Ethereum Foundation pauses open grants as it overhauls support program

The Ethereum Foundation’s (EF) grants program is getting a makeover. A post on the official site highlighted some issues that have prompted the makeover, as well as how it plans to move forward with evolving alongside the growing Ethereum fan club. 

Since the EF’s Grants Program launched in 2018, it has been providing grants and support to builders who have played roles in helping the Ethereum ecosystem thrive.

Its main mission is to continue enabling these builders, thereby promoting work that strengthens the ecosystem’s foundations while empowering future builders, in domains such as developer tooling, research, community building, infrastructure, and open standards.

Ethereum Foundation overhauls grants program

Last year alone, the grants program, which has evolved into the Ecosystem Support Program (ESP), awarded about $3M in funding to up to 105 projects and initiatives that came through its open grants program webforms.

Those grants supported a diverse range of work, including Commit-Boost (developer tooling), BundleBear (data and analytics), Web3Bridge (education), ZK Playbook (research), and Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress (community event).

In the post on its official site, the ESP highlighted that over the past three years, it has streamlined its processes to improve efficiency. However, the foundation believes that whatever success came with the program is being undermined by its lean team and the broad scope of its undertaking.

As a result, it claims the high volume of inbound applications has consumed most of the available time and resources, leaving only a limited capacity to pursue new strategic opportunities.

To remedy that, and align more closely with the EF’s updated ecosystem development strategy, the ESP’s priorities and approach are being refined.

As part of that transition, open grant applications have been temporarily paused. The change is expected to enable the ESP time to redesign in a way that realigns its focus with strategic initiatives, moving from a reactive model to a more proactive one that will also support the priorities of other EF teams.

“We will continue funding Ethereum public goods and accepting applications, but with a new approach to be outlined in a future post,” the post on the official site reads.

While the grants are paused

While open grant applications are suspended, the ESP team has said it will continue supporting active grantees and remain available through office hours for those seeking non-financial support.

During this period, no new grant applications will be reviewed, as all focus will be redirected towards refining the ESP’s priorities and approach for Q4 2025. The ESP has promised that there would be no deviation from its main goal, which is to support the Ethereum ecosystem and the public goods that sustain it.

There is no doubt the changes will usher ESP into a new chapter, but the team is looking forward to the potential opportunities ahead to better support the builders, researchers, and contributors driving the number one DeFi hub.

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