Ethereum's $3 Million Open Grants Suspended Amid Funding Redirect

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is changing its strategy for its Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) to better address Ethereum’s rapid growth and complexity. Instead of reactively responding to grant requests, the foundation will now proactively and strategically fund projects that directly contribute to the network’s long-term needs, such as usability and scalability.

The EF emphasized that this new approach will allow it to direct resources where they can have the most sustainable impact.

The Ethereum Foundation paused its open grants program, the Ecosystem Support Program (ESP), to shift toward a more strategic funding model. Running since 2018, the ESP has distributed over $3 million to more than 100 projects focused on everything from core infrastructure to community initiatives.

The foundation explained that a high volume of applications had strained its team, leaving little capacity to pursue new priorities. The move is part of a broader organizational shift under newly appointed co-executive directors, who will now focus on scaling the Ethereum mainnet, enhancing blob storage, and improving the user experience at Layer 2.

The foundation has committed to continuing its support for the ecosystem and public goods, promising to announce a new approach to grantmaking in the fourth quarter of 2025.

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Ethereum (ETH), Ethereum Foundation