David Edwards
Ethereum core developer Zak Cole has announced the launch of the Ethereum Community Foundation (ECF), a new organization with an ambitious mandate: raise the price of Ether (ETH) to $10,000. The announcement was made during the Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) in Cannes, France.
Cole criticized the Ethereum Foundation for its lack of focus on ETH as an asset and said ECF will directly serve ETH holders by funding infrastructure that enhances the Ethereum network while simultaneously strengthening ETH’s market value.
Operating independently from the Ethereum Foundation, the ECF is positioning itself as a more aggressive force in Ethereum’s ecosystem development. Its motto—“We say what the Ethereum Foundation can’t, we do what the Ethereum Foundation won’t”—underscores this contrast.
According to Cole, ECF will issue grants only to tokenless, immutable, and ETH-burning projects. These initiatives must utilize Ethereum as a settlement layer, thereby increasing demand for block space and contributing to ETH supply reduction via base fee burns.
Cole emphasized that ETH’s price is a “direct function of security,” arguing that a $10,000 valuation is not speculative hype but a necessary condition for Ethereum’s long-term viability as a financial base layer.
The first recipient of ECF funding is the Ethereum Validator Association (EVA), a body designed to give validators a voice in shaping Ethereum’s development roadmap, particularly around Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) and client priorities. The EVA will enable performance-based incentives and representation for validators, increasing decentralization and resilience.
Cole also criticized some existing Ethereum-funded projects—such as Uniswap and Ethereum Name Service—for later launching their own venture-backed tokens, asserting that publicly funded infrastructure should remain public and community-owned.
Furthermore, ECF plans to back public goods and real-world asset integrations that advance Ethereum’s scalability and economic utility. Governance over fund disbursements will rely on transparent coin voting and open financial disclosures.
With millions reportedly already raised, the Ethereum Community Foundation aims to shift the narrative around Ethereum development, placing ETH holders and network economics at the center of its agenda.
