Ethereum Foundation Doles Out $2.46 Million in Grants for Ethereum 2.0 Development

Big Bucks for Ethereum 2.0

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has just announced a whopping $2.46 million in grants dedicated to accelerating the development of Ethereum 2.0. As the crypto community awaits the dawn of a new blockchain era, these funds are being distributed to various client development teams that are busy creating compatible test networks. Think of it as the EF throwing a financial confetti party to celebrate progress!

Who Got the Green?

While many folks are hoping for a piece of this financial pie, the EF has chosen nine companies and researchers to receive a slice. Let’s break down the lucky recipients and their respective grants:

1. Harmony: $189,000 for the Prysm client (Sigma Prime)
2. Consensys (via Sigma Prime): $485,000 for Lighthouse
3. Status: $500,000 for the Nimbus client and an additional $150,000 for networking protocol development
4. Whiteblock: $184,000 for network testing and interoperability support
5. Dmitry Khovratovich: $10,000 for a security report on ETH 2.0
6. Chainsafe: $217,500 for their Lodestar light client in JavaScript

More to Come

But wait, there’s more! The EF has more funds up its sleeve, as they plan to offer bounties for suggestions that make it into the Ethereum 2.0 specification. Specifically, they’ve set aside 5 ether (around $1,000) for well-deserved recommendations before Phase 0 takes off. Sounds like a treasure hunt, doesn’t it?

Research and Security on Their Minds

Along with financial awards, EF is encouraging research into upcoming protocols and security features. A series of bounties have been reserved for research on the Legendre pseudo-random function, which is slated to become part of the proof of custody process. You know, the important stuff that keeps our transactions safe and sound.

Countdown to Ethereum 2.0

The excitement continues to build as the crypto community gears up for the first stage of Ethereum’s transition to Ethereum 2.0, expected to take place on January 3, 2020. It feels like waiting for a much-anticipated movie premiere, complete with popcorn and wild speculation about plot twists!