Ethereum Foundation Revamps Grants, Launches Founders Lab
Ethereum Foundation has overhauled its Ecosystem Support Program (ESP), pausing open applications and shifting to a proactive, strategy-driven grants model. From November 3, 2025, funding will be allocated via a high-priority “Wishlist” and targeted Requests for Proposals (RFPs), focusing on cryptography, privacy, application-layer infrastructure, security and community growth. This new approach aims to optimize resource allocation, reduce administrative burden and ensure support for high-impact projects.
Concurrently, the Foundation launched Founders Lab at Devconnect Argentina (November 18–19). This mentorship accelerator pairs early-stage teams with industry leaders—such as Coinbase Base lead Jesse Pollak and Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal—for one-on-one guidance on go-to-market strategy, fundraising, product scaling and ecosystem integration. By combining strategic grants with hands-on support, the initiative is designed to strengthen project execution and accelerate innovation within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Bullish
This initiative signals long-term confidence in Ethereum by targeting high-impact ecosystem gaps with strategic grants and mentorship. Traders may see bullish sentiment as optimized resource allocation and expert support could accelerate project development, drive network usage and increase ETH demand. While immediate price moves may be muted, the improved grant framework and Founders Lab accelerator bolster ecosystem growth, suggesting positive medium- to long-term impact on Ethereum’s market value.