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Ethereum Foundation Allocates $32.65 Million to Boost Scalability and Knowledge in Layer-2 Solutions

Major educational projects and global community-building efforts garnered the most funding in EF's recent investment round, with a total of 32 initiatives receiving support.

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Funding for educational programs and global community development received the majority share in...
Funding for educational programs and global community development received the majority share in EF's recent financial round, supporting 32 distinct initiatives worldwide.

Ethereum Foundation Allocates $32.65 Million to Boost Scalability and Knowledge in Layer-2 Solutions

The Ethereum Foundation Unveils $32.65 Million in Q1 2025 Grants

The Ethereum Foundation has dished out a chunky $32.65 million through its Ecosystem Support Program (EFESP) during the first quarter of 2025, spreading the love across numerous projects. Here's a breakdown of how the funds were distributed.

In a buzzworthy May 8 update, the foundation shed light on the grant recipients and categories, but remained tight-lipped about the exact amount each project raked in.

The Breakdown

The grant money was allocated across diverse categories such as community and education, consensus layers, cryptography, and zero-knowledge proofs, just to name a few. Here are some notable mentions:

  • Community & Education: Leading the pack with 37 projects, this category aimed to foster a global Ethereum community through various initiatives such as ETH conferences, hackathons, and educational programs. Among these projects were the Arabic Blockchain Developer Bootcamp, academic conferences, and research hubs related to blockchain technology.
  • Cryptography & Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Next in line with 16 projects was the focus on advancing zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology, developing cryptographic techniques, constructing ZKP tools, and researching post-quantum cryptography.
  • Consensus Layer: Seven projects were funded under this category, with their sights set on enhancing the security and performance of Ethereum's consensus mechanism.
  • Developer Experience & Tools: This category received 17 grants, targeting the creation of mobile SDKs, educational communities, analytics platforms, and validator tooling, among other initiatives.
  • Execution Layer: Five initiatives bagged grants focused on developing execution clients and working to optimize gas costs.
  • Overall Growth & Support: Two recipients, including the European Decentralization Think Tank, received support to foster talent through research fellowships and internships.

The remaining projects targeted areas such as decentralization advocacy, DeFi data accessibility, local-first application development, and industry analysis reports.

Eco-shaking Developments

Just one day prior to this grant announcement, Ethereum's Pectra upgrade went live, merging the Prague execution layer and Electra consensus layer, and implementing 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) into the network. To add icing to the cake, Ethereum's co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently shared a roadmap centered on Layer 1 scalability, blobs, and user experience, with a focus on maximizing the benefits users can reap from the blockchain's core properties and boosting the ecosystem's resilience and decentralization.

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  1. The Ethereum Foundation's Ecosystem Support Program (EFESP) distributed $32.65 million in grants across various projects in Q1 2025, focusing on categories such as community and education, cryptography, and zero-knowledge proofs.
  2. Notably, the community and education category received the highest number of grants, with 37 projects aimed at fostering a global Ethereum community through initiatives like ETH conferences, hackathons, and educational programs.
  3. The cryptography and zero-knowledge proofs category also received significant attention, with 16 projects focusing on advancing zero-knowledge proof technology and researching post-quantum cryptography.
  4. Seven projects were funded under the consensus layer category, aimed at enhancing the security and performance of Ethereum's consensus mechanism.
  5. In the developer experience and tools category, 17 grants were given for creating mobile SDKs, educational communities, analytics platforms, and validator tooling.
  6. TheExecution Layer category received five grants, focused on developing execution clients and optimizing gas costs, while overall growth and support received funding for fostering talent through research fellowships and internships.

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