The EF’s Grants Program launched in 2018 and has advanced over time to turn out to be the Ecosystem Assist Program (ESP), offering grants and help 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 similar to developer tooling, analysis, group constructing, infrastructure, and open requirements.
In 2024 alone, ESP awarded near $3M in funding to 105 tasks and initiatives that got here by way of our open grants program webforms. These grants, that are one a part of ESP’s bigger portfolio, supported a various vary of labor, similar to Commit-Enhance (developer tooling), BundleBear (information and analytics), Web3Bridge (training), ZK Playbook (analysis), and Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress (group occasion).
Over the previous three years, we’ve got 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 assets, 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 adjustments that enable us to higher focus our efforts, help the group extra meaningfully, and proceed rising along with the ecosystem.
Evolving with Ethereum’s Development
The EF just lately articulated its imaginative and prescient and launched adjustments to its Ecosystem Growth construction, reflecting a broader shift in the way it engages with the Ethereum ecosystem. This second presents 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 intently with the EF’s up to date ecosystem growth technique, we’re refining ESP’s priorities and strategy. As a part of this transition, we’ve got quickly paused open grant purposes. This modification will allow us time to revamp in a method 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 submit. Our core values stay unchanged:
- Allocate assets to essential tasks and initiatives that strengthen Ethereum’s resilience and usefulness
- Assist public items and open-source work that advances the Ethereum ecosystem
- Concentrate on domains similar to developer tooling, core and shared infrastructure, analysis, group assets, 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 by way of Workplace Hours—for these looking for non-financial help similar to steering, undertaking suggestions, or help to 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 possibly can comply with the newest 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 an entire listing of EF grants, take a look at the quarterly Allocation Replace posts printed on the ESP weblog.
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 higher help the unbelievable builders, researchers, and contributors driving Ethereum’s progress. The way forward for Ethereum is a shared journey, and we’re excited to maneuver ahead with you!