- The Ethereum Foundation shifts to long-term coordination, moving beyond project-based grants.
- New EcoDev teams will support developers, founders, and enterprises to scale Ethereum use.
- Strategic funding, global outreach, and zkEVMs aim to boost Ethereum’s long-term resilience.
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has revealed a major overhaul of its strategic approach toward backing the development of the blockchain. Instead of focusing on funding individual projects, EF is now looking to develop sustainable infrastructure through community partnerships, developing long-term coordination and support for the ecosystem.
Outlined in its roadmap, “The Future of Ecosystem Development at the EF,” the foundation’s updated mission is centered on expanding real-world Ethereum use while reinforcing the technical and social resilience of its infrastructure. This approach introduces four primary pillars: ecosystem acceleration, ecosystem amplification, ecosystem support, and long-term ecosystem unblocking.
The initiatives will enable EF to assist builders, developers, startups, and enterprises by eliminating adoption barriers, developing educational tools, and establishing support teams for their operations. The goal is to help more people benefit from Ethereum’s core values, which are decentralization, transparency, and user empowerment.
Accelerating Ethereum Growth Through New Core Teams
The Ecosystem Acceleration strategy involves creating four new teams focused on enterprise outreach, developer engagement, application scaling, and founder support. These teams will Provide feedback, mentorship, and ecosystem connections to assist projects in succeeding without relying solely on funding.
In parallel, the Ecosystem Amplifications track will leverage targeted events, community-building activities, and AI-powered internal tools to maximize Ethereum’s impact. By integrating automation through the new EcoDev Automation unit, EF plans to increase the efficiency of internal operations and maximize its ability to support partners at scale. These initiatives aim to increase visibility and engagement across the Ethereum ecosystem without centralizing power or decision-making.
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Revised Grant Structure and Long-Term Support for Public Goods
EF’s revised grant approach will emphasize more strategic, needs-based support. Launchpad and the Ethereum Support Program (ESP), along with the Strategic Funding Initiatives, will offer targeted grants and non-financial resources to advance critical infrastructure, governance, and sustainability throughout the ecosystem.
As of Q1 2025, EF has distributed more than $32 million on 101 projects focused on developer experience, education, zero-knowledge cryptography, and public goods. Launchpad continues helping ecosystem organizations with funding design, compliance, and operational scaling.
Long-term ecosystem unblocking initiatives will also play a central role. EF teams will collaborate with universities, governments, NGOs, and policy groups to ensure Ethereum’s legal and regulatory future remains stable and innovation-friendly.
Core Protocol Updates
In addition to the new ecosystem plan, Ethereum is also improving its technical roadmap. On July 10, EF announced that it was planning to deliver a Layer-1 zkEVM, which allows real-time proving. This will enable validators to efficiently verify proofs, enhance security, and minimize the reliance on execution reprocessing.
Recent updates, such as EIP-4444, have introduced partial history expiry, freeing up 300–500 GB of disk space and lowering hardware requirements for node operators. Meanwhile, Vitalik Buterin and Toni Wahrstatter introduced the EIP-7983, which would cap gas usage per transaction at 16.77 million. The cap is intended to protect against denial-of-service threats and enhance the compatibility of zkVM.
These modifications combined make Ethereum decentralized, accessible, and scalable. By changing its strategy to focus on coordination instead of funding, EF is building a foundation for the next phase of Ethereum development, in which long-term infrastructure and community-led support define success.
