Main Points :
- The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has relaunched its grants initiative under the Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) following a pause in open applications.
- The new model shifts from an “open-apply” format to two structured channels: a Wishlist of high-level strategic themes, and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) addressing specific ecosystem gaps.
- Priority focus areas include cryptography, privacy, application-layer development, security and community growth—reflecting EF’s aim to steer funding toward higher-impact outcomes.
- The change comes as Ethereum gears up for the Fusaka upgrade (mainnet expected December 2025), underlying the need for a more strategic grants framework aligned with major protocol evolution.
- For crypto asset hunters, builder-ecosystem participants and blockchain solution developers, this signals clearer funding pathways, tighter alignment with Ethereum’s roadmap, and the potential for greater resources to flow into high-leverage areas rather than broad, less-targeted initiatives.
1. Background: Why the Shift?
In 2018, the Ethereum Foundation launched its ESP grants scheme to financially support developers, researchers and community-builders working on the Ethereum stack—covering infrastructure, open standards, education and tool-creation. The open-application model enabled hundreds of projects to receive support.
However, as the number of applications rose, EF found the model increasingly difficult to manage. According to its announcement, the volume created “resource-drag” which limited its ability to pursue strategic opportunities for longer-term ecosystem growth.
In late August 2025 the Foundation paused open applications so it could redesign the grants program.
Now, with the relaunch in November 2025, EF has introduced a more structured funding model. This is intended to convert a reactive application-driven process into a proactive, aligned-with-strategy one.
For the reader interested in new crypto assets or practical blockchain implementation: this shift means clearer signals about where EF is willing to invest, and therefore where builders and token-projects might align their efforts to access support.
2. The New Model: Wishlist + RFPs
Wishlist – Broad Innovation Themes
Under the new framework, the “Wishlist” channel outlines key areas where the Foundation sees gaps or potential for growth. Instead of funding arbitrary ideas submitted in large volume, this list offers guidance to creators and researchers about where to focus.
Areas mentioned include cryptography, privacy, application-layer development, security, and community growth.
This means: if you’re a builder looking for funding, aligning your idea to one of those themes increases your chance of resonance with EF’s strategic priorities. It also suggests that ideas outside those themes may face more competition or less priority.
RFPs – Targeted Outcomes
The second channel, RFPs, is more specific: the Foundation or ecosystem teams issue targeted calls for proposals that specify scopes, deliverables, timelines and expected outcomes.
This is significant: rather than a wide-open “submit whatever you like” scheme, there are defined “missions” or “problems” to solve. That tends to favor higher-maturity projects, or those able to execute measurable outcomes. For blockchain practitioners, this is a chance to engage with explicit funding opportunities with clear requirements and likely higher expectations of delivery and alignment.
Implications for Builders & Investors
- Builders: Prepare to tailor proposals to fit one of the strategic theme areas or respond to an active RFP. Projects that align with the Wishlist themes or meet an RFP will likely get more attention.
- Investors & token-project watchers: The funding direction signals where EF thinks the ecosystem needs development. Projects working in cryptography, privacy, app-layer protocols or community growth may be more likely to receive support or benefit indirectly from EF-backed initiatives.
- Project entrants/newcomers: If you are early-stage, you still have opportunity, but aligning your roadmap with EF’s strategy may increase your probability of success and integration into the broader Ethereum ecosystem.
3. Strategic Focus Areas & Ecosystem Timing
Key Focus Themes
The major themes EF has flagged include:
- Cryptography and privacy: building tools, research or protocols that strengthen privacy layers of Ethereum.
- Application-layer development: beyond base-layer consensus, supporting apps, protocols, tooling and user-facing interfaces.
- Security and infrastructure: supporting robust foundational infrastructure to scale Ethereum and make it more secure.
- Community growth and ecosystem-health: funding community-builders, education, standards, open-source efforts.
Timing With Protocol Upgrades
The relaunch of the grants program coincides with the upcoming Fusaka upgrade scheduled for December 2025 on the Ethereum network.
Fusaka is expected to bring new Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) such as EIP-7594 (PeerDAS) for validator data handling, and EIPs 7825 & 7935 raising gas limits and advancing parallel execution.
That timing suggests EF is preparing the ecosystem for higher demands: greater scalability, more layers, more application complexity. By aligning grants to strategic themes now, EF is effectively building the “second-wave” ecosystem readiness around Ethereum’s next major evolution.
What This Means for New Assets & Builders
For those looking at new assets or projects: this alignment means that assets or protocols that demonstrate they solve real infrastructure, privacy or application-layer challenges on Ethereum may be in a good position. If your token or project is oriented toward one of the strategic themes EF is prioritizing, you may benefit from increased support, stronger integration, and potentially more visibility. Conversely, projects outside those strategic zones may face less institutional support and may need to prove value differently.
4. Practical Guidance for Applicants and Ecosystem Participants
Align Early
If you are planning a project in the Ethereum ecosystem (whether token-project, application, infrastructure or research), reviewing the current Wishlist themes and upcoming RFPs is a must. Check the ESP website for active calls.
Focus on Clear Outcomes
Given the emphasis on RFPs with defined deliverables, your proposal should clearly articulate: problem to solve, deliverables/milestones, budget, timeline, and ecosystem impact. Vague pitch decks may no longer suffice.
Consider the Ecosystem Context
With the Fusaka upgrade and increasing demands on Ethereum’s scalability and layers, propose projects that are forward-looking: e.g., layer-2 integration, data availability strategies, privacy primitives, developer tooling for multi-chain or parallel execution. Projects that prepare the ecosystem for next-gen flows may be especially attractive.
Leverage Research and Community Support
If you’re coming from an academic or research angle, there are specific Academic Grants rounds within ESP (e.g., the 2025 Academic Grants Round) that integrate with the new model.
For Investors or Token Hunters
If you’re scanning for new crypto assets or protocols to back, use the EF’s strategic themes as a filter: look for projects that are aligned with cryptography/privacy stacks, Ethereum app-layer innovations, security/infrastructure deployments or community-growth initiatives. Funding from EF often signals validation and helps reduce risk. Also observe whether a project is responding to an RFP — that means it has institutional engagement.
5. Broader Implications for the Blockchain Industry
Maturation of Grant Processes
The Ethereum Foundation’s pivot from open grants to strategic Wishlist/RFP structure reflects a broader maturation in Web3 funding. Grant programs across ecosystems are increasingly recognising the need for prioritisation, measurable outcomes and strategic alignment rather than simply “open calls for ideas”. Academic research supports this shift: e.g., the “Grant Maturity Framework” shows Web3 fund-programs evolve from experimental to structured models.
Ecosystem Efficiency and Impact
A more focused grant model can help avoid resource dilution, where many small projects are funded but few deliver deep impact. By concentrating on fewer, higher-impact initiatives aligned with ecosystem priorities, the chance of sustained downstream effect improves. For ecosystem builders, this means a better chance of coordination, synergy and measurable contributions.
Signal for Builders and Innovators
This announcement sends a signal: the Ethereum ecosystem is entering a phase where strategy matters. For developers, project-teams and token founders, aligning with that strategy is more important than ever. This may increase the bar for funding, but also raise the upside: projects that gain EF support may have deeper integration and longer-term ecosystem robustness.
Implications for Tokens and Protocols
Tokens tied to protocols that address the strategic themes (privacy, scalability, app-layer growth) may see a tail-wind from increased EF emphasis. Tokens whose underlying protocols anticipate Ethereum’s upgrade path (e.g., parallel execution, improved data availability, privacy layers) may gain an edge. For investors, the EF’s shift is a new data point in screening protocol viability beyond just hype.
6. Looking Ahead: What to Watch
- Active RFPs: Monitor the ESP website for new RFP announcements (with clear scopes and submission periods). These tend to represent higher-probability funding opportunities.
- Wishlist updates: The Wishlist may evolve as Ethereum’s roadmap and ecosystem demands change. Projects aligning early may benefit.
- Fusaka upgrade rollout: As Ethereum transitions through Fusaka (expected December 2025), look for technological bottlenecks or application-layer opportunities emerging—those may become new focus areas for grants.
- Grantee support and impact: Beyond funding, EF emphasised that it will improve the “grantee experience” and post-funding support. Projects that leverage not just funds but also ecosystem support may be more successful.
- Ecosystem ripple effects: Other blockchain ecosystems may follow suit in granting strategy. Observing how EF’s model evolves may signal best-practices for Web3 funding in general.
Conclusion
The Ethereum Foundation’s overhaul of its grants program under the Ecosystem Support Program marks a significant pivot: from broad, open-call funding to a strategic, targeted model featuring a Wishlist and RFPs. For builders, researchers and token-project developers looking for their next funding runway, this change means clearer pathways, higher expectations and potentially stronger ecosystem alignment. For investors and blockchain practitioners seeking new assets or protocols to support, this also offers a useful lens: projects aligned with cryptography, privacy, scalability, app-layer innovation or community growth—and which can articulate clear deliverables—are now more likely to receive institutional backing and succeed in the evolving Ethereum ecosystem.
In essence, the ecosystem is entering a more mature phase. The era of scatter-gun grant funding is giving way to a strategic, mission-driven approach. For those positioned well, the opportunities may be both deeper and more impactful. Align your project ambitions, token-utility models or protocol roadmaps with the strategic themes, stay alert to RFPs, and position your work in the context of Ethereum’s next major evolution.
