Ecosystem Grants

Non-dilutive grant programmes from major blockchain ecosystems funding open-source development and research.

5 listings in this category

Ethereum Foundation — Ecosystem Support Programme

Ecosystem Grants

Non-dilutive grants for research and development benefiting the Ethereum ecosystem

Zug, Switzerland
Ethereum Protocol ResearchZK & Cryptography ResearchDeveloper Tooling+3

Best for: Open source Ethereum infrastructure, protocol research, and tooling projects that benefit the broader ecosystem without a direct commercial model

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Solana Foundation — Developer Grants

Ecosystem Grants

Non-dilutive funding for developers and projects building on Solana

Geneva, Switzerland
Solana DeFi InfrastructureDeveloper Tooling & SDKsConsumer dApps on Solana+3

Best for: Developers and teams building on Solana who need non-dilutive funding for open source or public goods work

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Web3 Foundation — Grants Programme

Ecosystem Grants

Non-equity grants supporting the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystem

Zug, Switzerland
Substrate & Polkadot DevelopmentCross-chain BridgesWallet & UX Infrastructure+3

Best for: Teams building within the Polkadot/Substrate ecosystem who value a transparent, community-reviewed grant process

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Optimism Collective — Retroactive Public Goods Funding

Ecosystem Grants

The most innovative grant model in crypto — rewarding impact that has already happened

Decentralised / DAO
Open Source InfrastructureDeveloper Tooling & DocumentationEthereum & Optimism Public Goods+3

Best for: Projects that have already built valuable public goods for the Ethereum ecosystem and want recognition and funding for completed work

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NEAR Foundation — Ecosystem Grants

Ecosystem Grants

Non-dilutive grants for developers and projects building on NEAR Protocol

Geneva, Switzerland
NEAR DeFi & dAppsDeveloper ToolingConsumer Applications+3

Best for: Teams building on NEAR Protocol who want non-dilutive funding and ecosystem support

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Frequently Asked Questions — Ecosystem Grants

What is the Ethereum Foundation ESP grant size range?
ESP grants range from $5,000 community grants for educational content and tooling through to $1,000,000+ for foundational protocol research, with the majority of awards falling in the $30,000 to $300,000 range. Grant size is determined by the scope, impact potential, and technical ambition of the proposed work — not by the applicant's organisation size or prior funding history.
Who is eligible for Ethereum Foundation ESP grants?
The ESP funds academic researchers, open source developers, protocol engineers, security researchers, and educational content creators — anyone doing work that benefits the Ethereum ecosystem as a whole. Commercial projects seeking revenue-generating products are generally outside the programme's scope; ESP prioritises public goods work that benefits the ecosystem without a direct commercial model attached.
What is the Solana Foundation grant size range?
Solana Foundation grants range from $5,000 for individual developers and community contributors through to $500,000+ for critical infrastructure projects. Most developer grants fall in the $10,000 to $100,000 range. The Foundation also runs seasonal hackathons with separate prize pools, providing a parallel pathway to non-dilutive funding for teams building on Solana.
Who is eligible for Solana Foundation grants?
Solana Foundation grants are open to Solana developers, dApp teams, infrastructure builders, community educators, and validator operators — essentially anyone building on or supporting the Solana network. The programme funds both technical work (tooling, SDKs, protocol infrastructure) and non-technical contributions (educational content, community building), with the primary criterion being clear benefit to the Solana ecosystem.
What is the Web3 Foundation grant size range?
Web3 Foundation grants are tiered: Level 1 grants are up to $10,000 for straightforward contributions; Level 2 grants up to $30,000 for more substantial work; and Level 3 grants exceed $30,000 with committee approval for significant infrastructure projects. Grants are denominated in USD but paid in DOT or other approved currencies. The tiered structure provides a clear pathway from initial small contribution through to substantial ecosystem-building work.
Who is eligible for Web3 Foundation grants?
Web3 Foundation grants are open to teams building within the Polkadot or Kusama ecosystems — specifically covering Substrate pallet development, cross-chain bridges, wallet and UX infrastructure, DeFi on Polkadot, developer tooling and SDKs, and network security research. Projects must contribute meaningfully to the Polkadot or Substrate ecosystem; work on other chains is outside the programme's scope.
What is the Optimism RetroPGF grant amount?
RetroPGF round allocations have ranged from $1M to $100M+ in OP tokens distributed across hundreds of projects per round. Individual project allocations vary enormously — from a few thousand OP for smaller contributors to millions of OP for projects with significant ecosystem impact. Unlike prospective grants, there is no set amount to apply for — badgeholder voting determines allocations based on perceived impact.
Who is eligible for Optimism Retroactive Public Goods Funding?
Any project, individual, or team that has created measurable impact for the Ethereum or Optimism ecosystems is eligible — open source developers, educational content creators, protocol researchers, community contributors, and tooling builders. The key criterion is demonstrated past impact rather than future plans, which rewards contributors who have already shipped valuable work.
What is the NEAR Foundation grant size range?
NEAR Foundation grants range from $5,000 for individual developers and early-stage contributors through to $250,000+ for significant ecosystem infrastructure projects. The programme is tiered based on project scope and impact potential, with the majority of grants falling in the $10,000 to $100,000 range for development work on the NEAR protocol and its ecosystem applications.
Who is eligible for NEAR Foundation grants?
NEAR Foundation grants are open to NEAR protocol developers, dApp teams, community builders, and educational content creators. Projects building DeFi applications, developer tooling, consumer-facing applications that drive NEAR adoption, Aurora (EVM on NEAR) infrastructure, and AI and blockchain convergence projects on NEAR are explicitly prioritised. Work on other chains without a NEAR component is outside the programme's scope.

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This directory is compiled from publicly available information and may contain inaccuracies or outdated details. Listings do not imply endorsement or a commercial relationship unless explicitly stated. If you represent a listed organisation and would like to request amendments or removal, please contact us at support@entityengine.io.