Ethereum Foundation Funds $1M Audit Program for Smart Contract Developers

The Ethereum Foundation has launched a $1 million subsidy program to help Ethereum mainnet builders pay for professional smart contract security audits. The initiative, called the Ethereum Security Subsidy Program, was announced on Tuesday via X, with Areta CEO Findlay Boothroyd sharing details of the rollout on the platform.

Program structure and partners

The program is a joint effort between the Ethereum Foundation’s Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, Areta, Nethermind, and Chainlink Labs. More than 20 audit firms have signed on as participating providers through the Areta marketplace.

Professional smart contract audits are described as standard practice before deploying code on a blockchain, but the cost can be prohibitive for smaller teams or early-stage projects. The subsidy is intended to reduce that barrier.

Funding terms and eligibility

Eligible teams can receive financial support covering up to 30% of total audit costs. Higher support may be available for select projects on a case-by-case basis.

All Ethereum mainnet builders are eligible to apply regardless of project size or stage. The foundation says priority consideration will be given to teams advancing its CROPS principles: Censorship Resistance, Open Source, Privacy, and Security.

Application and review process

Applications are submitted through a form hosted on Areta Market. An Expert Committee—comprising representatives from the Ethereum Foundation, Areta, Nethermind, Chainlink Labs, and audit partners—reviews each submission.

Approved applicants receive the subsidy automatically through the platform, then request quotes from participating firms. Teams may be able to obtain quotes from more than ten providers in many cases.

Participating audit firms

Confirmed audit partners include Certora, Cyfrin, Dedaub, Hacken, Immunefi, Quantstamp, Sherlock, Spearbit, Zellic, Zokyo, and others.

Scope, timeline, and distribution

The program is part of the Ethereum Foundation’s broader Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, which focuses on security needs for a network increasingly used to hold and move large amounts of onchain value. The initiative is not described as a protocol-level change and is stated to carry no regulatory component.

Builders working on decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, NFT infrastructure, or other Ethereum-based use cases are covered under the program’s scope.

No fixed deadline has been set for applications. Subsidies are distributed on a first-come basis until the $1 million pool is exhausted.

Context and reaction

Other chains have launched similar security programs; Solana recently announced a security program following the Drift Protocol breach.

Reaction on X from builders and security researchers has been broadly positive, with some highlighting the practical value of lowering audit costs to reduce the frequency of smart contract exploits. One X account said: “Strong initiative. Making audits more accessible is a big step forward.”