Ethereum funding gap looms as foundation prepares for exit

The safety net that built Ethereum is fraying at the edges. A former Ethereum Foundation leader is sounding the alarm, warning that the network hasn't built the infrastructure needed to survive without its central benefactor. As the Foundation intentionally shrinks its footprint to encourage decentralization, it leaves behind a massive capital void that community-led grants haven't yet filled. Projects that relied on the Foundation's checkbook for years now face a stark reality where funding is no longer a given. It's a high-stakes transition that requires the rapid birth of new, independent institutions to bankroll core developers and researchers. Without these private or community-run funding vehicles, the technical roadmap risks stalling out just as competition heats up. The transition to a post-Foundation era was always the plan, but the timing looks increasingly tight. Can a leaderless collective actually manage a multi-billion dollar ecosystem's payroll?