The EF’s Grants Program launched in 2018 and has advanced over time to change into the Ecosystem Assist Program (ESP), offering grants and assist to builders that assist the Ethereum ecosystem thrive. Our mission is to allow work that strengthens Ethereum’s foundations and empowers future builders, in domains reminiscent of developer tooling, analysis, neighborhood constructing, infrastructure, and open requirements.
In 2024 alone, ESP awarded near $3M in funding to 105 tasks and initiatives that got here via our open grants program webforms. These grants, that are one a part of ESP’s bigger portfolio, supported a various vary of labor, reminiscent of Commit-Enhance (developer tooling), BundleBear (information and analytics), Web3Bridge (training), ZK Playbook (analysis), and Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress (neighborhood occasion).
Over the previous three years, we’ve streamlined our processes to enhance effectivity. Nonetheless, as an open grants program with a lean group and broad scope, the excessive quantity of inbound purposes has consumed most of our time and sources, leaving restricted capability to pursue new strategic alternatives. As we glance forward, we’re getting into a brand new chapter the place we’ll discover modifications that permit us to raised focus our efforts, assist the neighborhood extra meaningfully, and proceed rising along with the ecosystem.
Evolving with Ethereum’s Development
The EF not too long ago articulated its imaginative and prescient and launched modifications to its Ecosystem Improvement construction, reflecting a broader shift in the way it engages with the Ethereum ecosystem. This second affords a well timed alternative to discover the following iteration of ESP. Because the Ethereum ecosystem grows in scale, complexity, and visibility, our funding strategy should evolve alongside it.
To align extra carefully with the EF’s up to date ecosystem improvement technique, we’re refining ESP’s priorities and strategy. As a part of this transition, we’ve briefly paused open grant purposes. This variation will allow us time to revamp in a approach that redirects our focus towards strategic initiatives, shifting from a reactive mannequin to a extra proactive one which additionally helps the priorities of different EF groups.
We are going to proceed funding Ethereum public items and accepting purposes, however with a brand new strategy to be outlined in a future put up. Our core values stay unchanged:
- Allocate sources to crucial tasks and initiatives that strengthen Ethereum’s resilience and value
- Assist public items and open-source work that advances the Ethereum ecosystem
- Give attention to domains reminiscent of developer tooling, core and shared infrastructure, analysis, neighborhood sources, and different public items
What’s Subsequent
Whereas open grant purposes are paused, the ESP group will proceed supporting our energetic grantees and stays accessible via Workplace Hours—for these searching for non-financial assist reminiscent of steering, venture suggestions, or help find helpful sources. Please notice that in this era, we is not going to be reviewing new grant purposes.
We are going to share an replace on ESP’s refined priorities and strategy in This fall 2025. Within the meantime, you may comply with the newest EF grant bulletins and grantee venture progress on our socials: @EF_ESP X (Twitter), @ef-esp Farcaster, @ef_esp Lens, and @ef-esp Bluesky. For a whole record of EF grants, take a look at the quarterly Allocation Replace posts revealed on the ESP weblog.
We stay deeply dedicated to supporting the Ethereum ecosystem and the general public items that maintain it. Whereas these modifications mark a brand new chapter for ESP, we’re energized by the alternatives forward to raised assist the unimaginable builders, researchers, and contributors driving Ethereum’s development. The way forward for Ethereum is a shared journey, and we’re excited to maneuver ahead with you!
