reflects the evolution of the entire industry—everyone is looking for the most promising foothold.

Neel's move into AI research may be because he sees that the L2 track has entered a stable development stage and that the team can operate independently. Who will succeed as Eclipse's CEO in the future remains to be watched.