Former Ethereum Foundation contributor Trent Van Epps has warned that Ethereum could face a core development funding gap within the next three to nine months.
Summary
- Van Epps says Ethereum core development may need about $30 million yearly to remain stable.
- He links the pressure to EF spending cuts and the Client Incentive Program’s expiry now.
- Protocol Guild and new institutions are presented as possible routes for future Ethereum support funding.
In a new article, he said the network may enter a “slow-burning funding crisis” as the Foundation reduces spending and a major client funding program ends.
Van Epps worked at the Ethereum Foundation from May 2021 to April 2026. He focused on core development coordination, Protocol Guild funding, and Ethereum’s political economy. His comments add a new layer to debate over who should fund the people who maintain Ethereum’s base software.
He estimated that Ethereum’s core development system needs about $30 million a year to stay healthy. That money supports client teams, researchers, and coordination groups that ship upgrades and keep the network reliable.
Client program expiry raises pressure
Van Epps pointed to two main sources of pressure. One is the Ethereum Foundation’s treasury policy, which aims to cut annual spending from 15% of its treasury to a 5% baseline by 2030. The other is the end of the Client Incentive Program, known as CIP.
The CIP started in 2021 to reward client teams that maintain key Ethereum software. The Ethereum Foundation said at launch that client diversity helps protect the network from bugs and attacks. Under the program, client teams received validator-based rewards that unlocked over time if they kept meeting network needs.
Van Epps said the CIP expired in April 2026 and that no replacement appears ready. He argued that losing steady support could push experienced developers away. He also warned that funding gaps may make it harder to handle long-term work such as scaling and quantum-related security research.
Debate turns to new funding models
The article also questioned the Ethereum Foundation’s long-term role. Van Epps cited Vitalik Buterin’s view that the Foundation was “not designed to be an eternal steward.” He said institutions and funding systems may need to take on more responsibility.
Gabriel Shapiro argued on X that protocol funding may require governance structures that Ethereum does not have. Van Epps replied that his goal was to secure neutral and steady funding for core contributors, not to give one group unchecked control.
As previously reported by crypto.news, Ethereum developers are already preparing major technical work through the Glamsterdam upgrade. That roadmap includes changes for Layer 1 scaling, block building, and gas pricing. The funding debate now puts a sharper focus on the teams expected to deliver that work.
Protocol Guild remains part of the discussion
Protocol Guild is one existing funding path. Gitcoin describes it as a collective fund that supports Ethereum Layer 1 contributors through long-term token vesting. The fund sends donated assets to active contributors and does not set protocol priorities.
Crypto.news earlier reported that the Ethereum Foundation’s Q1 2026 grants supported Geth, Erigon, Lighthouse, validator security tools, cryptography research, and core infrastructure. Those grants show that funding continues, but Van Epps argues that Ethereum needs more durable sources of support.
The warning does not mean Ethereum faces technical failure. It does show growing concern over how the network pays for maintenance and upgrades. For Van Epps, the question is whether Ethereum can fund shared infrastructure without making the Foundation its permanent center.
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