Ethereum Protocol Fellowship Cohort 7
The Ethereum Foundation opened applications for the seventh cohort of the EPF, with a deadline of May 13, 2026.
The Ethereum Foundation opened applications for the seventh cohort of the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship (EPF), an annual mentorship program aimed at helping developers dive into core protocol development. The application deadline is May 13, 2026, with the program running from June through November 2026.
The program is designed for aspiring protocol developers looking to make meaningful contributions to Ethereum, spanning client development, testing, specifications, and research. This year's cohort is purposely smaller, aiming to be more focused and prioritizing depth of engagement. Select participants will receive a monthly stipend. The EPF team will host a town hall on May 6 at 15:00 UTC.
EPF aligns with the broader Ethereum protocol roadmap, including the 2026 protocol priorities and the Ethereum Protocol Studies 2026 program.
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ESP Allocation Update Q1 2026
The Ethereum Foundation's Ecosystem Support Program distributed $9.8M to 57 projects spanning ZK, security, privacy, and developer tooling.
The Ethereum Foundation's Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) published its Q1 2026 funding allocation, distributing $9.8 million across 57 projects spanning protocol research, cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs, security, privacy, and developer tooling. The quarter reflected a continued emphasis on strengthening Ethereum's core infrastructure.
A significant portion of funding went toward zero-knowledge proof research and development, including formal verification of zkVM systems and optimizations to ZK trace construction. Security and cryptography also received sustained investment, with multiple grants targeting cryptanalysis of the Poseidon hash function used widely across ZK applications.
The Q1 allocation continues a pattern of EF infrastructure investment that includes the $1M Ethereum audit subsidy, the $1M Ethereum Security QF round, the ETH Rangers security program, and the Road To Devcon 8 Academic Program, all aligned with the EF's stated mandate to protect self-sovereign computation and enable coordination at scale.
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Ethereum Foundation Swaps aWETH For wstETH
The 21,269 aWETH-to-wstETH swap reduces Lido EarnETH's WETH debt on Aave by ~20,000 WETH after the KelpDAO exploit drove utilization to peak levels.
The Ethereum Foundation exchanged 21,269 aWETH from its Aave lending position for 17,254 wstETH in a transaction with Mellow and Lido Finance. Mellow is a vault curator for Lido's EarnETH vault, which generates yield through looping strategies, where it borrows WETH against wstETH collateral to multiply staking exposure.
The KelpDAO exploit drove Aave's WETH market to peak utilization, causing borrowing rates to spike sharply and hurting previously profitable vault positions. Mellow obtained aWETH to pay back the vault's WETH debt on Aave without needing to sell wstETH on the open market. The swap brought EarnETH's outstanding WETH debt on Aave from approximately 82,000 to 62,000 WETH, improving the vault's health factor. Disclosure: Lido is a current sponsor of ETH Daily.
EarnUSD is a stablecoin vault by Lido for earning transparent, onchain USD-denominated rewards. Get started today at stake.lido.fi/earn
Disclaimer: Content is for informational purposes only, not endorsement or investment advice. The accuracy of information is not guaranteed.