# EF-Supported Teams: Research & Development Roundup

DevFeed: [EF-Supported Teams: Research & Development Roundup](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/ef-supported-teams-research-development-roundup-16998.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.ethereum.org/en/2021/12/22/ef-supported-teams-research-and-development-update-2021-pt-3>)

Author: Ethereum Foundation

Published: 2021-12-22T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Ethereum Foundation Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/ethereum-foundation-blog.md>)

Topics: [Ethereum](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ethereum.md>), [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [Availability](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/availability.md>), [data](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/data.md>)

Tags: [availability](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/availability.md>), [data](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/data.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [ethereum](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ethereum.md>), [funding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/funding.md>), [network](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/network.md>), [organizational](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/organizational.md>), [research](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/research.md>), [research-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/research-development.md>), [updates](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/updates.md>), [upgrades](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/upgrades.md>)

## AI overview

This roundup reports on research, development, protocol upgrades, funding, and other work by teams supported by the Ethereum Foundation during the second half of 2021. It highlights the Altair beacon chain hard fork, progress on The Merge specifications, and continuing work on data availability and Layer 1 scaling.

## Source excerpt

We all have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season, from the first birthday of the beacon chain, to the successful upgrades over the past year and the incredible progress across the entire Ethereum ecosystem. As a highly productive year draws to a close, there are a...