Former Ethereum Foundation contributor Trent VanEpps warned Thursday that the network’s core development ecosystem could run into a "slow-burning" funding crisis within the next three to nine months as the EF scales back spending and a major client funding program expires.
VanEpps, who coordinated core development at the EF from May 2021 until April 2026, said in an X post that the expiration of the Client Incentive Program in April 2026 and the foundation’s ongoing treasury reductions risk undermining the institutional capacity built across Ethereum's core development ecosystem over the past decade.
The CIP, a four-year program that funded client teams through staking-based rewards, ended in April and "no replacement appears to be forthcoming," VanEpps said.
According to VanEpps, Ethereum’s core development ecosystem requires roughly $30 million in annual funding to maintain the secure delivery of features and maintenance across more than 10 client teams, research groups, and coordination teams.
VanEpps cautioned that without consistent funding, the network risks losing contributors with critical institutional context built up over years, and falling behind on long-term challenges, including quantum computing and scaling. He said contributor availability cannot be assumed once funding conditions improve.
