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.
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.
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.
