# 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.*

By [ETH Daily](https://ethdaily.io) · 2026-04-29

news, 2026, april2026, ethereum-foundation, esp, grants, funding, zk, security, cryptography, poseidon, developer-tools

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The Ethereum Foundation's Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) [published](https://blog.ethereum.org/2026/04/29/allocation-q1-26) 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](https://ethdaily.io/925), the [$1M Ethereum Security QF round](https://ethdaily.io/ethereum-security-qf-round-goes-live), the [ETH Rangers security program](https://ethdaily.io/eth-rangers-program-results), and the [Road To Devcon 8 Academic Program](https://ethdaily.io/road-to-devcon-8-academic-program), all aligned with the [EF's stated mandate](https://ethdaily.io/903) to protect self-sovereign computation and enable coordination at scale.

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Disclaimer: Content is for informational purposes only, not endorsement or investment advice. The accuracy of information is not guaranteed.

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*Originally published on [ETH Daily](https://ethdaily.io/esp-allocation-update-q1-2026)*