Web3 grant guides: how to find, apply and win

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What Web3 grants are, who pays for them and how much they’re worth.

What are Web3 grants? How crypto grant funding worksWhat are Web3 grants? Who pays them, 8 funding models, typical sizes (median ceiling $50,000) and how payouts work, from a directory of 99 programs.11 min read
Crypto grant scams: how to spot a fake grant offerCrypto grant scams borrow real foundation names to take your funds, wallet or ID. Red flags, real deposits that look similar, and how to verify a program.8 min read
Do you have to pay back a crypto grant?Do you have to pay back a crypto grant? Usually no. What you owe instead, what happens if you don't deliver, and grants with equity or revenue strings.7 min read
Non-dilutive funding for crypto startups: 7 sourcesNon-dilutive funding for crypto startups: 7 sources, from foundation grants and treasury votes to audit subsidies, with typical sizes and live programs.7 min read
Web3 grant glossary: 50 terms builders should knowA Web3 grant glossary of 50 terms, from milestones and tranches to quadratic funding, OpenGov, KYB and clawbacks, defined plainly with real program examples.9 min read
Web3 grants for beginners: how to win your first oneWeb3 grants for beginners: a 6-step path to a first grant, with 8 small or fast programs from $500 to $20,000 and the mistakes that sink first applications.7 min read
Web3 grants vs venture capital: which should you raise?Web3 grants vs venture capital compared on dilution, size, speed and control, how to combine them, and why some foundations now invest instead of granting.7 min read
Web3 hackathons vs grants vs accelerators: what to pickWeb3 hackathons vs grants vs accelerators compared on money, time, odds, equity and follow-on funding, and how to turn a hackathon build into a grant.7 min read
Who funds Web3 grants? Foundations, DAOs and companiesWho funds Web3 grants: foundations, DAOs, companies, nonprofits and quadratic funding platforms, with 20+ real programs and how to pitch each one.8 min read
Why do blockchains give grants? What funders want backWhy do blockchains give grants? Six motives, from developer adoption to treasury mandates, how each shapes funding, and the 2026 shift to RFPs and investment.7 min read

Applying

Finding the right program, writing the proposal, budgets and milestones.

After the grant

KYC, agreements, payouts, taxes and milestone reports.

Funding models

Rounds, rolling programs, retro funding, quadratic funding and treasuries.

By chain

What each chain and foundation funds now, and where to apply.

By kind of work

Funding for DeFi, tooling, security, privacy, DePIN, AI and more.

Who can apply

Grants for individuals, students, startups, researchers and nonprofits.

Closed and changed

Programs that ended, paused or changed, and where to apply instead.

Data and comparisons

Grant sizes, review times and side-by-side comparisons from our data.

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