Secure and Decentralized Frontends

The Ethereum Foundation’s Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) titled "Secure and Decentralized Frontends." This initiative is designed to enhance the trustlessness of decentralized applications (dapps) by supporting the development and deployment of decentralized, verifiable frontends. The program is managed by the ESP, an arm of the Ethereum Foundation, which supports projects and individuals working to grow and strengthen the Ethereum ecosystem. ESP provides grants, mentorship, and other resources to support the long-term success and resilience of Ethereum-based infrastructure. The Secure and Decentralized Frontends RFP addresses a critical vulnerability in the Ethereum ecosystem: the reliance of most dapps on centralized services such as DNS providers, CDNs, and gateway hosts. These dependencies introduce risks of censorship, provider compromise, DNS hijacking, and central points of failure, undermining the principles of decentralization. The aim of this RFP is to enable frontend assets that are cryptographically verifiable on the client side and distributed through decentralized networks, thus eliminating the reliance on trusted intermediaries. Projects funded through this RFP must deliver practical, open-source implementations that can be integrated into at least one major decentralized application and several smaller ones. Key requirements include: client-side cryptographic verification of frontend assets, support for decentralized distribution methods such as WebRTC or WebTransport, and usability in mainstream browsers without extensions or via wallets as a fallback. Additionally, all deliverables must be released as public goods with accessible developer tooling and clear documentation for ecosystem adoption. Proposals must outline a clear adoption plan for dapps and wallets, demonstrating feasibility and milestones toward real-world integration. While hard requirements emphasize technical deliverables and integration, soft requirements include alignment with standards such as content addressing and libp2p, as well as testing for usability and performance across devices. The goal is to make decentralized frontend verification a standard across Ethereum’s infrastructure. The submission window for this RFP opened on October 28, 2025, and will close on January 11, 2026. Selected projects are expected to complete work within a period of up to six months. Proposals should be submitted through the Ecosystem Support Program portal, with applicants encouraged to consult the detailed RFP document available online for full specifications and guidance. The application process does not involve pre-application requirements such as Letters of Intent or Concept Papers. While no direct contact details are provided in the source, applicants are directed to the ESP’s online platform for proposal submission and additional resources. This grant opportunity is intended for developers and teams capable of contributing open-source tools that advance Ethereum’s decentralization mission. The initiative will recur based on ecosystem needs and evolving technical priorities. For technical specifications, applicants should refer to the full RFP details hosted at: https://notes.ethereum.org/I0oM7rM4TUe-E3EXchCvbg.

Emphasize open-source commitment and adoption milestones to maximize funding.