The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has implemented a significant change to its grants program, transitioning from an open application model to a more targeted funding approach under its Ecosystem Support Program. This new strategy aims to direct resources more effectively toward defined priorities within the Ethereum ecosystem.
According to an official blog post, grants will now be distributed through two primary avenues: a wishlist that outlines specific focus areas identified by the Foundation, and requests for proposals (RFPs) designed to address particular needs within the Ethereum community.
The Foundation stated that the previous open grants program, which was paused earlier this year, had stretched its resources considerably. The new, more selective model will involve closer coordination with internal teams to ensure that funding is channeled toward strategic ecosystem priorities.
“The previous open grants program successfully supported hundreds of projects that contributed key building blocks across Ethereum,” the Foundation commented. They also noted that the sheer volume of applications received limited their capacity to pursue “strategic opportunities” effectively.
The initial set of wishlist items and RFPs are now available, covering critical areas such as cryptography, privacy, security, and community growth, among others.
The Ethereum Foundation originally established its grants program in 2018 to provide support for developers and projects contributing to the ecosystem. In the year 2024, approximately $3 million in funding was distributed to 105 projects and initiatives, as reported by the Foundation.
Ethereum Continues to Evolve with Upgrades
The announcement of the revamped grants program comes shortly after the successful activation of the Fusaka upgrade on Ethereum’s final testnet, Hoodi. This development signals ongoing progress in the blockchain's technical evolution.
The Fusaka upgrade introduces several Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). Notably, EIP-7594, also known as PeerDAS, will enable validators to access smaller data segments from layer-2 networks rather than entire blobs. This enhancement is expected to significantly improve node performance and overall scalability.
Furthermore, the upgrade includes EIPs 7825 and 7935, which are designed to increase the gas limit and boost performance. These changes are crucial as Ethereum progresses towards parallel execution, a key component of its roadmap that will allow for the simultaneous processing of multiple transactions.
Prior to its deployment on Hoodi, the Fusaka fork was successfully launched on the Holesky and Sepolia testnets. The mainnet launch is anticipated to occur on December 3.
Ethereum's most recent major upgrade, Pectra, was launched on May 7. This upgrade focused on enhancing staking efficiency and introducing user experience improvements for wallets.