Former Ethereum Contributor Warns of 'Slow-Burning' Funding Crisis

Former Ethereum Foundation contributor Trenton Van Epps warned in a blog post on Thursday that the network faces a core development funding crisis and will need new funding sources within three to nine months. He wrote the foundation's spending reduction and the April expiration of the Client Incentive Program left the core development ecosystem requiring about $30 million in annual funding, and that conversations with core contributors point to a "slow-burning funding crisis." The article followed a wave of departures from the Ethereum Foundation, including co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang's announcement on Thursday that she would step down, bringing the estimated number of layoffs and departures to 19 so far this year.

In a May 24 post on X, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the foundation's resources were limited, noting it held roughly 0.16% of Ether's total supply — far below the share controlled by some other blockchain networks.

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