How to choose a Web3 grant program for your project

1. Is the program on your chain?

Start with the chain, because most programs fund only work on their own network. The directory covers 48 ecosystems, led by Ethereum with 15 programs and Bitcoin with 13, plus 6 multichain programs such as The Graph Grants Program and Tether's grants that are not tied to one chain.

Some programs require you to be deployed already. Gravity Developer Grants ask for a contract address on Gravity, and Unichain Grants want projects launched on Unichain mainnet. The Solana Foundation asks why your project needs Solana rather than another chain. Browse by chain on landing pages such as Ethereum grants and Solana grants.

2. Does it fund your kind of work?

Check the program's focus areas and past grantees against what you actually build. Across the 99 programs, 71 fund infrastructure, 46 developer tooling, 36 DeFi and 32 public goods, while only 6 fund gaming and 13 AI. A game studio has far fewer options than an infrastructure team; see DeFi grants or Web3 gaming grants for the lists by field.

3. Does it match your project's stage?

Programs target a stage, and the wrong one is a common reason for rejection.

• Idea or prototype: Starknet Seed Grants want an MVP or proof of concept that has not gone to market, and exclude products live on mainnet for more than three months.
• Live with traction: Ink's Spark grants want a live product backed by data reviewers can verify, and Unichain Grants want DeFi projects with $250K or more in TVL.
• Already built and used: retroactive programs such as Ronin's Proof of Distribution pay for activity that has already happened.
• Individual contributors: developer grants such as Brink's fund established Bitcoin developers for a year of full-time work.
• Academic research: the Stellar Development Foundation's academic grants require principal investigator status at a degree-granting institution.

4. Is the grant the right size?

Pick programs whose range comfortably covers your costed scope. In our directory of 99 programs, 50 publish a maximum, with a median of $50,000, a 25th percentile of $25,000 and a 75th of $100,000. Seven cap at $10,000 or less, such as MoonDAO Projects at $2,125, and eight go above $150,000. Nineteen publish a minimum, such as $50,000 for Maelstrom's Bitcoin grants.

If your scope costs $60,000, a program with a $7,500 cap is the wrong program, not a smaller first step. Web3 grant statistics has the full distribution.

5. What currency does it pay in?

Payout currency decides how much your grant is worth when it arrives. 39 of the 99 programs pay only in a native or other token, 33 can pay in stablecoins or USD, 20 don't publish it or vary, 4 pay a stipend or salary and 3 pay auditors directly. Horizen and Ink pay in USDC and STON.fi in USDT. If you can't absorb a price drop, filter for grants paid in USDC and other stablecoins.

6. How is the money paid?

55 of the 99 programs (56%) pay in milestone tranches, so most of the money arrives after you deliver. Others pay differently: Btrust and Maelstrom pay developers monthly in BTC or stablecoins, the Bitshala Fellowship pays a $500 monthly stipend, and MoonDAO funds approved projects up front. If you can't fund a month of work before the first payment, prefer a program with an upfront tranche.

7. How fast does it decide?

The median time to a decision is 4 weeks, but the range is wide, and only a few programs publish a figure. Nosana and Reactive Network are estimated at about two weeks, and Tezos Commons, for US and Canada residents, says it replies in 3 to 5 days. At the slow end, the Tezos Foundation reviews quarterly and OpenSats is estimated at 13 weeks.

Rounds add waiting: 78 programs are rolling and 14 run fixed rounds, so a closed round can mean months before your next chance. See fast Web3 grants and rolling grants vs grant rounds.

8. Who makes the decision?

Who decides changes how you apply. A foundation team, as at the Solana Foundation or Starknet, reviews privately and can ask questions. An elected committee, such as Zcash Community Grants' five members, votes on applications posted in public. A token vote, as at the Polkadot OpenGov Treasury, is a public campaign with a deposit, from 1 DOT on its smallest track to 1,000 DOT on the largest; the Polkadot treasury documentation explains the tracks.

20 programs in the directory are run by DAOs or decided by token holders. They suit teams that are known in the community and comfortable with public debate; many recent Polkadot treasury requests have been rejected. More in DAO grants.

9. Can you meet its requirements?

Requirements are pass or fail, so check them before you write a word.

• Open source: OpenSats funds only free and open-source work, and the Monero CCS requires a permissive license at every stage. The Solana Foundation sends mainly commercial projects to its convertible grants.
• KYC: the Stellar Community Fund requires every contributor to pass KYC or KYB, while Zcash Community Grants require KYC for approved grants above $50,000.
• Location: Tezos Commons funds US and Canada residents, the Bitshala Fellowship India and South-East Asia, and Btrust Developer Grants the Global South.
• Sanctions: OpenSats cannot fund grants tied to countries or programs on the OFAC sanctions list.

Which kind of program fits your situation?

Match your situation to a program type first, then compare the programs of that type. These examples are open or always open as of October 31, 2026, unless noted.

A quick way to rank your shortlist

Score each shortlisted program from 0 to 2 on the nine criteria. A 0 on any hard requirement (chain, stage, location, open source, KYC) removes the program, whatever its other scores. Rank the rest by total, and break ties by review time and payout currency.

Then read two funded proposals from your top choice before you start writing, and follow how to apply for Web3 grants for the steps.

FAQ

Should you apply to a foundation grant or a DAO grant?

Apply to a foundation grant if you want a private review and a single contact, and to a DAO grant if you are known in that community and comfortable defending the proposal in public. Foundation programs such as the Solana Foundation's review privately. DAO programs such as the Polkadot OpenGov Treasury decide by public vote and need a deposit, and many recent requests there were rejected.

Is a bigger Web3 grant program better for a first application?

A bigger Web3 grant program is not automatically better for a first application. Large ceilings come with heavier review: the Polkadot treasury's biggest tracks need larger deposits, and Stellar Community Fund awards require a complete technical architecture and KYC for every contributor. A program whose median award matches your costed scope, with a reviewer who can see your track record, is usually the stronger first choice.

Can you get a Web3 grant for moving to a new chain?

Yes, some Web3 grant programs fund teams moving from another chain. Horizen's builder fund has a lane for projects migrating to Horizen, Cardano PRIME accepts teams from other chains coming to Cardano, and the Arbitrum Security Program subsidizes audits for projects migrating to Arbitrum. Expect to show a working product, users or a credible plan for the move.

What if no Web3 grant program fits your project?

If no Web3 grant program fits, the project may need a different kind of funding, or a smaller first scope that does fit a program. Commercial products with a token or revenue plan often suit investors better than grants; see Web3 grants vs venture capital. If you know a program web3grant does not list, suggest it so others can find it too.