Ethereum Foundation Launches $1M Audit Subsidy for Layer-1

The Ethereum Foundation on April 14 launched a $1 million audit subsidy program to help layer‑1 teams pay for smart contract security audits. The program covers up to 30% of audit costs through Areta Market and a roster of more than 20 vetted firms. Approved projects receive a fixed subsidy amount that is applied to provider quotes on Areta Market, with the subsidy on any single quote capped at 30%.

The initiative is part of the Foundation’s Trillion Dollar Security Initiative and is focused on projects that meet the CROPS principles: censorship resistance, open source, privacy and security. Subsidies are issued as fixed dollar amounts that awardees can use against offers listed on Areta Market. The program uses a virtual subsidy model: participating audit firms provide discounts and the awarded subsidy is applied automatically when teams accept quotes on Areta Market, rather than the Foundation drawing from a central grant pool for each booking.

Teams seeking support must apply and be approved to receive a subsidy award. Approved projects continue to use normal procurement and quoting processes on Areta Market and retain the ability to choose among participating providers. The roster of firms available at launch includes Certora, Cyfrin, Dedaub, Hacken, Immunefi, Quantstamp, Sherlock, Spearbit, Zellic, Zokyo, Chainsecurity, Nethermind, Runtime Verification, Guardian Audits and Oak Security, among others.

Areta Market CEO Findlay Boothroyd wrote on X that “The Ethereum Security Subsidy Program is a joint initiative with top-tier audit providers, anchored by an Expert Committee with leading minds from some of the organizations who know Ethereum the best.” The program page states the subsidy amount is applied to provider quotes on Areta Market and cannot exceed 30% of any single quote.

The Foundation said the vendor lineup was vetted and intended to standardize procurement while preserving teams’ flexibility to shop for audits that fit their needs. The arrangement is designed to make professional audits more affordable for smaller or newer teams that might otherwise struggle to budget for security reviews before mainnet deployment.

Earlier in April the Foundation staked 45,034 ETH, roughly $93 million, to the Eth2 Beacon Chain in equal batches of 2,047 ETH moved from the treasury multisig to the deposit contract. The Foundation has stated a target of staking 70,000 ETH. On‑chain data shows the foundation holds a diversified treasury valued at about $307 million across various crypto assets.

At the time of the subsidy announcement, Ether traded near $2,358.43, up about 1.7% in the prior 24 hours with a market capitalization around $284 billion.