Plume Network Co-Founder Eugene Shen Passes Away; Industry Mourns Loss of Talented Engineer

The blockchain community has been shaken by the recent passing of Eugene Shen, co-founder and CTO of the RWA-focused public chain Plume Network. The loss occurred earlier this week, prompting an outpouring of tributes from the ecosystem’s leading projects and industry figures. Eugene Shen’s unexpected departure marks a significant blow to the emerging RWA sector, where his technical expertise had been instrumental in shaping Plume’s development roadmap.

A Standout Career Building Blockchain Infrastructure

Eugene Shen’s professional journey exemplified the trajectory of top-tier engineering talent in crypto. After graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Engineering Physics, he joined Robinhood, the online brokerage platform, where he served as an engineer during a period of explosive growth in retail crypto adoption. His tenure there, lasting approximately eighteen months, coincided with the company’s expansion into digital asset services.

The engineer then advanced to dydx, one of the most sophisticated decentralized exchange protocols, where he rose to senior software engineer. These roles at industry-leading platforms equipped Eugene Shen with both the infrastructure knowledge and protocol-level understanding necessary for tackling the complex challenges of RWA tokenization. In January 2024, he joined Plume Network as co-founder and CTO, positioning himself at the forefront of the emerging RWA public chain narrative.

Official Tribute and Community Response

Plume Network’s official statement captured the collective grief: “Earlier this week, we lost our co-founder and dear friend Eugene, leaving us in shock. Eugene was talented, curious, and poured his passion into everything he did. Our hearts are with his family and friends.” The team emphasized their commitment to continuing the vision Eugene Shen had helped establish, stating they would remain “dedicated to continuing the innovation driven by the Plume technology he helped create, promoting on-chain life.”

Multiple blockchain projects with ongoing collaborations with Plume expressed their condolences across social media, underscoring Eugene Shen’s standing within the developer ecosystem and his reputation as a respected technical contributor.

Recognition from Leadership

Robinhood’s senior vice president and general manager Johann Kerbrat, who directly supervised Eugene Shen during his time at the brokerage, offered particularly high praise. Kerbrat recognized Eugene as one of the core pillars of Robinhood’s crypto engineering infrastructure, highlighting his capability to effectively scale and maintain services under intense operational pressure. Beyond his individual contributions, Eugene Shen also mentored numerous engineers at Robinhood, actively shaping the professional development of the team around him—a testament to his technical depth and commitment to collaborative growth.

Plume’s Path Forward

The Plume Network team acknowledged they are navigating a period of collective mourning while rallying around shared purpose. By continuing to advance the on-chain financial infrastructure that Eugene Shen devoted himself to building, the team aims to honor his legacy and commitment to the RWA space. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the human dimension behind the technology driving blockchain innovation.