The EF’s Grants Program launched in 2018 and has developed over time to develop into the Ecosystem Support 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 akin to developer tooling, analysis, neighborhood constructing, infrastructure, and open requirements.
In 2024 alone, ESP awarded near $3M in funding to 105 initiatives 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, akin to Commit-Boost (developer tooling), BundleBear (knowledge and analytics), Web3Bridge (training), ZK Playbook (analysis), and Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress (neighborhood occasion).
Over the previous three years, we now have streamlined our processes to enhance effectivity. Nonetheless, as an open grants program with a lean staff and broad scope, the excessive quantity of inbound purposes has consumed most of our time and assets, leaving restricted capability to pursue new strategic alternatives. As we glance forward, we’re coming into a brand new chapter the place we’ll discover adjustments that permit us to raised focus our efforts, assist the neighborhood extra meaningfully, and proceed rising along with the ecosystem.
Evolving with Ethereum’s Progress
The EF lately articulated its vision and launched adjustments to its Ecosystem Development structure, reflecting a broader shift in the way it engages with the Ethereum ecosystem. This second presents a well timed alternative to discover the subsequent iteration of ESP. Because the Ethereum ecosystem grows in scale, complexity, and visibility, our funding strategy should evolve alongside it.
To align extra intently 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 now have briefly paused open grant purposes. This alteration will allow us time to revamp in a means 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 assets to crucial initiatives and initiatives that strengthen Ethereum’s resilience and usefulness
- Assist public items and open-source work that advances the Ethereum ecosystem
- Give attention to domains akin to developer tooling, core and shared infrastructure, analysis, neighborhood assets, and different public items
What’s Subsequent
Whereas open grant purposes are paused, the ESP staff will proceed supporting our lively grantees and stays out there via Office Hours—for these looking for non-financial assist akin to steering, undertaking suggestions, or help find helpful assets. Please be aware that in this era, we won’t be reviewing new grant purposes.
We are going to share an replace on ESP’s refined priorities and strategy in This autumn 2025. Within the meantime, you may observe the most recent EF grant bulletins and grantee undertaking 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 blog.
We stay deeply dedicated to supporting the Ethereum ecosystem and the general public items that maintain it. Whereas these adjustments mark a brand new chapter for ESP, we’re energized by the alternatives forward to raised assist the unbelievable 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!
