A Drupal contributor has now expressed interest in seeking sponsorships to continue their work on the Drupal core, offering to share core credits in exchange for support. While this is garnering attention, it would be interesting to see how this unfolds.
While I value and respect the individual's decision to do so, this will potentially distort the Drupal marketplace rankings. Traditionally, the marketplace has seen instances of companies incentivizing minor (and trivial) commits to inflate their contributions. This approach doesn't necessarily reflect the true Drupal expertise of a company but rather their proficiency in accumulating commits.
With the new super-power for companies to now sponsor core contributions, marketplace rankings will increasingly reflect financial clout rather than authentic, long-term community involvement, like the commitment seen in employing dedicated Drupal developers.
This will further distance the marketplace rankings from accurately representing a company's real Drupal capabilities and commitment to the Drupal community, unless, Drupal community implements more nuanced criteria for ranking that prioritize meaningful, impactful long-term contributions over sheer quantity and short-term 'flash-in-the-pan' sponsorships.