# Paid Web3 fellowships: stipends to learn and build

> Paid Web3 fellowships compared: Ethereum Protocol Fellowship, the EF PhD Fellowship, Brink, Bitshala and World One, with stipends, dates and who can apply.

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

Web3 fellowships pay people rather than projects: a stipend or salary for a fixed period while you learn, research or build, usually with mentors. As of October 31, 2026, five programs in web3grant's directory work this way: the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship, the Ethereum Foundation's $24,000 PhD Fellowship, Brink's London fellowship, the Bitshala Fellowship at $500 a month, and World One at $10,000 a month for three months.

## Key takeaways

- As of October 31, 2026, three of the five paid fellowships in web3grant's directory take applications with no deadline: Brink, Bitshala and World One.
- The Ethereum Protocol Fellowship's Cohort 7 runs until November 2026 and Cohort 8 has no dates yet; the Ethereum Foundation has announced no 2027 PhD Fellowship call.
- Published pay ranges from $500 a month (Bitshala) to $10,000 a month (World One); the PhD Fellowship pays $24,000 for a year, and Ethereum Protocol Fellowship stipends are set individually for selected fellows.
- Several Bitcoin developer grants work like fellowships, paying individuals monthly for 3 to 12 months, among them Btrust, Maelstrom and OpenSats.
- The Next Billion Fellowship ended in 2025, and Flashbots has paused the $15,000 grants attached to its research proposals.

## What is a Web3 fellowship?

A Web3 fellowship is a time-limited program that pays an individual to learn, research or contribute, usually in a cohort with mentors and a set end date. A grant funds a project and its deliverables; a fellowship funds a person and their development.

The line blurs at the edges. Brink calls its program for new contributors a fellowship and pays a salary; Btrust calls its monthly payments to developers grants. What they share is that you are paid for your time over a period, not per milestone. In web3grant's directory, 4 of the 99 programs pay a stipend or salary as of October 31, 2026, and a few more pay individual developers monthly.

## Which Web3 fellowships pay a stipend?

As of October 31, 2026, five programs in web3grant's directory are fellowships or residencies that pay individuals for a fixed term.

| Program | Pay | Length | Who and where | Status on October 31, 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Ethereum Protocol Fellowship](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/ethereum-protocol-fellowship) | Stipend for selected fellows | About 5 months | Developers moving into core protocol work | Closed; Cohort 8 not announced |
| [PhD Fellowship Program](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/ethereum-academic-grants) (EF) | $24,000 | 1 year | Enrolled PhD students | Closed; no 2027 call yet |
| [Brink Grants and Fellowship](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/brink-grants) | Salary with benefits | 1 year, full-time | New Bitcoin protocol contributors, in London | Form open, no deadline |
| [Bitshala Fellowship](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/bitshala-fellowship) | $500 a month | 6 to 12 months | Developers and educators in India and South-East Asia | Always open |
| [World One](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/world-one-residency) | $10,000 a month | 3 months | Solo builders, in San Francisco | Always open |

### Ethereum Protocol Fellowship

The Ethereum Protocol Fellowship (EPF), formerly the Core Developer Apprentice Program, helps developers start contributing to Ethereum's core protocol: client implementations, testing, specifications and protocol research. It does not cover smart contract or application development. Fellows pick a project, often from ideas proposed by client teams such as Lighthouse, Reth, Erigon or Grandine, post weekly updates and present at an in-person event.

Anyone can join the open program, but only selected applicants receive a monthly stipend, set individually and paid in crypto or fiat after KYC. You should be able to commit at least 20 hours a week. Cohort 7 took applications from April 30 to May 13, 2026 and runs until November 2026; Cohort 8 dates had not been announced as of October 2026. Preparation material and the application are on the [EPF wiki](https://epf.wiki/#/wiki/epf).

### Ethereum Foundation PhD Fellowship Program

The PhD Fellowship pays $24,000 over one year as a supplement to a fellow's existing PhD stipend. The 2026 call ran from February 2 to April 22, 2026 for 9 to 10 fellowships, with topics from mechanism design and governance to decentralized AI and enterprise use of Ethereum.

You must be enrolled in a PhD program, aim for publication in a conference or journal, and publish open access. Proposals follow the Ethereum Foundation's template and link to a public repository or published work. The Ethereum Foundation's Academic Grants Round last ran in 2025; the 2026 academic call was this fellowship, and no 2027 call has been announced. See [blockchain research grants for academics](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/blockchain-research-grants-for-academics) for other routes.

### Brink fellowship

Brink, a donor-funded nonprofit, runs a one-year, full-time fellowship in its London office for engineers new to Bitcoin protocol work. Fellows are paid a salary with benefits, get dedicated mentoring and contribute to Bitcoin Core from day one. Brink says evidence of open-source contributions matters far more than formal education, and you must be able to relocate to London for the year.

Brink also gives year-long grants to established protocol developers. Both use a short online form with no deadline, reviewed by a committee of Bitcoin engineers and approved by Brink's board. Brink publishes no fellowship start dates or number of places.

### Bitshala Fellowship

Bitshala, a Bitcoin education initiative run by Indian Bitcoiners, pays fellows $500 a month for six months, extendable to twelve. Developer fellows join an existing open-source project with a mentor, such as BDK, BTCPay Server, Fedimint or Stratum V2, or propose their own; educator fellows run study cohorts and learning resources. You need to be based in India or South-East Asia, understand Bitcoin basics and have some prior open-source or self-driven work.

### World One

World One is a three-month residency in San Francisco for up to five solo builders in its first cohort, paying $10,000 a month to ship products on World ID. There are no assigned deliverables; you build in public from the Tools for Humanity office. You must be 18 or older and authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship. After an offer you have ten days to sign the program terms and finish KYC, sanctions screening and payment onboarding.

## Which grants work like fellowships?

Several Bitcoin programs pay individual developers monthly over a set term, which works much like a fellowship without the cohort. They are listed in web3grant's directory as grants.

- **[Btrust Developer Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/btrust-developer-grants)** pay monthly in BTC to developers in Africa, India, Latin America, MENA and Southeast Asia, as six-month starter grants or renewable one-year grants.
- **[Maelstrom Bitcoin Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/maelstrom-bitcoin-grant-program)** pay $50,000 to $150,000 per developer for a year, monthly, in BTC or stablecoins.
- **[OpenSats General Fund](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/opensats-general-fund)** grants run 3 to 12 months, full-time or part-time, and need two written references. Its Q4 2026 window is open until November 30, 2026.
- **BDK Foundation, Bitcoin Design Foundation and Vinteum** fund developers and designers for months at a time, from three-month projects to long-term grants.

[Bitcoin developer grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/bitcoin-developer-grants) compares these in detail, and [Bitcoin grants](https://www.web3grant.com/ecosystems/bitcoin) lists all 13 Bitcoin programs in the directory.

## Which Web3 fellowships have ended or paused?

Two well-known fellowships are no longer paying new fellows, and some programs called fellowships never paid cash.

- **Next Billion Fellowship (Ethereum Foundation).** Ran from 2021 to 2025 across five cohorts, giving six-month fellows mentorship and a stipend for projects serving communities underrepresented in Ethereum. Its last intake closed January 12, 2025, the promised Cohort 6 did not run, and the [program site](https://nxbn.ethereum.foundation/) now says the Next Billion programs have concluded. Stipend amounts were never published.
- **Flashbots Research Proposals.** Flashbots paid $15,000 per accepted research proposal, $10,000 up front and $5,000 on delivery, as MEV fellowship grants. Grant giving is paused; proposals are still posted on its forum, with no date for resuming payments.
- **Sui's Hydropower Fellowship** is equity-free but, according to the Sui Foundation, does not pay grants.

## How do you apply for a Web3 fellowship?

Fellowships select people, so the application is mostly evidence about you. The same steps apply across the programs above.

1. **Check the window.** The EPF and PhD Fellowship open once a year with short windows; Brink, Bitshala and World One take applications at any time. Set up [email alerts](https://www.web3grant.com/#alerts) or watch the [Web3 grant deadline calendar](https://www.web3grant.com/deadlines) for the next cohorts.
2. **Show public work.** EPF selection weighs your open-source history and existing Ethereum contributions; Brink and Bitshala ask for prior open-source work. A linked GitHub profile with merged pull requests is worth more than a CV line.
3. **Prepare before you apply.** EPF publishes study material and a list of proposed projects; reading them and picking a project shows you can direct your own work.
4. **Line up references.** OpenSats needs two written references and Maelstrom at least one. Ask early.
5. **Check the conditions.** World One requires US work authorization, Brink a year in London, and the EPF stipend KYC. Make sure you can meet them before you spend time on the form.

A stipend can be taxable income where you live, even when it is called a fellowship, so check with a tax professional. The general application process is in [how to apply for Web3 grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/how-to-apply-for-web3-grants). For individual funding more broadly, [crypto grants for individuals](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/crypto-grants-for-individuals) covers programs that pay people without a company.

- [Bitshala Fellowship](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/bitshala-fellowship): Bitshala. Grant size: $3K–$6K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [World One](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/world-one-residency): World Foundation. Grant size: $30K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive. Note: This is an in-person residency in San Francisco for solo builders who can work in the US.
- [Brink Grants and Fellowship](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/brink-grants): Brink. Grant size: Not published. Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Btrust Developer Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/btrust-developer-grants): Btrust. Grant size: Not published. Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [Maelstrom Bitcoin Grants](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/maelstrom-bitcoin-grant-program): Maelstrom. Grant size: $50K–$150K (USD equivalent). Always open: no deadline, applications reviewed as they arrive.
- [OpenSats General Fund](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/opensats-general-fund): OpenSats. Grant size: Not published. Open: apply by 2026-11-30, end of day UTC (29 days left).
- [Ethereum Protocol Fellowship](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/ethereum-protocol-fellowship): Ethereum Foundation. Grant size: Not published. Closed: the latest round ran 2026-04-30 to 2026-05-13; next round not announced. Note: Cohort 7 runs until November 2026. Cohort 8 dates have not been announced.
- [PhD Fellowship Program](https://www.web3grant.com/grants/ethereum-academic-grants): Ethereum Foundation. Grant size: $24K (USD equivalent). Closed: the latest round ran 2026-02-02 to 2026-04-22; next round not announced. Note: The Academic Grants Round last ran in 2025. The 2026 call was this PhD Fellowship, and no 2027 call has been announced.

## FAQ

### Are Web3 fellowships paid?

Most Web3 fellowships in web3grant's directory are paid. The EF PhD Fellowship pays $24,000 for a year, World One $10,000 a month, Bitshala $500 a month and Brink a salary with benefits. The Ethereum Protocol Fellowship pays a stipend only to selected applicants, and some programs called fellowships, such as Sui's Hydropower Fellowship, do not pay grants at all.

### Can students apply for Web3 fellowships?

Students can apply to several Web3 fellowships. The Ethereum Foundation's PhD Fellowship is only for enrolled PhD students, while the Ethereum Protocol Fellowship takes developers with a technical foundation such as a computer science or math background, enrolled or not. Bitshala accepts anyone in India or South-East Asia who understands Bitcoin basics. See [Web3 grants for students](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/web3-grants-for-students).

### Do Web3 fellowships require relocating?

Some Web3 fellowships require you to move. Brink's fellowship is a full year in its London office, and World One is three months in San Francisco with US work authorization. The Ethereum Protocol Fellowship ends with an in-person event, but its published eligibility does not require relocating, and Bitshala's fellowship is for people already based in India or South-East Asia.

### When does the next Ethereum Protocol Fellowship cohort open?

The next Ethereum Protocol Fellowship cohort, Cohort 8, had no announced dates as of October 2026. Cohort 7 took applications from April 30 to May 13, 2026 and runs until November 2026. Past cohorts have been yearly, so watch the EPF wiki and the Ethereum Foundation's channels, and check web3grant's program page for the next window.

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From web3grant: https://www.web3grant.com/guides/web3-fellowships. Program details change often: confirm on each program's official site before applying.