Ethereum’s ecosystem accelerates with new grants, token burns and record trading volumes
The Ethereum ecosystem saw significant developments this month, with the Ethereum Foundation revamping its grant program and several projects achieving milestones. Meanwhile, ZKsync's founder proposed new economic mechanisms for its governance token.
The Ethereum Foundation has launched a redesigned Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) grant model, featuring two tracks: 'Wishlist' and 'Request for Proposals'. The 'Wishlist' track focuses on specific areas like cryptography, privacy, and security, while the 'RFP' track addresses defined problems with measurable results.
In other news, ZKsync founder Alex Gluchowski released a proposal outlining new economic mechanisms for the ZK governance token. These include cross-chain interoperability fees and enterprise licensing revenue. This comes as Renzo Protocol completed its first REZ token buyback and burn, reducing the total supply by 1.14%.
Phase 2 of the Stable Pre-Deposit Vault closed after attracting around 26,000 wallet participants and $1.8 billion in total deposits. Electric Coin Co. also released its Q4 2025 roadmap for Zcash, focusing on improving privacy and Zashi wallet usability.
Payment facilitator network x402 exceeded $10 million in processed volume, with over 14 million transactions. Meanwhile, Perp DEX reported a trading volume exceeding $1.7 trillion in October, marking the fourth consecutive month of record highs.
Brevis began Phase 2 of its Proving Grounds operations with support from 10 ecosystem protocols, allowing participants to earn rewards based on verified on-chain interactions. Linea, an Ethereum Layer 2 network, introduced a dual-token burning system that destroys both ETH and LINEA tokens in each transaction.
These developments indicate a vibrant and active Ethereum ecosystem, with projects pushing forward in various areas. As the Ethereum Foundation's grant program evolves, more innovative solutions are expected to emerge, further enriching the ecosystem.
