Ethereum Research forum proposed the Validator Redirected Revenue mechanism, which allows for up to 10% steakmaking rewards to be redirected to ecosystem finance via hardfork. If more than 51% of the votes support a bet above zero, it will become mandatory for all validators. According to the authors, this could bring networks an additional 50,000-70,000 ETH annually. Distribution of funds will take place through a smart contract, where validators can vote for recipients every 128 blocks on the "king of the mountain" basis.

The authors of the initiative emphasize that the main goal is to address underfunding for "shared goods" and coordination failures when infrastructure and research are not paid for. At the same time, they recognize risks such as collusion among ETH holders, conflicts of interest between operators and holders, and potential increase in issuance, given that 90% of coins are controlled by large pools.

The proposal aims to spark a broad discussion, as the current model, where costs are borne by the Ethereum Foundation or donors, creates a closed loop and puts pressure on ETH’s price. The initiative comes on the heels of recent warnings by former Ethereum Foundation employee Trent Van Epps about an impending blockchain-funding crisis in the coming months.