Ethereum Foundation releases Q1 funding project list: continuing support for ZK, cryptography, and protocol infrastructure

Golden Finance reports that on April 29th, the Ethereum Foundation announced the list of grants and ecosystem support projects for the first quarter of 2026, focusing on cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs (ZK), protocol security, and core infrastructure development, continuously strengthening Ethereum’s underlying technology stack and long-term scalability.
This quarter’s funding covers multiple key areas. At the protocol and client layer, including Geth and Erigon client optimization, Lighthouse client upgrades, and network monitoring tools after Pectra upgrades, with a focus on improving network performance and attack resistance.
Meanwhile, projects such as HSM key management, validator security tools Vero, and DISC-NG node discovery mechanisms are also supported to enhance node reliability and institutional compliance capabilities.
In cryptography and ZK directions, the Ethereum Foundation continues to increase support for Poseidon hash function analysis, Gröbner basis attack research, quantum-resistant and homomorphic hybrid encryption exploration, as well as formal verification of RISC-V zkVM, further strengthening the security boundaries of zero-knowledge proofs and cryptographic infrastructure.