# Protocol Institute Introduced > The Summer of Protocols (SoP), a research and development program originally seeded by the EF, relaunched as The Protocol Institute. **Published by:** [ETH Daily](https://ethdaily.io/) **Published on:** 2026-04-29 **Categories:** protocol institute, summer of protocols, ethereum foundation, research, governance **URL:** https://ethdaily.io/protocol-institute-introduced ## Content The Summer of Protocols (SoP), a research and development program originally seeded by the Ethereum Foundation, relaunched as The Protocol Institute. The initiative aims to advance the study, design, and stewardship of protocols and build a field and community capable of doing so long-term. The Institute defines protocols as invisible infrastructural technologies that coordinate human behavior, producing society's most valuable outputs like safety, peace, and public health. The Institute exists to ensure protocols are systematically valued and invested in, operating across research, entrepreneurship, governance, culture, and education. Its key activities include the Protocolized publication, Special Interest Groups, an annual Protocol Symposium, and a Protocol School.Sponsored byEarnUSD is a stablecoin vault by Lido for earning transparent, onchain USD-denominated rewards. Get started today at stake.lido.fi/earnDisclaimer: Content is for informational purposes only, not endorsement or investment advice. The accuracy of information is not guaranteed. ## Publication Information - [ETH Daily](https://ethdaily.io/): Publication homepage - [All Posts](https://ethdaily.io/): More posts from this publication - [RSS Feed](https://api.paragraph.com/blogs/rss/@ethdaily): Subscribe to updates - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name=ethdaily): Follow on Twitter