The world’s most important smart contract platform might have a money problem. Trent Van Epps, a former core development coordinator at the Ethereum Foundation, warned on June 18 that Ethereum’s core development could face a funding crisis within 3 to 9 months.
The $30 million question
Van Epps estimates that keeping more than ten client teams and their associated projects running requires roughly $30 million per year. That’s the baseline cost of maintaining the software infrastructure that keeps Ethereum functional.
The immediate trigger for Van Epps’s concern is the expiration of the Client Incentives Program, a four-year initiative known as CIP that was set to end in April 2026. That program was specifically designed to fund the teams building and maintaining Ethereum’s execution and consensus clients, the software that actually runs the network.
Compounding the problem is the Ethereum Foundation’s own strategic pivot. The EF has adopted what it calls a “Subtraction” strategy, deliberately reducing its direct involvement in funding and development to encourage the broader ecosystem to take more responsibility.
