Stablecoin grants: Circle, Tether and payments funding

Which programs fund stablecoin and payments projects?

This guide covers twelve directory programs that fund stablecoin or payments products. Four come from a stablecoin issuer or a payments-focused foundation; the rest are chain programs with a payments track. The table shows the eight with the most specific stablecoin or payments focus.

The live status of every program in this guide:

• Circle Developer GrantsCircleUndisclosedAnytime
• Tether Grants and BountiesTether$1.5K–$5KAnytime
• Stellar Community FundStellar Development FoundationUp to $150K7 days
• SDF Marketing GrantsStellar Development FoundationUp to $500KAnytime
• Prezenti GrantsPrezentiAs of Oct 29, 2026 prezenti.xyz says both that Season 3 is open until Dec 29 and that it has concluded. The forum announcement still gives Aug 12 to Dec 29. Check with Prezenti before you put time into an application.$3K–$50K58 days
• Aleo Developer GrantsAleo Network FoundationUp to $100KAnytime
• RootstockCollective GrantsRootstockCollectiveUp to $35KAnytime
• TRON Builders LeagueTRON DAOUndisclosedAnytime
• Gravity Developer GrantsGravityUp to $200KAnytime
• Alephium Foundation GrantsAlephium FoundationUndisclosedAnytime
• HTX DAO Genesis GrantHTX DAOUndisclosedAnytime
• Aptos Ecosystem GrantsAptos Foundation$5K–$50KAnytime

Circle Developer Grants: building on USDC and Arc

Circle funds teams that build with USDC and its developer products, such as Wallets, CCTP, Gateway and Nanopayments. Since 2026 the program centers on Arc, Circle's stablecoin-native settlement chain: Circle wants Arc to be core to how value, liquidity or settlement moves in your product. Its focus areas are AI agents that settle in stablecoins, stablecoin FX and peer-to-peer payments, treasury management, prediction markets for economic outcomes, and lending with instant stablecoin settlement.

Funding is tiered and paid in USDC as agreed milestones are met. Circle wants founders with a shipping record and evidence of usage, pilots, partners or revenue, or a credible path to them, and finalists must pass Circle's screenings. The first 2026 cohort included Blockradar, Hurupay, RebelFi and DZap.io. When you finish your last milestone you can apply again. Details are on Circle's grant page.

Tether Grants and Bounties

Tether pays developers, researchers, educators and creators to build on its open stack, which includes the Wallet Development Kit (WDK) for self-custodial wallets inside apps, QVAC for local AI, MDK for bitcoin mining apps and Pears for peer-to-peer apps. Most funding is a task posted on tether.dev with a fixed payout and deadline; at launch Tether said payouts run from roughly $1,500 to $4,000. You can also propose your own idea through the application form.

Payment is in USDT or bitcoin for completed work. Tether decides at its sole discretion and may not tell you if it rejects you, and it requires KYC and anti-money-laundering checks where needed.

Stellar: build with SCF, then market with SDF

The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) runs separate grants for building a payments product and for growing it. Stellar's own landing page, Stellar grants, lists both.

Stellar Community Fund (SCF). SCF Build awards pay up to $150,000 in XLM for about four months of development until you launch on mainnet. Its focus areas start with payments, stablecoin and anchor integrations. Payment comes in four parts: 10% on acceptance, then 20%, 30% and 40% as you deliver MVP, testnet and mainnet tranches. SCF #46 runs until November 8, 2026, and you start with an interest form; eligible teams are invited to a specific round. Every contributor must pass SDF's KYC or KYB check.

SDF Marketing Grants. Once your product is live on Stellar, SDF pays up to $500,000 in USD, USDC or XLM for paid ads, events, PR, in-app incentives such as sign-up bonuses and referrals, and agencies. It does not fund anything that promotes speculation, the price of XLM, or products that promise interest or returns.

Celo and Prezenti: payments apps with traction

Prezenti runs Celo's direct grants with Celo Community Treasury funds and pays in USDm on Celo. Its Anchor pool is for live products with at least 5,000 daily transactions (two-week average), including payments apps that use MiniPay's distribution. Grants run $3,000 to $50,000: 20% on signing, 80% after verified milestones within four months. As of October 29, 2026, Prezenti's site says both that Season 3 is open until December 29 and that it has concluded, so confirm with Prezenti before applying.

Chain programs with a payments or stablecoin track

Several general chain programs name stablecoins or payments among their focus areas. They are a good fit when your payments product already runs on that chain:

• Aleo funds private and compliant payment apps, such as payroll and cross-border payments, with up to $100,000 on milestones. Projects must include open-source elements built on Aleo.
• RootstockCollective, the DAO of the Rootstock Bitcoin sidechain, funds payments and stablecoin use (rBTC, USDRIF, DoC) with grants up to $35,000 in USDRIF, voted on by staked RIF holders. Pure marketing is not funded.
• TRON Builders League lists payments, stablecoins and DeFi, with staged funding from a $10M TRON DAO pool and an estimated 12 weeks to a decision.
• Gravity Developer Grants lists stablecoins and exchange support among its infrastructure priorities, with grants up to $200,000 in G tokens.
• Alephium Foundation Grants names stablecoins, payments and wallets among its focus areas, across four application tracks.
• HTX DAO Genesis Grant lists onchain payments and wallets, paid in HTX tokens per milestone from a $10M fund.

Payments products for AI agents are covered in our guide to decentralized AI grants, and wallet-first projects in crypto wallet grants.

Which stablecoin grants are closed?

Three payments routes we tracked in 2026 are not taking applications:

• Aptos Payments track: a separate track of Aptos Ecosystem Grants offered up to $150,000 for payments infrastructure, wallets and stablecoin apps, but it was closed to new applications as of May 2026. The general Aptos Ecosystem Grants ($5,000 to $50,000) is still open.
• Project Catalyst (Cardano): the 2026 pilot listed stablecoins such as USDM and USDCx among its priorities, but it closed on August 20, 2026, and no next round has been announced.
• Interledger Open Payments SDK Grant: its official page said the 2026 grant cycle was closed when we checked on October 29, 2026. It is not in the directory.

What do stablecoin grant reviewers look for?

Stablecoin programs ask for live usage and compliance more than most grants, because the money in your product is real money.

1. Real transaction data. Prezenti's Anchor pool starts at 5,000 daily transactions, Rootstock wants targets for TVL, transactions and active wallets, and Circle asks for usage, pilots, partners or revenue.
2. A clear role for the funder's rails. Circle wants Arc at the center of your settlement flow; Stellar's Integration Track funds plugging an existing Stellar building block into your product. Say exactly which contracts, APIs or anchors you use.
3. KYC and screening. Circle, Tether, SDF and Prezenti all screen applicants. Have company documents and beneficial owner details ready; our guide to KYC for crypto grants explains what is usually asked.
4. No yield promises. SDF's marketing rules exclude speculative or return-promising promotion. Payments products can carry licensing duties in many countries, so check with a lawyer where you operate; a grant does not cover that for you.

For how to structure the proposal itself, see how to write a Web3 grant proposal.

FAQ

Does Circle give grants to build on USDC?

Circle gives grants to teams that build with USDC and Circle's developer products, and since 2026 the Circle Developer Grants program centers on Arc, Circle's stablecoin settlement chain. Grants are tiered and paid in USDC as milestones are met. Circle looks for founders with a shipping record and evidence of usage, pilots, partners or revenue, and finalists must pass Circle's screenings before moving forward.

How much does Tether pay in grants?

Tether pays for defined tasks on its open stack, such as WDK wallet libraries, QVAC local AI and documentation. At launch, Tether said individual payouts range from roughly $1,500 to $4,000, and web3grant's directory lists a range of $1,500 to $5,000. Tether pays in USDT or bitcoin for completed work and says there is no cap on total payouts across all tasks.

What is the difference between SCF and SDF Marketing Grants?

The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) pays for building: up to $150,000 in XLM, in four tranches, until your product launches on Stellar mainnet. SDF Marketing Grants pay for growth after launch: up to $500,000 in USD, USDC or XLM for ads, events, PR and in-app incentives. A team can use SCF to build a payments app and then apply for a marketing grant to acquire users.

Are there stablecoin grants for remittance apps?

Remittance apps fit several stablecoin grant programs. Circle Developer Grants lists stablecoin FX and peer-to-peer payments, Aleo funds cross-border payment apps with privacy features, and the Stellar Community Fund lists payments and anchor integrations first. Prezenti on Celo funds payments apps with traction on MiniPay. Each program expects a working product or a clear integration with its own chain.