Ethereum faces core development funding crisis, former contributor warns

Written by Zoltan Vardaistaff writerReviewed by Yohan Yunstaff writerWritten by Zoltan Vardaistaff writerReviewed by Yohan Yunstaff writerEthereum faces core development funding crisis, former contributor warnsLatest NewsPublishedJun 19, 2026The warning comes as the Ethereum Foundation reduces spending, adjusts its treasury strategy and undergoes a wave of leadership departures.Former Ethereum Foundation contributor Trenton Van Epps warned that Ethereum is facing a core development funding crisis that will highlight the need for new funding sources in the next three to nine months.The former contributor wrote in a blog post on Thursday that the Ethereum Foundation's spending reduction and the expiration of the Client Incentive Program in April left the network's core development ecosystem requiring about $30 million in annual funding.Citing recent conversations with core development contributors, Epps said Ethereum risks entering a “slow-burning funding crisis."Van Epps' article follows a wave of departures from the Ethereum Foundation, including co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang's announcement on Thursday that she would step down from her role, bringing the estimated number of layoffs and departures at the organization to 19 so far this year.Related: Ethereum can quantum-proof accounts for just 7 cents, says Ethereum's Kohaku leadCointelegraph was unable to independently verify the estimated $30 million annual funding requirement and reached out to the Ethereum Foundation for comment.Ethereum Foundation shifts treasury policyIn a May 24 X post, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation's resources were limited, noting that the organization held only about 0.16% of Ether's (ETH) total supply, far below the share controlled by foundations associated with some other blockchain networks.Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation was originally designed to fulfill a limited scope of work, including developing Ethereum's core software and helping t…

Ethereum faces core development funding crisis, former contributor warns

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