# Can you get a crypto grant without a company?

> Can you get a crypto grant without a company? Often yes. Which programs pay individuals, when KYB or an entity is required, and options such as fiscal hosts.

Last reviewed 2026-10-31. Dates are UTC.

Yes, you can usually get a crypto grant without a company. As of October 2026, more than 40 of the 99 programs in web3grant's directory name individuals, solo builders or "anyone" as eligible, and Zcash Community Grants and Monero CCS fund independent individuals directly. A company starts to matter for KYB-only programs, revenue-share deals, teams sharing one payment, and personal liability under the grant agreement.

## Key takeaways

- More than 40 of the 99 programs in web3grant's directory accept individuals, including Monero CCS, Zcash Community Grants, The Graph, Lido's LEGO and the Solana Foundation.
- Many programs ask for "KYC or KYB", which means a person or a company can pass: Starknet Seed Grants and the Stellar Community Fund both use that wording.
- A few routes require an organization: the Hashgraph Innovation Program funds startups, enterprises and governments, and the Stacks Endowment's Builder track requires KYB.
- Some programs sign with and pay a single party, as Filecoin Open Grants do (its reviews look stalled as of October 2026), so an unincorporated team has to agree who receives the money and how it is shared.
- A fiscal host, an existing organization that holds funds for a project, is an option between applying alone and forming a company; the Bitcoin Design Foundation, for example, is hosted by Open Collective Europe.

## Do you need a company to get a crypto grant?

Usually not. Many grant programs care more about who will do the work, and whether they can verify that person's identity, than about legal form. Eligibility lists in our directory say this in plain words:

- **VeBetter Grants:** "Individuals and informal teams can apply; a legal entity is optional." VeBetter reports very low activity as of October 2026: one application in Q2 2026, none processed.
- **Tezos Foundation Grants:** individuals and organizations, with a form that asks for both personal and organizational details.
- **Filecoin Open Grants:** "Individuals or entities; the agreement and payments go to the same party." Reviews look stalled, with no reply to proposals filed since April 2026.
- **Zcash Community Grants:** "independent individuals and teams", with KYC required only for approved grants above $50,000.
- **OpenSats:** developers, designers, researchers and educators anywhere, and pseudonymous applicants are welcome.

MoonDAO's rules go further: project budgets cannot include entity fees, so it will not pay for setting up a company. MoonDAO is between rounds as of October 2026. For a full list of programs open to solo applicants, see [crypto grants for individuals](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/crypto-grants-for-individuals).

- [Monero CCS](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/monero-ccs): Monero Project. Grant size: Up to $65K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Zcash Community Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/zcash-community-grants): Zcash Community Grants. Grant size: Up to $750K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [The Graph Grants Program](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/the-graph-grants): The Graph Foundation. Grant size: $1K–$325K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Lido Ecosystem Grants (LEGO)](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/lido-ecosystem-grants): Lido DAO. Grant size: Up to $100K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Solana Foundation grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/solana-foundation-grants): Solana Foundation. Grant size: Not published. Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [CoW DAO Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/cow-dao-grants): CoW DAO. Grant size: Not published. Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Aleo Developer Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/aleo-developer-grants): Aleo Network Foundation. Grant size: Up to $100K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Nym Squad League](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/nym-squad-league): Nym. Grant size: Up to $2.7K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Kusama Vision Bounties](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/kusama-vision-bounties): Web3 Foundation. Grant size: Not published. Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Tezos Foundation Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/tezos-foundation-grants): Tezos Foundation. Grant size: Not published. Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.

## When does a crypto grant require a company or KYB?

A company is required when the program funds businesses by design, when it signs commercial terms with you, or when it asks specifically for KYB. KYB (know your business) is the company version of KYC (know your customer): the funder verifies the entity, its registration and the people who control it.

### Programs that fund organizations

- **[Hashgraph Innovation Program](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/hashgraph-association-funding):** funds startups, enterprises and government institutions building on Hedera, after due diligence on technical, business, legal and financial areas and an NDA.
- **[Stacks Endowment Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/stacks-endowment-grants):** the Builder track requires teams live on Stacks for at least six months with KYB through the Endowment; the Getting Started track for early founders does not list KYB. The Q3 2026 cycle closed on September 23 and Q4 dates are not announced.
- **Cardano Accelerator Program** (not in our directory): its eligibility says "registered legal entities, not individuals".
- **UNICEF Venture Fund** (not in our directory): equity-free investment for private for-profit companies registered in a UNICEF programme country.

### Programs that accept either KYC or KYB

These programs let a person or a company pass the check, so the check itself does not require an entity:

- **[Starknet Seed Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/starknet-seed-grants):** "willing to complete KYC or KYB".
- **[Stellar Community Fund](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/stellar-community-fund):** every contributor must pass SDF's KYC or KYB check.
- **[Cardano Treasury](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/cardano-treasury-withdrawals):** approved recipients pass Intersect's KYC or KYB and sign a contract.
- **[RootstockCollective Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/rootstock-collective-grants):** KYB or KYC through Persona, plus 1,000 stRIF staked to submit.

### Programs with commercial terms

Some agreements read like business contracts. [1inch's Aqua Revenue Stream Incubator](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/1inch-aqua-incubator) requires KYC or KYB and a revenue-sharing agreement with the 1inch DAO. Prezenti, which runs Celo's community grants, signs agreements as a Canadian entity (its Season 3 status was unclear when we checked on October 29, 2026), and the Uniswap Foundation, which is spending down its remaining budget, says projects involving token distribution or money transmission may need legal review. Revenue share and investment-style terms are usually easier to manage through a company.

## Why might you form an entity anyway?

Even when a program pays individuals, an entity can make sense. These are general principles, not legal advice; the right structure depends on your country, so talk to a lawyer or accountant before you choose.

- **Several people, one payment.** When a program pays one party, the recipient receives everyone's share and may be taxed on all of it. A company, or at least a written agreement among the team, sets out who gets what.
- **Personal liability.** A grant agreement can include delivery obligations, refund clauses, IP terms and compliance promises. If you sign as an individual, those obligations are yours personally.
- **Commercial plans.** Convertible grants and later investment assume a company that can issue equity, and revenue-share deals are simpler to run through one.
- **Multiple funders and longer horizons.** If grants will fund a project for years, a foundation or company keeps the money, records and obligations separate from your personal finances.

## What are your options besides a company?

There is a middle ground between applying alone and incorporating. This table summarizes the common choices in general terms:

| Option | Suits | Trade-offs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apply as an individual | Solo developers, researchers, small first grants | Simple; obligations, taxes and liability are personal |
| Sole proprietor or sole trader | People treating grant work as self-employment | Simple registration in many countries; no separate legal person |
| Fiscal host | Open-source projects and communities | Host holds funds and handles admin, usually for a fee; check the funder will pay a host |
| Foundation or association | Long-lived open-source projects | Governance and reporting overhead |
| Company (LLC, Ltd and similar) | Startups with commercial plans | Needed to issue equity; setup and running costs |

A fiscal host is an existing organization, often a nonprofit, that receives and manages money on behalf of a project that has no entity of its own. The Bitcoin Design Foundation is hosted by Open Collective Europe, according to its own site. MAGIC Grants, a US 501(c)(3) charity, plays a similar role for Monero: besides direct grants, it can list your project on its Monero Fund site so the community can donate to it.

If you go the fiscal host route, ask the grant program before you apply whether it will sign with and pay the host. Some programs sign the agreement with, and pay, only the party that applied.

## How do KYC, taxes and payment work without a company?

Without a company, every step that would involve the business involves you instead. Expect three things:

1. **Personal KYC.** You submit your own ID. MAGIC lets you apply under a pseudonym but you must identify yourself before payout, and World One's onboarding includes identity checks, sanctions screening and a US W-9 tax form. See [KYC for crypto grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/web3-grant-kyc).
2. **Personal taxes.** In many countries a grant paid to you is taxable income, and tokens may be valued when you receive them. An entity does not make the obligation disappear; it changes who owes it and how. Read [are crypto grants taxable](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/are-crypto-grants-taxable) and check with a tax professional.
3. **Payment to your own wallet.** Many programs pay tokens, stablecoins or bitcoin to an address you control: OpenSats asks for a bitcoin address, and Nym requires a wallet to receive NYM. [How to receive grant funds in crypto](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/receiving-grant-funds) covers wallets, conversions and records.

You will also sign the grant agreement personally, so read it closely; [Web3 grant agreements](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/web3-grant-agreements) explains the usual clauses.

## Next steps

Shortlist programs that accept individuals in the [full directory](https://www.web3grant.com/grants), read each eligibility list for "KYB" or "organization", and keep an eye on the [deadline calendar](https://www.web3grant.com/deadlines). Before you apply, work through [how to apply for Web3 grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/how-to-apply-for-web3-grants). Applications go through each program's own site, never through web3grant.

## FAQ

### Can a team without a legal entity apply for a crypto grant?

Yes, many programs accept informal teams. VeBetter Grants accept "individuals and informal teams", Nym Squad League lets you apply "alone or as a squad", and Monero CCS takes "any individual or team". The catch is payment: some programs, such as Filecoin Open Grants (whose reviews look stalled as of October 2026), pay a single party, so one team member receives the funds. Agree in writing how the money is split before you apply.

### What is a fiscal host, and can it receive a crypto grant for me?

A fiscal host is an existing organization, often a nonprofit, that receives and manages funds for a project without its own legal entity, usually for a fee. The Bitcoin Design Foundation, for example, is hosted by Open Collective Europe. Whether a fiscal host can receive a crypto grant for you depends on the program, so ask before applying; some sign with and pay only the applicant.

### Do I need KYB if I apply for a crypto grant as an individual?

No. KYB verifies a business, so an individual applicant completes KYC, the personal identity check, instead. Programs that say "KYC or KYB", such as Starknet Seed Grants and the Stellar Community Fund, accept either. A few programs fund organizations only, such as the Hashgraph Innovation Program, and the Stacks Endowment's Builder track requires KYB.

### Is a crypto grant paid to an individual taxable?

In many countries a crypto grant paid to an individual is treated as taxable income, and a grant paid in tokens may be valued at the market price when you receive it. Rules vary by country and by how the grant is structured, and forming a company changes who pays rather than whether tax applies. Keep records of every payment and check with a tax professional.

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From web3grant: https://www.web3grant.com/guides/crypto-grant-without-a-company. Program details change often: confirm on each program's official site before applying.