Blockchain research grants for academics and PhD students

Which research grants pay individual researchers?

Most research money in crypto goes to people and teams, not institutions, and several programs say a degree is not required. The crypto research grants page lists all 19 research-category programs in the directory; these are the ones open to apply to as of October 2026:

• Galaxy Bitcoin Quantum Readiness Grants: up to $5 million in milestone grants for post-quantum work on Bitcoin, from signature schemes to wallet migration tooling and formal audits. A Quantum Advisory Council that includes Barry Sanders (University of Calgary) and Eran Tromer (Boston University) helps evaluate proposals.
• MAGIC Monero Fund: grants of up to $55,000 for Monero research, cryptography and audits, open to "any developer or researcher, regardless of degree or occupation". Projects it has listed include range-proof research by CSIRO researchers.
• Kusama Vision Bounties: DOT-paid bounties for zero-knowledge proofs, privacy-preserving proof of personhood, and art and research on privacy and digital sovereignty, open to individuals, teams and collectives worldwide.
• Brink: year-long grants for established Bitcoin protocol developers, including cryptography and post-quantum research; Brink funded eight full-time engineers and two research interns in 2025.
• Subspace Foundation Grants: milestone grants for research on consensus, privacy-preserving AI, zero-knowledge proofs and FHE on the Autonomys Network.

• Golem Ecosystem FundGolem FactoryUndisclosedAnytime
• dYdX Grants ProgramdYdX FoundationUndisclosedAnytime
• Open Source AGI GrantsSentient FoundationUndisclosedAnytime
• Vinteum GrantsVinteumUndisclosedAnytime
• Monero CCSMonero ProjectUp to $65KAnytime
• Bitcoin Design Foundation GrantsBitcoin Design FoundationUndisclosedAnytime

Other research-category programs have caveats. The Uniswap Foundation funds research and v4 hooks experiments but is spending down its remaining budget and plans to close. ESP funds cryptography and zero-knowledge work, but has had no open Wishlist or RFP items since open proposals ended in 2025. Shutter DAO 0x36's small research and integration grants are between rounds, with Round 2 set to launch on November 16, 2026, according to our October 29 recheck. For field-specific lists, see zero-knowledge grants and crypto privacy grants.

Which research grant programs are paused or not listed?

Several research programs that academics ask about were not taking applications when we checked in October 2026, and one active program is not yet in the directory:

• Exponential Science Call for Project Proposals: active when we checked on October 29, 2026. It offers rolling research grants of up to $15,000, paid in two 50% tranches for 6 to 12 month projects, from a Lugano non-profit whose main donor is Hedera. Applicants normally hold a PhD. We have not added it yet because we could not confirm that the form accepts submissions.
• Flashbots Research Proposals: paid $15,000 per accepted proposal ($10,000 up front, $5,000 on delivery). As of September 2026 the program's README says grant giving is paused, though Flashbots still posts proposals and remains open to collaboration.
• Protocol Labs Research grants: the outreach page still describes open grants and targeted RFPs but links to no application form, and its GitHub repo was last updated in August 2023.
• Avalanche Foundation research proposals: grants of up to $50,000 for research on cryptoasset valuation and validator economics, marked closed on October 2, 2026, with no next call date.

How do you write a research proposal crypto funders accept?

Crypto funders want academic rigor with a visible link to their network. The program rules above point to five habits:

1. Make a novel contribution. SDF funds novel scientific work and treats literature reviews as out of scope.
2. Tie the question to the funder's system. SDF lists legal, governance and empirical studies of the Stellar network as a topic, and Sui's award is for research on Sui, Walrus and Move.
3. Commit to open results. The EF PhD Fellowship required open-access publication, SDF requires a no-patent statement, and MAGIC funds only free and open-source work. Check these terms against your university's IP policy before you apply.
4. Budget a person, not a lab. SDF sizes awards to one graduate student or postdoc for 12 months plus travel. A tight, staffed plan reads better than a broad program.
5. Involve your research office early. When funds go to the institution, as with SDF and Sui, the university signs and administers them, and an unrestricted gift may be processed differently from a sponsored grant.

The general method is in how to write a Web3 grant proposal.

Next steps

Shortlist programs in the full directory under the research category, note SDF's quarterly deadlines on the deadline calendar, and set up email alerts for the next EF call. If you have no university affiliation, crypto grants for individuals lists programs that fund researchers directly.

FAQ

Can PhD students apply for blockchain research grants directly?

Sometimes. SDF and Sui require a principal investigator, so a PhD student is funded through a supervisor's proposal rather than applying alone. The EF PhD Fellowship was open to enrolled PhD students directly, but has no 2027 call yet. PhD students can also apply as individuals to programs such as the MAGIC Monero Fund, Galaxy's quantum-readiness grants and Kusama Vision Bounties, which do not require an institution.

Do I need a PhD to get a blockchain research grant?

No, not for most blockchain research grants. The MAGIC Monero Fund accepts any developer or researcher regardless of degree, and Galaxy, Kusama Vision Bounties and Brink judge proposals and track records. Institution-based awards are different: SDF requires principal investigator status, Sui requires a PI with peer-reviewed publications, and Exponential Science says its applicants normally hold a PhD.

Are blockchain research grants paid to the university or the researcher?

Blockchain research grants are paid both ways, depending on the program. SDF Academic Research Grants are paid to the university as an unrestricted gift, and the Sui award is paid to the researcher's institution. The EF PhD Fellowship paid the student a stipend top-up, while Galaxy, MAGIC and Kusama Vision Bounties pay the researcher or team directly, usually against milestones and often in crypto.

Can research funded by a blockchain foundation be patented?

Usually not in practice. SDF requires applicants to state that they do not intend to patent the results, the EF PhD Fellowship required open-access publication under a free and permissive license, and programs such as MAGIC fund only free and open-source work. Read each program's terms alongside your university's IP policy, and ask your technology transfer office if a conflict is possible.