The Ethereum Foundation has launched a $1 million security subsidy program for blockchain developers building on Ethereum mainnet. The initiative gives selected teams access to more than 20 audit firms through Areta’s audit marketplace.
The program aims to reduce the cost of professional code reviews for teams that may struggle to pay full audit fees.
According to the Ethereum Foundation, security audits remain a best practice, but high prices often keep them out of reach for many builders.
Program opens audit access for Ethereum teams
The new initiative is called the Ethereum Security Subsidy Program. It is a joint effort between the Ethereum Foundation, Areta, Nethermind, and Chainlink Labs.
In a post on X, the Ethereum Foundation said the Ethereum Audit Subsidy is designed to help cover audit costs for Ethereum builders.
“Security audits are a best practice, yet expensive. The subsidy program makes audits accessible and strengthens the Ethereum ecosystem,” the Ethereum Foundation noted.
Areta will run the marketplace side of the process. Its platform connects projects with a group of more than 20 security providers that actively work across the Ethereum ecosystem.
The participating firms include Adevar Labs, Bail Security, BlockSec, Certora, ChainSecurity, Cyfrin, Dedaub, Guardian Audits, Hacken, and other audit teams. The program also includes firms such as Quantstamp and Immunefi, which already serve a wide range of crypto projects.
How the subsidy process will work
The Ethereum Foundation said applicants can submit requests through a form managed by Areta. An expert committee will then review each project before deciding which teams enter the monthly cohorts.
If selected, builders may receive support for as much as 30 percent of their audit costs. The subsidy will apply through Areta Market after approval, allowing teams to request quotes from audit firms and move ahead with a security review.
Findlay, CEO of Areta Market, said the program is “a joint initiative with top-tier audit providers.” He added that the effort is “anchored by an Expert Committee with leading minds from some of the organizations who know Ethereum the best.”
The program remains open to all Ethereum mainnet builders. Areta said the goal is to make professional security reviews available to projects of different sizes, including those still growing their products and teams.
CROPs standards guide project selection
The Ethereum Foundation said the subsidy program will focus on projects that align with its CROPs principles. CROPs stands for censorship resistance, open source, privacy, and security.
The foundation has recently placed more attention on these values as part of its broader direction for the network. It said the subsidy program will support builders bringing CROPs and new use cases to Ethereum.
The review process will also look at technical merit, feasibility, innovation, and a team’s record of execution. The Ethereum Foundation said the program will target builders that show a real commitment to developing on Ethereum.
This structure ties the subsidy to the foundation’s wider security agenda. Last year, the Ethereum Foundation introduced its “Trillion-Dollar Security” initiative, which aims to raise security standards across the Ethereum ecosystem.
Audit support grows as security stays in focus
The new subsidy arrives at a time when security remains a major concern across crypto. Exploits, code failures, and frontend attacks continue to affect projects across different networks, even when teams move quickly to fix issues.
That pressure has pushed more foundations, protocols, and infrastructure teams to spend more on audits, testing, and bug bounty programs. The Ethereum Foundation’s new plan follows the same path by putting direct funding behind preventive security work.
Additionally, Aave Labs announced a $1.5 million audit program last month to support the release of Aave V4. That move showed that protocol teams are also increasing security spending as products become more complex.
The focus on security also comes as parts of the crypto industry face fresh operational risks. On Tuesday, CoW DAO warned that CoW Swap’s website was hit by a DNS hijacking event, adding another reminder that attack surfaces extend beyond smart contracts alone.
Ethereum Foundation expands support across the ecosystem
The subsidy program adds to other recent Ethereum Foundation actions tied to ecosystem support. As reported by Coin Headlines on April 9, the foundation plans to convert 5,000 ETH into stablecoins through CoW Swap as part of its treasury strategy.
The foundation stated that treasury activity supports research, development, grant programs, and donations. That places the new security subsidy within a wider funding approach aimed at supporting Ethereum’s builder base and long-term network work.
Lastly, Areta has used a similar model before. The firm previously helped set up a $1 million audit subsidy program for Solana developers, giving it experience in running a marketplace-based funding structure for security reviews.