Q1 2025 Allocation Insights

Community & education Account Abstraction Afterhours – Season 2 Mirko Garozzo & Francesco Andreoli Creating instructional videos featuring influential figures in the account abstraction domain, with Season 2 concentrating on the application layer and how dapps utilize account abstraction. Community & education ACM Conference on Economics and Computation (EC) Academic conference on advancements in theory, empirics, and implementations at the intersection of economics and computation. Community & education A General Forum on Ethereum Localism (GFEL): Boulder 2025 OpenCivics Gathering in Boulder, USA that investigated Ethereum’s practical applications in the areas of social impact and public goods via presentations, unconference sessions, and a quadratic funding distribution to local community organizations. Community & education Arabic Blockchain Developer Bootcamp Blokkat Online bootcamp in Arabic that equips computer science students and web2 developers in the MENA region with essential skills to excel as blockchain developers. Community & education Centrum Node Centrum Operating an Ethereum node and organizing regular events designed for beginners aimed at broadening the understanding of decentralized technology (e.g., node building workshops, dapp creation introductions, study groups). Community & education Community Privacy Residency Residency in Taipei, Taiwan dedicated to investigating, co-designing, and developing open-source applications focusing on community privacy, with a special emphasis on tools for marginalized communities, collaborative design, and privacy resources. Email Community & education Crowdsourced Community-Organizing Resources Tanja Mladenovic Assembling a curated collection of crowdsourced knowledge that acts as a complete Ethereum event-planning resource, available on the ethereum.org platform. Community & education Devcon Satellite Events Funding opportunity to promote events that highlight Devcon SEA programming or activities. Community & education Escuela de Ciencias Informáticas (ECI) Summer School Summer program held at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, featuring lectures by professors from various parts of the world on topics closely associated with Ethereum. Community & education ETHBratislava Assisting the ETHBratislava community in organizing the ETHBratislava hackathon and conference, meetups, and community discussions to expand the Ethereum ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe. Community & education ETHCluj Backing ETHCluj for a series of community-enhancing endeavors in Cluj-Napoca, Romania including Ethereum think tank gatherings, workshops for college students, and technical demonstrations. Community & education Ethereum Argentina Cordoba Edition Entry-level conference organized in Cordoba, Argentina discussing themes such as the Ethereum roadmap, practical applications, and layer 2s (L2s). Community & education Ethereum Tegucigalpa Promoting Ethereum Tegucigalpa for a range of community-nurturing events in Honduras. Community & education EthereumZuri.ch Event conducted in Zurich, Switzerland aiming to connect academia and industry, diving into subjects like consensus mechanisms, dapps, and security. Community & education ETHiopia Hackathon & Conference First Ethereum conference and hackathon in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia emphasizing governmental technology and expanding Ethereum across Africa. Community & education ETHPrague Event organized in Prague, Czech Republic concentrating on topics such as Ethereum core and EVM, developer ecosystem and tools, sustainable futures, and societal challenges and chances. Community & education EthStaker Community offering guidance, education, assistance, and resources for current and prospective stakers, with the primary aim of enhancing the decentralization of the Ethereum network. Discord Community & education Hacklahoma Hackathon conducted by students at the University of Oklahoma in the USA, featuring workshops and a track focused on building on Ethereum. Community & education High-Assurance Crypto Software (HACS) Workshop Aspiration Tech Workshop held in Sofia, Bulgaria uniting cryptographic developers with specialists in formal verification and high assurance methodologies, encouraging collaboration to achieve flawless cryptographic software. Community & education International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderabad Ethereum Education Explorations v2 Ankit Gangwal Implementing a specialized Ethereum course as part of IIIT Hyderabad‘s primary curriculum, and mentoring 2 PhD students and a research associate on Ethereum-related investigations. Community & education International Workshop on Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) Workshop conducted in Glasgow, UK aimed at sharing ideas between SMT solver developers and users of SMT, and inspiring new studies in SMT. Community & education “““html
ETHKyiv Assisting the community in organizing mini-hackathons, gatherings centered around applications, and hackathon events. Community & education NapulETH Open Village Conference and hackathon held in Naples, Italy, featuring sessions on topics like zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), privacy, and scalability. Community & education National Workshop & Bootcamp on Cybersecurity & Blockchain Program that investigated theoretical understanding of emerging cyber threats and blockchain security, including Ethereum-centric, practical sessions and interactive bootcamp activities, conducted by IIIT, Hyderabad in India. Community & education Road to ETHPrague Meetups EthereumCzech & ETHPrague A series of meetups organized in Prague and Brno, Czech Republic to onboard more locals to the Ethereum ecosystem in preparation for ETHPrague, focusing on topics such as security, AI agents, and UX/UI. Community & education StackTooDeep Blockchain Society IIT Roorkee Ethereum-centered hackathon aimed at cultivating a culture of web3 development and encouraging decentralized innovation at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee in India. Community & education The House of Ether Bluechain Research Cooperative Ethereum educational initiative aimed at involving university students, researchers, and academics, along with the broader public in northeastern Greece. Community & education The Midwest Block-a-Thon KU Blockchain Institute Blockchain hackathon held at the University of Kansas in the USA with Ethereum-themed workshops. Community & education The Wellbeing Protocol Creating and establishing an “end-to-end monetary flow” on Ethereum frameworks for local community funding distribution, including enhancements aimed at more intuitive and user-friendly UI/UX for quadratic voting. Community & education Uzumaki Titania Research Research center in Japan addressing Ethereum’s most pressing issues in areas like consensus, zkVM, and proposer-builder separation (PBS). Community & education Web3 Development Internship Program Web3 Institute Internship program concentrating on Ethereum ecosystem development in Ukraine, bridging the divide between theoretical education and industry demands by linking students with real-world development opportunities. Community & education Zu-Grāma Residency in Kerala, India focused on exploring innovations and conducting experiments in thematic areas like impact and public goods, cryptography, and longevity.

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Consensus layer Fabric Community-oriented initiative dedicated to standardizing rollup infrastructure by outlining shared components, enhancing proposer commitments, and formulating unified specifications for rollup teams to implement. Consensus layer GotEth Miga Labs Ongoing enhancement of the open-source Ethereum data indexing client, broadening existing capabilities by addressing missing onchain data, refining slashing event monitoring, indexing Ethereum deposits, and optimizing validator rewards data storage, followed by ensuring comprehensive compatibility with the forthcoming Pectra upgrade to boost its long-term dependability and influence. Consensus layer jvm-libp2p QUIC Transport Support Peergos Integrating support for the QUIC transport protocol into the jvm-libp2p library, as QUIC features inherently quicker handshake latency and generally superior performance traits compared to TCP transport. Consensus layer Lighthouse Sigma Prime Facilitating support for the Lighthouse consensus client to proceed with protocol research and development in anticipation of imminent network enhancements, engaging in PeerDAS, and networking engineering on mainnet. Consensus layer Liveness Accountability Andrew Lewis-Pye Creating a proof-of-concept methodology that defines the contexts in which some variant of liveness accountability is viable, aiming to ascertain both possible and impossible outcomes wherever feasible. Consensus layer Lodestar ChainSafe Persistence in the advancement and upkeep of the Lodestar TypeScript version of the Ethereum beacon chain, along with the progression of the Ethereum protocol, and TypeScript/JavaScript ecosystem tools. Consensus layer ROP-9.3: FOCIL Implementation, Tests, & Devnets Jihoon Song Executing and assessing FOCIL prototypes within Prysm and Geth, while orchestrating local devnets utilizing Kurtosis. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Cursive Aiding the Cursive team in application development, cryptographic research, design initiatives, and user growth strategies. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Dimitri Koshelev Investigation of isogenies and other cryptographic domains vital to Ethereum’s trajectory, collaborating closely with Ethereum Foundation researchers to accelerate understanding and synchronize efforts with Ethereum’s objectives. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Lean Blueprint for FRI Nethermind Creating a Lean blueprint for FRI, alongside the mathematical prerequisites that are essential for it and currently absent from Lean’s mathlib (primarily coding theory). Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Lean Blueprints for STIR & WHIR Least Authority Developing a Lean blueprint for
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STIR and WHIR by presenting all the definitions, lemmas, and theorems necessary to validate the attributes of completeness and soundness for STIR and WHIR, while creating a dependency graph that connects them all. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Machina iO Pia Park Assisting the team in realizing new theoretical concepts and addressing bottlenecks in both the theory and application of iO that enhance its security or efficiency. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Phantom Zone Enhancing practical iO by fortifying the local mixing strategy, developing an obfuscated AES application for white-box hacking competitions, creating an encrypted RISC-V virtual machine using fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), and examining enhancements to functional encryption methods based on evasive LWE for publicly verifiable FHE. Email Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs plonky3 & Lean Nethermind Creating a connection between plonky3 (commonly utilized by zkVMs for STARKs) and Lean, facilitating the validation of plonky3 AIR circuits. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Poseidon Algebraic Cryptanalysis Luca Campa & Stefano Trevisani Algebraic analysis of Poseidon with a specific focus on the Groebner basis cryptanalysis of the Poseidon instances put forth in the bounty program, as part of the Poseidon Grants Round. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Semaphore in Noir HashCloak Developing Semaphore within Noir, which necessitates a Noir circuit, additional software development kit (SDK) features that handle proof generation and proof validation for the Noir circuit, and supplementary versions of the Semaphore Solidity contracts where the verifier for UltraHonk is incorporated. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs Assessing the Algebraic Security of Multi-Output CICO-Problems from Poseidon Simula UiB Establishing the security of Poseidon in the multi-output CICO framework by deriving concrete assessments of algebraic attacks in this context, as part of the Poseidon Grants Round. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs VOLE in the Head (VOLE-itH) Shouki Tsuda Facilitating on-chain validation of VOLE-itH ZKP, specifically encapsulating VOLE-itH ZKP within SNARK to achieve succinctness and enable verification via smart contracts. The verification costs on Ethereum are evaluated and analyzed, including benchmarks for circuits such as hash functions and execution on mobile clients. This will be utilized to pinpoint bottlenecks and investigate further enhancements. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs ZK Email Aayush Gupta Comprehensive suite of open-source SDKs, libraries, and protocols that facilitate email-based proofs. Cryptography & zero knowledge proofs ZKEmail.nr ZK Email developed in Noir to enhance the capabilities of client-side, privacy-preserving email proving. “““html

Encryption & zero knowledge testimonies ZKNOX Assisting ZKNOX in implementing post-quantum signatures and ZK-friendly encryption, enhancing hardware wallets, and executing and refining EIP-616 for cryptographic and ZK validation efficiency. Developer engagement & tools AndroidPortal Dirk Jäckel Crafting a decentralized mobile SDK for Android that functions without a JSON-RPC provider or any other centralized backend. Through the integration of a Portal Network client and a Trueblocks client, the SDK will allow users to access Ethereum information in a trustless and verifiable manner. Developer engagement & tools Buidl Guidl Community focused on education for developers, creating products and prototypes within the Ethereum landscape. Developer engagement & tools Commit-Boost Open-source initiative facilitating Ethereum validators to execute MEV-Boost and other community-developed commitment protocols securely, while actively promoting utilization by furnishing validators with a proposer commitment sidecar that provides preconfirmations and out-of-protocol inclusion lists. Developer engagement & tools EIPs Ontology David Hyland-Wood Open-source endeavor aiming to generate EIP content that is more reachable and user-friendly by utilizing large language models (LLMs) to analyze AllCoreDev meeting notes, EIP data, and supplementary documentation. Developer engagement & tools Ethereum Ecosystem GitHub Categorization Open Source Observer Creating an automated classification system for open-source GitHub repositories within the Ethereum ecosystem aimed at facilitating easier exploration, more informed choices, and improved allocation of resources across Ethereum development initiatives. Developer engagement & tools Ethereum for Ruby Simple Ruby library for creating, signing, and broadcasting Ethereum transactions that allows for the division of key and node administration. Developer engagement & tools Fe Language Continuing development of the Fe v2 language server and editor plugins, along with a broader scope of work on various parts of the compiler. Developer engagement & tools OpenSauced Improving the open-source analytics tools and dashboard by adding vital Ethereum developer metrics, specifically library utilization insights and languages ranked by TVL and fees. Developer engagement & tools Vyper Aiding the Vyper team’s fundamental development efforts throughout 2025. Developer engagement & tools Web3.js ChainSafe Web3.js has been retired with a comprehensive support strategy to ensure security, smooth transition, and continuity for users as they adopt new tools. Developer
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Developer experience & tools Kurtosis Engine Kubernetes Log Support Tedi Mitiku Implementing centralized/persistent logging capabilities to the Kurtosis Kubernetes backend. Developer experience & tools Kurtosis Support for Log Collection via External Services Bloctopus Providing functionality for Kurtosis to send logs to an external log collection framework, facilitating seamless integration into pre-existing systems while utilizing external calculation resources for intricate analytics. Twitter, Telegram Developer experience & tools Streamlining the Verification of zkVM Circuits CertiK Creating strategies that will facilitate the verification of zkVM circuits, concentrating on modular arithmetic and instances where multiple values are consolidated into a single field element. Developer experience & tools Solhint Protofire Continuous maintenance and assistance for Solhint, the Solidity linter, comprising of actively managing community input, addressing inquiries, and solving bug reports to guarantee the tool remains effective, current, and beneficial for the Ethereum developer community. Discord Developer experience & tools STK2Chain Carlos Muriithi Investigating and creating open-source smart contracts (leveraging existing AA-437 implementations), middleware, and backend solutions to enable authentication and transmission of 4337 UserOps over GSM USSD (utilizing the STK interface) without relying on internet access. Developer experience & tools Verus Assessment CertiK Assessing the effectiveness of Verus (a Rust verification tool) in confirming circuits and EVM precompiles crafted in Rust. Execution layer Erigon Financing for Erigon’s sustained efforts on the Ethereum mainnet, particularly their execution client development and applied R&D on Ethereum’s execution layer. Twitter Execution layer Gas Cost Estimator imapp Evaluating BLS12-381 precompiles, examining the influence of various repricing methods on mainnet transaction capacity, and drafting an EIP to revise the pricing of one or more operations based on benchmarking findings. Execution layer Geth Rollup Nethermind Ongoing enhancement of the Geth rollup initiative. Execution layer ROP-15: EVM Gas Metering Maria Inês Silva Examining how modifications to the gas metering rules affect block processing and utilization through empirical research and simulation. Execution layer Samba meldsun0 &
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Derek Sorken Ethereum gateway client developed in Java, based on Teku and Besu. Email, Discord: meldsun General development & assistance EcoDev Research Fellowship Anna M., Jelilat Anofiu, Nick Potts, & Ori Shimony Six-month research fellowship roles examining a proposal concentrated on one or two emerging Ethereum applications that significantly and distinctly benefit from Ethereum’s capabilities, addressing the primary obstacles and facilitators to realizing these applications. General development & assistance EF Internship Initiative Bosul Mun, Souradeep Das, Louis Tsai, Shantikiran Chanal, Wonbin Jin, & Harsh Karia The EF’s inaugural formal summer internship program designed to cultivate the upcoming generation of Ethereum developers and researchers, with interns assigned to the following teams and fields: Applied Research Group (ARG), Ethereum Execution Layer Specifications (EELS), Ethereum Execution Specification Assessments (EEST), Geth, Portal, and Protocol Security. General development & assistance EU Grants Investigation Performing a thorough evaluation of the existing EU initiatives and programs that may assist blockchain non-profits. General development & assistance The European Decentralization Think Tank European decentralization think tank that generates substantial outputs (policy briefs/events) to bolster corporate participation and policy impact in Europe. Indirect financing Gitcoin Grants 23 Matching funds for Gitcoin Grants 23, concentrating on ecosystem and community-led rounds. Indirect financing StackTooDeep Quadratic Voting Round Contribution towards bounty prizes to back a hackathon organized via Privote—a universal no-code platform established on MACI. MACI is a confidential, on-chain, voting mechanism utilizing ZKPs. Layer 2 L2BEAT Sustained financial backing for L2BEAT to supply clear and trustworthy information regarding Ethereum’s L2 ecosystem. Other Decentralization Research Center Non-profit organization that promotes decentralization as an essential quality of developing technologies. This encompasses the creation of blockchain protocols and applications that are immutable, resistant to censorship, transparent, secure, and foster data self-sovereignty. Other DeFi Scan DeFi Collective Enhancing the coverage and speed of included DeFi initiatives on DeFi Scan, refining the website’s frontend design, and aiding education initiatives. Other
“““html Etherealize Institutional growth strategies and promotion for Ethereum aimed at educating and integrating organizations into the Ethereum ecosystem. Other Ethereum Financial Institute International, unbiased entity focused on merging the conventional financial framework with Ethereum, enabling cooperation and strategic synergy. Other FORYU: FORmal semantics for YUL in Coq Enrique Martin, Samir Genaim, & Elvira Albert Creating formal semantics for Yul in the Coq prover. Other Local-First Dapps rotki Advancing local-first dapps within rotki and additional environments, including constructing a dependable proxy framework that connects local applications with wallet extensions or other signers, alongside overarching research into local-first applications as a concept. Other Payments Report Bluechip Comprehensive stablecoin analysis containing insights from actual discussions with industry professionals, along with supplementary research. Other Verifereum Developing a formal specification for a segment of the Vyper programming language, involving the definition of an interpretive framework in logic that excludes EVM state actions. Website, Zulip Protocol growth & support eODS Specs Dan Goron Crafting preliminary specifications for enshrined operator-delegator separation, along with community input on the system. Protocol growth & support ETH Rangers Program Amber Group, Alexandre Melo, David, Ho Nhut Minh, Jean-Loïc Mugnier, Kelsie Nabben, NFT_Dreww, Nick Bax, Oskar (blackbigswan), Palina Tolmach, Peter Kacherginsky, Sergio Garcia, Sina Pilehchiha, SomaXBT, SunSec, & Tim Fan Program aiding individuals who invest their time into efforts for securing public goods within the Ethereum ecosystem. Protocol growth & support PebbleDB for Geth jsvisa Evaluating, enhancing, and exhibiting advancements in PebbleDB performance for Geth. Protocol growth & support Pectra Proactive Grant Round Funding round to bolster the Ethereum ecosystem ahead of the Pectra network upgrade. Protocol growth & support PeerDAS & FOCIL Metrics Katya Ryazantseva Metrics specifications for PeerDAS and FOCIL.