# Linea grants: why there's no program and where to apply

> There are no Linea grants for new apps as of October 2026: Linea uses a performance-based model. What that means, and which L2 programs fund builders.

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

There are no Linea grants for new projects as of October 2026. Linea's developer docs say it operates on a performance-based model and does not currently offer grants or stipends to apps that are not live and generating onchain activity. Live apps that perform well may get co-funded user incentives or introductions to venture investors, at Linea's discretion, but there is no application to fill in.

## Key takeaways

- As of October 1, 2026 Linea runs no open grants program, and its docs say it does not currently offer grants or stipends to apps that are not live and generating onchain activity.
- The Linea Consortium manages an Ecosystem Fund holding 75% of the LINEA supply for builders, public goods and Ethereum R&D, but it publishes no application process.
- Linea's last builder competition, Linea Exponent, paid $250,000 in LINEA between November 4, 2025 and January 30, 2026 and ended with no successor announced.
- Builders who want an L2 program they can apply to today have options such as Unichain Grants (up to $7,500), Ink Spark ($500 to $20,000 in USDC) and Starknet Seed Grants (up to $25,000 in STRK).

## Does Linea offer grants?

No. Linea's [dapp support page](https://docs.linea.build/network/build/launch-an-app/dapp-support) says the network "operates on a performance-based model" and does not "currently offer grants or stipends" to apps that are not live and generating onchain activity. We checked it on October 1, 2026.

What Linea offers instead is support after launch. According to the same docs, the most successful live apps may get co-funded user incentives or introductions to venture capital firms. Both are at Linea's discretion: there is no form, no published criteria and no amount.

"Onchain," here and below, means activity recorded on the blockchain itself: transactions, active wallets, value locked in contracts.

## What is the Linea Ecosystem Fund?

The Linea Ecosystem Fund holds 75% of the LINEA token supply, set aside for builders, public goods and Ethereum research and development. The [Linea Consortium](https://consortium.linea.build/) manages it.

An ecosystem fund is a pool of money, not a program. As of October 1, 2026 the Consortium published no application process for the fund, so there is no way for an outside builder to request money from it. Our guide to [crypto ecosystem funds](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/ecosystem-funds-vs-grants) explains why a large fund and an open grant program are different things.

## What happened to Linea Exponent?

Linea Exponent was a builder competition that paid $250,000 in LINEA. It ran from November 4, 2025 to January 30, 2026, and Linea published a [conclusion post](https://linea.build/blog/linea-exponent-program-conclusion-and-final-update) when it ended. No successor had been announced when we checked on October 1, 2026.

A competition is not a grant either. Prizes go to the teams that rank best on the competition's terms, after the work is done. If you are weighing that kind of funding, our guide to [Web3 hackathons vs grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/web3-hackathons-vs-grants) compares the two.

## What "performance-based" means for your plan

Performance-based funding means you pay for the build yourself and Linea may help once users show up. In practice:

1. **Fund the build phase elsewhere.** Savings, revenue, investors, or a grant from a program that funds the kind of work you do rather than the chain it runs on.
2. **Launch, then measure.** Linea's docs tie support to live apps with onchain activity, so track transactions, active wallets and value locked from day one.
3. **Bring the numbers.** Co-funded incentives and introductions go to the most successful apps, by Linea's own description. Usage data is your application.

Linea is not alone. Several programs in web3grant's directory also pay for traction rather than plans. [Unichain Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/uniswap-foundation-unichain-grants) require DeFi projects to have at least $250,000 in TVL, and [Ink Spark](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/ink-foundation-spark) says idea-only and testnet-only projects are unlikely to be funded. The difference is that those programs publish criteria and a form.

## Which layer 2s still fund builders?

Some Ethereum layer 2s run grant programs you can apply to; others, like Linea, have stopped or never had one. Status as of October 31, 2026, from web3grant's data:

| Chain | Program | Status | Size |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unichain | [Unichain Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/uniswap-foundation-unichain-grants) | Open, rolling; live projects only | Up to $7,500 |
| Ink | [Ink Spark](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/ink-foundation-spark) | Open, rolling; live products | $500 to $20,000 |
| Starknet | [Seed Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/starknet-seed-grants) | Open, rolling; MVP needed | Up to $25,000 |
| Horizen | [Builder Ecosystem Fund](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/horizen-builder-ecosystem-fund) | Open, rolling; privacy apps | Up to $150,000 |
| Arbitrum | [D.A.O. Grant Program](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/arbitrum-foundation-grants) | Closed; no Season 4 | Up to $50,000 |
| Arbitrum | [Security Program](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/arbitrum-security-program) | Open; audit subsidy | Paid to auditors |
| Optimism | [Retro Funding](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/optimism-retro-funding) | Paused since January 2026 | Up to $32,500 |

Two notes on that table. Arbitrum's Season 3 closed on March 17, 2026, and the Arbitrum Foundation says a new grant program is "coming soon"; the Security Program for audit subsidies opened on September 28, 2026. Horizen is an EVM chain built on Base, and its fund backs apps where privacy is a working feature.

- [Unichain Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/uniswap-foundation-unichain-grants): Uniswap Foundation. Grant size: Up to $7.5K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Ink Spark grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/ink-foundation-spark): Ink Foundation. Grant size: $500–$20K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Starknet Seed Grants Program](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/starknet-seed-grants): Starknet Foundation. Grant size: Up to $25K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Horizen Builder Ecosystem Fund](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/horizen-builder-ecosystem-fund): Horizen Foundation. Grant size: Up to $150K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Arbitrum Security Program](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/arbitrum-security-program): Arbitrum Foundation. Grant size: Not published. Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.

### L2s with no program you can apply to

- **Base:** an application-based Builder Grant Program (up to $5,000) closed Round 1. Around October 27, 2026 Base posted on X that Season 2 is live, but we found no deadline or docs page, so it is not in the directory yet. See our guide to [Base grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/base-grants).
- **Scroll and ZKsync:** no open builder programs; see [Scroll grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/scroll-grants) and [ZKsync grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/zksync-grants).
- **Mode:** no program of its own; its developer page points open-source apps to Optimism Retro Funding, which is paused.
- **Mantle and Soneium:** no open application. Mantle's grants are handed out by its core team, and Soneium's builder programs were one-off cohorts.
- **Taiko:** the grants form still accepts submissions, but it asks you to name the Taiko team member who invited you to apply.
- **Zircuit:** its docs mark the Grants Program as discontinued.

For the full comparison, read our guide to [layer 2 grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/ethereum-layer-2-grants), and see [Ethereum grants](https://www.web3grant.com/ecosystems/ethereum) for mainnet programs.

## FAQ

### Can a live app on Linea get funding?

Possibly, but not through an application. Linea's developer docs say the most successful live apps may get co-funded user incentives or introductions to venture capital firms, at Linea's discretion. The docs tie this support to apps that are live and generating onchain activity, so the realistic path is to launch on Linea, track usage, and share those numbers with the Linea team.

### Can I apply to the Linea Ecosystem Fund?

Not as of October 2026. The Linea Ecosystem Fund holds 75% of the LINEA supply for builders, public goods and Ethereum research, and the Linea Consortium manages it, but the Consortium had published no application process when web3grant checked on October 1, 2026. Without a published process, there is no form or contact route for outside builders to request money from the fund.

### Is Linea Exponent coming back?

No successor to Linea Exponent had been announced as of October 1, 2026. Linea Exponent was a builder competition that paid $250,000 in LINEA from November 4, 2025 to January 30, 2026, and Linea published a conclusion post when it ended. Any new competition would most likely be announced on the Linea blog, which is where the Exponent wrap-up appeared.

### Which Ethereum layer 2s have open grant programs?

As of October 31, 2026, web3grant's directory lists open, rolling grant programs on Unichain (up to $7,500), Ink ($500 to $20,000 in USDC), Starknet (up to $25,000 in STRK) and Horizen (up to $150,000 in USDC), plus an audit subsidy on Arbitrum. Arbitrum's D.A.O. Grant Program is between seasons and Optimism Retro Funding has been paused since January 2026.

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From web3grant: https://www.web3grant.com/guides/linea-grants. Program details change often: confirm on each program's official site before applying.