Ethereum Foundation undergoes major reforms to its funding program: Mentorship program supports founders.

Author: Zen, PANews

For Ethereum ecosystem projects, receiving funding from the foundation is undoubtedly an affirmation and endorsement of the project. Since launching the Ethereum Foundation (EF) funding program in 2018, EF has been providing financial support for public goods such as open-source projects, educational projects, and developer tools within the Ethereum ecosystem through mechanisms such as the Ecosystem Support Program (ESP).

Early funding models primarily focused on open-application grant programs, concentrating on areas such as developer tools, core infrastructure, research, community building, and open standards. During this phase, EF achieved significant results through open grants, supporting hundreds of projects to date. In 2024 alone, ESP provided nearly $3 million in funding to 105 projects and initiatives through its open application platform. This initiative accelerated the development of key Ethereum components while also cultivating and expanding the global Ethereum developer community. This influx of funding and talent has jointly driven the prosperity of the Ethereum ecosystem.

However, with the expansion of the ecosystem, this passive, application-waiting funding model has revealed its limitations. The EF funding team is lean, while the ecosystem's needs are broad, making it unable to fully handle the surge in applications. This results in EF consuming most of its time, energy, and resources, while limiting its ability to pursue strategic opportunities. As the Ethereum ecosystem grows in size and complexity, support methods must also evolve accordingly. Therefore, EF began to consider how to continue supporting public goods while more strategically and proactively planning resource allocation. ESP Transformation: Wish List + Proposal Solicitation Dual-Driven Approach Entering 2025, the above issues prompted the Ethereum Foundation to make significant adjustments to its funding strategy. In late August 2025, EF announced that its Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) would temporarily suspend accepting public funding applications to reassess funding priorities and improve support methods. This adjustment aims to shift focus to strategic initiatives, moving from a passive response model to a more proactive one, more closely supporting key areas of the Ethereum ecosystem, and aligning with the overall strategies of various teams within EF. Simply put, it involves allocating resources to projects that are most important and have the most profound impact on the ecosystem. After months of preparation, on November 3, 2025, EF officially launched its new ESP funding mechanism, which replaces the completely open application process with two main pathways: "Wishlists" and "Requests for Proposals (RFPs)." Under the new model, funding applications remain open to everyone, but applications must address key areas or specific issues pre-listed by EF. Specifically: The Wishlist describes important gaps or opportunities within the Ethereum ecosystem, but does not specify concrete implementation paths. Based on observations of the current state of the ecosystem, the EF team proposes high-priority, broad directions or goals, more like EF's "wishes" and guidance for the ecosystem. This model offers greater flexibility, encouraging applicants to leverage their creativity to meet these priorities. Developers and teams can propose their own independent ideas and solutions around these directions. EF values ​​whether the submitted project aligns with these broad directions and can positively impact the ecosystem. The Call for Proposals (RFP) model is more specific and targeted. EF publishes clear problem statements or opportunity descriptions, inviting applicants to submit solutions to those problems. This model emphasizes measurable deliverables and time constraints, making it suitable for urgent problems identified by EF and areas requiring targeted investment. Each RFP typically includes a predefined project scope, requirements, and expected outcomes, with a fixed application window and project cycle. Like EF setting "exam questions," applicant teams submit corresponding "answers," and only proposals that meet specific requirements and deliver within the deadline are selected. The new Wishlist and RFP lists cover several key areas, including cryptography, privacy, application layer, security, and community growth. These areas essentially represent the pain points and opportunities in Ethereum's current development. Founders Lab: A Founder Support Program Centered on Execution While the funding mechanism is shifting towards proactive planning, EF launched a new initiative in 2025 focused on supporting projects to enhance their execution capabilities—Founders Lab. This is a mentorship-based acceleration program for founders of Ethereum ecosystem startups, with the core concept that turning excellent ideas into reality requires strong execution and resource integration capabilities. From November 17–22, 2025, Devconnect Argentina will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, officially positioned as the first Ethereum World’s Fair. During this event, Founders Lab will make its debut on November 18–19, providing 1-on-1 mentorship to selected Ethereum startup teams. The first batch of mentors includes renowned entrepreneurs such as Jesse Pollak, head of Coinbase's L2 network Base, and Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon. Teams participating in Founders Lab have the opportunity to directly consult with these "unicorn" mentors, avoiding pitfalls in strategy, technology, and operations. According to EF's official introduction and the mentors' backgrounds, Founders Lab's mentoring content mainly revolves around the following key themes: GTM (Go-To-Market): Founders Lab emphasizes helping teams clarify their product positioning and market strategy, including how to identify target users, develop promotion plans, and establish competitive advantages. Fundraising: Founders Lab's mentorship team includes entrepreneurs who have successfully raised funds and run large projects, providing valuable fundraising guidance to new teams. This includes guidance on refining business plans, connecting with investors, and understanding funding opportunities and terms. Product and Scaling: Founders Lab offers hands-on mentorship to teach product refinement, user experience optimization, user base expansion, and technology scaling. Networking and Industry Insights: "Networking is key." A startup's ability to connect with the right partners and community resources can sometimes determine its success or failure. Founders Lab leverages EF's extensive ecosystem to connect new founders. Mentors not only provide experience but may also use their networks to connect teams with potential partners, user communities, and even investment institutions.

Through these empowering aspects, Founders Lab aims to address the shortcomings of the past EF support model: previously, EF primarily provided financial support or a platform for showcasing achievements; now, it goes further, adding methodological instruction, network expansion, and a focus on results. This shift signifies that EF is beginning to view the founders' execution capabilities themselves as a worthwhile "public good." As emphasized in the new grant program announcement, in addition to funding, EF will provide grantees with robust support throughout their journey.