The Top 10 Grant Providers for Blockchain & Web3 Startups in 2023 | Part 2

Follow the link to read an updated article about blockchain grant programs in 2024.

🔹 Navigating Blockchain Grants in 2024: Your Essential Guide for Web3 Startup Success

Get the list of 100+ Blockchain Grant Programs in 2024 here.

In this post, we continue sharing the best grant options for Crypto and Web3 startups in 2023. Since grants are actually "free money" and don't require you to give tokens or equity in return, it's a great option for early-stage startups to get funding for development first traction.

The 1st part of the 2023 blockchain grants overview can be found here, and for those ready for their first pitching, InnMind conducts regular Pitching Sessions with investors.

1. Stellar Community Fund

Stellar, an open-source network designed for efficient payments and asset issuance, operates the Stellar Community Fund. This grant program follows an open-application approach and allocates up to 24M XLM per year to support developers, startups, and established companies working on Stellar-based projects. The Stellar Community Fund provides grants for existing projects and offers a Startup Camp for those interested in Stellar and Soroban.

• Grant information: https://communityfund.stellar.org
• Application process: Submitted projects are reviewed and selected by the community.

2. dYdX Community Grants

The dYdX Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Switzerland. Its mission is to promote decentralized governance and empower traders with transparent and powerful crypto financial products. By driving the development of the dYdX Layer 2 protocol, the foundation aims to facilitate community-led growth and achieve self-sustainability.

• Grant information: https://www.dydxgrants.com
• Application process: After submitting an application on a website, successful candidates will undergo an interview conducted by a member of Grant's team.

3. Cronos Ecosystem Grants

Cronos operates as a parallel Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chain alongside the Crypto.org Chain, to significantly expand the DeFi and decentralized application (DApp) ecosystem. Its primary purpose is to empower developers by enabling the seamless migration of applications from Ethereum and other EVM-compatible chains, thereby facilitating the scalability and growth of the ecosystem.
The Cronos Ecosystem Grants program seeks to bolster early-stage projects on Cronos. Grant recipients are selected based on the merits of their team, the project's potential, execution capabilities, and its positive impact on Cronos.

• Grant information: https://cronos.org/grants
• Application process: The process consists of six stages, including the evaluation of the initial application, interviews, and the alignment of the milestones for the project team.

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4. The Game Maker Fund

It is an exciting initiative within The Sandbox's metaverse ecosystem that provides support to game designers. It offers funding for creators' projects and helps publish their games, creating opportunities for growth and success. The Sandbox Foundation has allocated a substantial amount of 300 million SAND tokens to the Game Maker Fund. By offering financial resources, expert guidance, and promotional support, the Game Maker Fund strives to empower game designers within The Sandbox's metaverse, fostering innovation and creating a vibrant gaming ecosystem.

• Grant information: https://www.sandbox.game/fund/en
• Application process: Fill out the application form via the grant’s website

5. DFINITY Developer Grant Program

The DFINITY Foundation is a major contributor to the Internet Computer blockchain. Their objective is to establish a "blockchain singularity," wherein all systems and services are reconstructed and reenvisioned using smart contracts, running entirely on an infinite public blockchain. The DFINITY Developer Grant Program offers support to promising developers and teams. This program helps to grow and foster innovation by providing grants and resources to aid developers in their endeavors within the Internet Computer ecosystem.

• Grant Information: https://dfinity.org/grants/
• Application process: Applications are accepted on a website.

6. Game7 Open Source Grants

Game7's grant program empowers game developers to enhance and expand the landscape of Web3 gaming, making it more inclusive and accessible. Their grants are specifically created to support open-source projects that drive innovation across the entire blockchain gaming technology stack, fostering progress and advancement within the industry.

• Grant information: https://grants.game7.io/
• Application process: You can submit your applications through the website.

7. Provenance Blockchain Foundation's HASH grant program

Provenance is a publicly accessible and open-source blockchain platform that empowers over 60 financial institutions, fintech companies, DeFi brands, banks, and credit unions to effectively issue, manage, and transact real-world assets on a large scale. Provenance Blockchain Foundation's HASH grant program is designed to support developers building core financial services products and experiences that enable a seamless and secure financial asset lifecycle on blockchain technology.

• Grant Information: https://provenance.io/build/grants/grants-program/
• Application process: Once the grant application is received, it undergoes a review by two governing bodies within the Provenance Blockchain Foundation.

8. Moonbeam Grants Program

Moonbeam simplifies the developer experience by combining full Ethereum compatibility with the power of Polkadot, including scalability, cross-chain integrations, and on-chain governance. The grants program supports projects that add value and help grow the Moonbeam ecosystem. This program is designed to foster community engagement, inclusivity, and transparency, with the ultimate goal of advancing the ecosystem and assisting projects building on Moonbeam and Moonriver.

• Grant Information: https://moonbeam.foundation/grants/
• Application process: Complete the online application form to get community approval.

9. TON Foundation Grants

The TON Foundation’s mission is to foster an inclusive ecosystem where users are empowered with personal sovereignty, unrestricted capital, and freedom of expression. To accomplish this, grants are awarded to projects contributing to the public good via the TON blockchain, early-stage projects, those championing open-source code, and projects with unique use-cases.

• Grant Information: https://ton.org/grants
• Application process: Projects are accepted after filling out the form on the website

10. SKALE Grant Programs

SKALE stands out as the sole blockchain network with the capacity to run an unlimited number of rapid, on-demand, pooled-security blockchains with zero gas fees to end users. SKALE offers grants to builders and Web3 projects that actively contribute to the advancement and expansion of the SKALE ecosystem. Grant recipients not only receive financial support but also gain access to engineering resources, introductions to SKALE investors, and collaborative marketing opportunities, fostering a comprehensive ecosystem of support for their projects.

• Grant Information: https://skale.space/developers#grants
• Application Process: Fill out the online form to apply
  

These are just a few of the unique opportunities available for funding and support for early-stage Web3 and Crypto startups. Don't be afraid to submit applications – receiving even negative feedback from the biggest market players is already a great outcome.If you want to get direct feedback from investors without long weeks of waiting, apply for the next Pitching Session on InnMind.

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