The Future of Ecosystem Development at the EF
The Future of Ecosystem Development at the EF
The Ethereum ecosystem is at a pivotal moment, with interest expanding beyond technologists and enthusiasts to include enterprises, governments, and everyday users seeking practical solutions and tangible benefits. As outlined in the Ethereum Foundation's recent vision statement, the foundation has two key goals: maximizing the number of people who directly or indirectly use Ethereum, and maximizing the resilience of Ethereum's technical and social infrastructure.
Ecosystem Development: The Key to Unlocking Ethereum's Potential
Ecosystem Development (EcoDev) refers to teams that help achieve these goals at an ecosystem or social level, rather than a technology level. These teams help remove bottlenecks to real-world use, support Ethereum communities around the world, provide grant funding, and help steward the ecosystem so that Ethereum remains resilient and human-centered as it scales.
Ecosystem Acceleration: Driving Adoption and Growth
To help achieve these goals, the Ethereum Foundation is significantly expanding and reorganizing its EcoDev efforts to focus on four key areas:
Enterprise Relations
The Enterprise Relations team will provide clear resources and guidance tailored for businesses adopting Ethereum. This team will work closely with developers, founders, app teams, and enterprises to help them navigate the Ethereum ecosystem and provide support for their adoption efforts.
Developer Growth
The Developer Growth team will engage, guide, and support the next generation of builders on Ethereum. This team will provide resources, mentorship, and community support to help developers build and deploy applications on the Ethereum network.
App Relations & Research
The App Relations & Research team will accelerate meaningful, user-facing Ethereum applications. This team will work with app developers to provide support, resources, and guidance to help them build and deploy applications that showcase the potential of Ethereum.
Founder Success
The Founder Success team will provide non-financial support, including feedback, introductions, operational expertise, and mentorship, to help founders succeed in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Ecosystem Amplification: Scaling Impact and Reach
Other teams will help to amplify the impact of our acceleration efforts, as well as the EcoDev work done by the community. These teams will help us understand and keep track of how the ecosystem is growing, run targeted events to support strategic priorities, use various forms of media to educate and tell important stories about Ethereum, and use new tools and AI to add more leverage to all of our work.
Digital Studio
The Digital Studio team will be our innovation and storytelling engine, crafting narrative-rich content, videos, publications, and unique visualizations showcasing Ethereum's potential.
Strategic Events
The Strategic Events team will design targeted events, from small gatherings to niche one-day conferences, to support strategic priorities and amplify the impact of our acceleration efforts.
Ethereum Everywhere
The Ethereum Everywhere team will focus on scaling local communities and hubs that support app builders.
EcoDev Automation
The EcoDev Automation team will enhance internal operations through intelligent automation and AI-driven tools, empowering teams to achieve more effectively.
Ecosystem Support: Providing Financial and Non-Financial Support
We will continue to have three teams dedicated to coordinating financial and increasing non-financial support needed for initiatives across the Ethereum ecosystem:
ESP/Grant Support
The ESP/Grant Support team will undergo significant changes, emphasizing more targeted applications and non-financial support. This team will support EF teams with their grant giving initiatives, help review some grant applications, and manage relationships with grantees.
Strategic Funding Initiatives
The Strategic Funding Initiatives team will co-fund vital public goods organizations benefiting the broader Ethereum ecosystem.
Launchpad
The Launchpad team will assist organizations with operational design, sustainable funding, governance, and other challenges.
Long-Term Ecosystem Unblocking: Removing Obstacles to Adoption
We will also continue many long-term streams of work to remove obstacles to adoption around the world, organized into different streams including:
Policy Coordination
The Policy Coordination team will monitor global issues relevant to the Ethereum ecosystem, identify risks and opportunities where the EF can support, and work with policy organizations around the world to encourage positive outcomes for Ethereum.
Institutional Secretariat
The Institutional Secretariat team will build sustained relationships with the public sector, multilateral organizations, and NGOs.
Academic Secretariat
The Academic Secretariat team will foster collaborations with universities, professors, and students to advance blockchain technology.
It Takes an Ecosystem
As Ethereum grows, there is more work to be done by the ecosystem to support and steward that growth. We're excited to do our part and contribute in new ways, but we won't be alone. We're already collaborating closely with the broader ecosystem, including organizations, companies, startups, event organizers, community members, investors, developers, and numerous other partners who drive Ethereum's growth. If you want to work with us, get in touch with James Smith!
The Ethereum ecosystem is always changing, which means our ecosystem development approaches will continue to evolve as well. We will continue to always ask: where do we need to step in to do what no one else can do today? And we will continue working to help others increase their impact on the ecosystem, so that the Ethereum ecosystem becomes more resilient over time.
Source: https://blog.ethereum.org/en/2025/07/10/future-of-ecodev
