Our programs are designed to support builders at different stages—from proven protocols earning retroactive rewards to first-time founders testing new ideas. Here's how each track works, who should apply, and the eligibility requirements.

Builder Grants

If you've already shipped and your metrics prove it, this track is for you. We reward measurable success—protocols that drive TVL growth, applications that achieve real user adoption, integrations that expand Stacks' reach, and infrastructure that makes the network more secure and reliable.

Who Should Apply

You're live on Stacks with at least 6 months of operational history. Your project is driving real activity: liquidity providers are depositing, users are transacting, protocols are integrating, or infrastructure is being relied upon. You have had minimal security breaches in the last 6 months.

What We're Rewarding

1. User Incentive Grants (TVL Growth)
   Minimum $5M TVL or significant liquidity in targeted pairs. Think lending protocols hitting borrowing milestones, DEXs building deep liquidity for illiquid pairs, or wallets onboarding hundreds of thousands of new Stacks users.
2. ‍Integration Grants (High Usage)
   Completed technical integrations with security audits OR minimum $1M monthly transaction volume. We're talking about major platforms adding sBTC support, yield aggregators bringing their distribution to Stacks, or custody providers enabling institutional access.‍
3. Security & Infrastructure Grants
   Deployed improvements with documented impact on network reliability, developer experience, or security positioning. This includes the tooling developers use, analytics infrastructure that provides actionable insights, and security research that helps prevent vulnerabilities.‍
4. Expertise Grants (Requests for Projects)
   Sometimes the ecosystem has a specific need—better features, different infrastructure, comprehensive tooling, specialized integrations, or expert technical research. These grants target domain experts who can deliver well-defined outcomes.

Grant Amounts 

Flexible based on scope, typically $10,000 - $50,000 STX equivalent. Determined by project complexity, expected ecosystem impact, and milestones.

Milestone-based disbursement: 20% upfront, then 30%, 30%, and 20% as you hit milestones. In certain cases, milestones may be more streamlined. You’ll have monthly check-ins to keep you on track. If you're not making progress, we pause funding and work with you to figure out next steps. The goal is to provide de-risked support and long-term value creation in the Stacks ecosystem.

What You'll Need

• Publicly available dashboards, showing TVL, transaction volume, unique addresses, and/or revenue fees
• KYB verification through Stacks Endowment
• Commitment to monthly updates and quarterly performance reports
• Clean track record—no major security breaches that have not gone through remediation

Getting Started Grants

This is where most builders start. You have a novel idea, but need support to bring it to life. Most developers who have participated in our hackathons or Developer Relations programs end up here to fund their first big idea.

For pre product market fit founders and small teams experimenting with novel use cases. A prototype, technical spec, early user research, or meaningful community traction proves you're serious.

Who Should Apply:

First-time founders with relevant skills who are pivoting into Stacks with a clear problem to solve. Small teams testing innovative applications of Bitcoin Staking, sBTC, or Bitcoin DeFi. If you can demo something—even if rough—you're ready to apply.

What Makes a Strong Application:

• Early proof-of-concept: working prototype, technical architecture, or user validation
• Clear problem statement: what gap are you filling in the Stacks ecosystem?
• 2-4 concrete milestones you can hit in 8-12 weeks
• Realistic budget showing how $5K moves the project forward
  

Grant Amounts

Grant amounts range from $2,500 to $10,000 in STX, with an average of $5,000. Payments are disbursed in two tranches: at the halfway point of the project and upon completion. 

You’ll check in with the Program manager on a monthly basis during the duration of the grant.

Community DeGrants

This track funds the people who make Stacks feel like home: local organizers, educators, artists, content creators, and community builders who strengthen our social and cultural fabric. This program is completely run by the community with operational support from the Endowment.

Who Should Apply

Community organizers hosting local meetups or regional events. Artists launching NFT collections or creative blockchain experiments. Educators producing tutorials, workshops, or learning resources. Content creators building podcasts, video series, or written explainers. Anyone bringing people together, teaching others, or adding creative energy to the ecosystem. There are no restrictions on which types of projects can apply. 

What We're Looking For

• Authenticity: genuine passion for Stacks and community building
• Creativity: fresh approaches to engagement, education, or artistic expression
• Reach: potential to connect with meaningful numbers of community members
• Inclusivity: open and welcoming to diverse participants
• Feasibility: realistic scope given your timeline and resources

Grant Amounts

Each Degrants Cohort will be allocated a budget and asked to use it as they see fit to select a predetermined number of projects, based on applicant size.