Ethereum Foundation unveils $1M audit subsidy program to boost crypto security and cut costs for builders

Tech Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Ethereum Foundation unveils $1M audit subsidy program to boost crypto security and cut costs for builders The new initiative aims to address a persistent challenge in crypto development—the high cost of smart contract security audits. By Margaux Nijkerk | Edited by Stephen Alpher Apr 14, 2026, 6:04 p.m. Make preferred on What to know : The Ethereum Foundation on Tuesday launched a $1 million Audit Subsidy Program to help builders offset the high cost of smart contract security audits, a key barrier to safer development. Part of its broader “Trillion Dollar Security” push, the initiative partners with major firms and 20+ audit providers to expand access to top-tier security while promoting new CROPS principles across the ecosystem. The Ethereum Foundation is doubling down on one of the ecosystem’s most critical needs: security. On Tuesday, the organization unveiled a new initiative aimed at tackling a persistent challenge in crypto development—the high cost of smart contract security audits. Through its "Audit Subsidy Program," the foundation is partnering with leading audit providers and ecosystem firms to make professional security reviews more accessible to builders. Backed by a $1 million subsidy pool, the program is designed to lower financial barriers that have historically prevented many teams from undergoing comprehensive audits, despite their importance as an industry best practice. The initiative is part of the foundation’s broader Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, which focuses on strengthening Ethereum as it scales to support increasingly complex applications and larger amounts of value on-chain. The program includes partners such as Nethermind, Chainlink Labs and Areta, and connects builders with more than 20 top-tier audit firms, helping streamline access to trusted security expertise across the ecosystem. Alongside the rollout, the foundation also introduced a new framework it calls the “CROPS principles,” short for censorship resistance, open source, privacy and security. The framework is intended to guide how applications are built and evaluated across the Ethereum ecosystem. Builders can submit their projects for consideration, after which an expert committee reviews applications. Selected teams receive subsidies that can be applied directly to audit services through Areta’s platform. The program is open to all Ethereum mainnet builders, regardless of size or stage. “The subsidy program makes audits accessible and strengthens the Ethereum ecosystem,” the foundation wrote on X . Read more: Ethereum Foundation publishes new mandate defining its role, core principles Ethereum News More For You XRP Ledger adds zero-knowledge proofs targeting institutional privacy gap By Shaurya Malwa | Edited by Sheldon Reback 5 hours ago The Boundless integration enables private transaction execution on XRPL while maintaining compliance, addressing what the company calls the "transparency tax" that has held back institutional adoption of public blockchains. What to know : XRP Ledger integrated Boundless, a zero-knowledge (ZK) proving network, to support native verification of ZK proofs and enable private transactions on its public blockchain. The move is designed to allow financial institutions to transact without exposing sensitive details, such as transaction size, counterparties or treasury positions, while meeting regulatory and... Read full story Latest Crypto News Goldman Sachs files for bitcoin income ETF in crypto push 2 hours ago High Roller stock more than doubles on prediction markets partnership with Crypto.com 3 hours ago Bitcoin climbs to highest level since Feb. 5 crash that sent price plunging to $60,000 3 hours ago Why Cantor Fitzgerald thinks Robinhood and Coinbase are the best ways to play the prediction market boom 3 hours ago Scroll moves to cut costs after top protocol migrates to Optimism 3 hours ago JPMorgan CFO warns stablecoins risk becoming ‘regulatory arbitrage’ play 4 hours ago Top Stories Visa and Zodia Custody join Stripe’s new blockchain for machine payments 5 hours ago Bitcoin rises to one-month high above $75,000 as analysts eye major breakout 5 hours ago XRP Ledger adds zero-knowledge proofs targeting institutional privacy gap 5 hours ago Tether introduces crypto wallet to bring stablecoin and bitcoin payments directly to users 5 hours ago Bitcoin passes halfway point in halving cycle as price gains trail prior cycles 5 hours ago Strategy's STRC sees record-breaking trading day, may surpass that on Tuesday 8 hours ago