This article is part of a research series exploring key growth drivers identified by Scroll’s community cluster groups This case study explores four prominent grant initiatives that provide valuable insights into designing grant programs that align with Scroll’s strategic objectives. These case studies help inform Scroll’s grant strategy by examining how each program tackles critical questions raised by the grants committee, including:
- Grant Objectives: How projects strategically address infrastructure bottlenecks, adoption challenges, and overall ecosystem needs.
- Funding Tiers & Parameters: How funds are structured and allocated to support projects at different maturity levels.
- Eligibility Criteria: The milestones and guidelines ensuring alignment between funded projects and the ecosystem’s growth priorities.
- Transparency & Accountability: The mechanisms employed to track progress, ensure alignment, and maintain stakeholder confidence.
While public data on impact is not always fully available for every program, these case studies provide actionable perspectives for the Scroll community can learn from and implement.
Case Studies
Cardano Project Catalyst
Project Catalyst is a decentralized innovation fund designed to foster growth and development within the Cardano ecosystem. The program operates through regular funding rounds, where a set amount of ADA is allocated to proposals submitted by the global community.
- Launch Date: September 16, 2020
Why This is a Valuable Case Study
Catalyst program offers actionable insights into how to create an inclusive, transparent, and accountable grant initiative that is adaptable to any decentralized ecosystem. Key to its success is its governance model, which includes.
Grant Objectives
- Infrastructure Development: Funding tools and foundational components like APIs and SDKs.
- Governance: Encouraging decentralized decision-making and community participation.
- Scalability: Enhancing Cardano’s capacity through innovative solutions and tools.
- Adoption: Supporting real-world applications, such as DeFi platforms and educational tools.
Funding Tiers & Parameters
- Proposals can request between ₳15,000 and ₳2,000,000 depending on the challenge category.
- A minimum stake of 25 ADA is required to participate in voting.
- Proposers can submit up to six proposals, but incomplete or placeholder proposals are removed.
- Votes are private but publicly validated on-chain.
Eligibility
- Individuals: Anyone from around the world, regardless of background, can submit proposals.
- Teams: Groups with a shared vision and expertise can apply collaboratively.
- Organizations: Companies and institutions aligning with Cardano’s ecosystem goals are eligible.
- Previous Participants: Projects from past funding rounds can reapply if they have submitted at least one verified Proof of Achievement (PoA) in the last six months.
Selection Process
- Proposal Submission: Community members submit proposals via the Catalyst platform.
- Community Review: Proposals are reviewed based on their impact, feasibility, and value for money.
- Voting: ADA holders vote on proposals, and funding is allocated based on votes within each category.
Transparency & Accountability
- Tiered Assessors: Proposal Assessors (PAs) and Veteran Proposal Assessors (vPAs) provide thorough evaluations, ensuring high-quality proposals.
- Town Hall Presentations: Funded teams are required to present progress updates during Town Halls, allowing for community feedback.
- Milestone-Based Reporting: Grantees are required to submit periodic updates on progress and financial transparency.
Support Beyond Funding
- The Catalyst Accelerator Program supports projects by providing mentorship, tools, and networks to help early-stage startups in the Cardano ecosystem become investment-ready.
Impact
- Total Funding Allocated: Over $100M+ (₳223 million) has been allocated to nearly 2,000 projects, driving growth and enhancing ecosystem infrastructure.
- Over 1,000 Completed Projects: These projects cover areas like decentralized governance, financial inclusion, and education.
- Regional Impact: Over ₳22 million allocated to projects in the LATAM region and ₳17 million to Japan, strengthening global networks and fostering local innovation.
Project Examples
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Sundae Labs: Sundae Labs developed an automated price discovery system to enhance financial transactions within the Cardano ecosystem, improving scalability and user experience. This project demonstrates how Cardano’s grant program supports financial infrastructure development and scalability.
https://sundae.fi -
Ada to Mobile Money: This project facilitates the integration of mobile money services, enabling the use of ADA in everyday transactions, addressing real-world adoption challenges in emerging markets. It exemplifies how Cardano’s grants encourage financial inclusion.
https://adatomm.io -
Cardano Developer Studio: A comprehensive tool repository designed to accelerate development on the Cardano platform by providing essential resources for developers. This project highlights the grant program’s focus on ecosystem growth through developer empowerment.
https://developers.cardano.org
What Scroll Can Learn
- Community-Driven Proposal Evaluation: Scroll can learn from Project Catalyst’s community voting system, which ensures projects are selected based on broad ecosystem alignment and collective community goals.
- Veteran Reviewers for Proposal Consistency: Scroll can learn from Catalyst’s Proposal Assessors (PAs) and Veteran Proposal Assessors (vPAs) model, which provides high-quality, consistent evaluations through a multi-tiered review process.
- Dynamic & Adaptive Funding Structure: Scroll can learn from Catalyst’s flexible funding model, which efficiently allocates resources to both early-stage and scaling projects based on their maturity and needs.
What Scroll Can Do
- Implement Veteran Reviewers: Introduce a multi-tiered review process with experienced reviewers to ensure proposal evaluations meet ecosystem standards and align with long-term goals.
- Incorporate Community Voting for Proposal Selection: Engage the community in funding decisions by implementing a voting system that prioritizes proposals aligned with collective ecosystem goals.
- Require Town Hall Presentations for Funded Projects: Mandate that funded teams present progress updates during open community sessions to promote transparency and gather constructive feedback.
Resources
- https://projectcatalyst.io/
- Celebrating 1,000 projects on Project Catalyst: a remarkable milestone!
- https://docs.projectcatalyst.io
Starknet Grants
Starknet Seed Grants
The Starknet Seed Grants program provides early-stage projects with up to $25,000 in non-dilutive funding to support foundational innovation and address ecosystem gaps. It is specifically designed for teams developing proofs of concept or prototypes.
Launch Date: 2022
Why a Valuable Case Study
The Seed Grants Program illustrates how targeted funding for early-stage projects can help fill ecosystem gaps and foster grassroots innovation. By supporting proofs of concept and prototypes, it lowers barriers for new developers and creates a framework that decentralized ecosystems, like Scroll, can replicate to nurture experimental ideas.
Objectives
- Supporting the development of early experiments with Cairo-based tooling to simplify and support development.
- Designed to help teams progress from MVPs to ecosystem-ready solutions.
- Filling critical gaps in Starknet’s ecosystem to lay the groundwork for broader adoption and engagement.
Focus Areas
- Early experiments with Cairo-based tooling to simplify and support development.
*Projects addressing onboarding challenges and supporting ecosystem growth. - Innovative dApps that demonstrate potential for broader utility.
Funding Tiers & Parameters
- Grants of up to $25,000 per team.
- No equity is taken from projects.
Eligibility
- Projects must align with Starknet’s ecosystem goals, addressing gaps in tools, applications, or infrastructure to foster innovation.
- Open to early-stage teams with proof of concept or MVP.
- Projects must address a specific ecosystem need.
Selection Process
- Teams submit proposals with goals, milestones, and anticipated ecosystem impact.
- Proposals are evaluated for alignment with Starknet’s priorities and feasibility.
- Teams with selected proposals are funded through a streamlined process.
Transparency and Accountability
- Funded projects must provide milestone-based reports.
- All project details and funding allocations are made publicly available.
Support Beyond Funding
- Funded teams are introduced to Starknet’s community for networking and collaboration.
- Technical guidance is provided on leveraging Starknet’s infrastructure and tools.
- Opportunities to showcase projects at Starknet events and forums
Example Projects
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LayerAkira: Hybrid On-Chain/Off-Chain CLOB DEX
LayerAkira addresses foundational infrastructure by building a high-performance decentralized exchange (DEX) on Starknet, supporting ecosystem growth and adoption. By focusing on enhancing financial infrastructure and ecosystem adoption, it provides robust trading options and scalability, directly supporting the Seed Grant Program’s goal of fostering foundational innovation and addressing ecosystem gaps. https://layerakira.xyz/ -
StarkFit: Web3 Social App for Healthy Habits
StarkFit leverages blockchain to integrate gamified challenges for wellness, providing a unique application that demonstrates Starknet’s versatility in real-world use cases. By focusing on user engagement and adoption, StarkFit contributes to expanding the ecosystem and fostering innovation in new application areas, perfectly aligning with the Seed Grant Program’s objective of supporting early-stage, impactful projects.https://www.starkfit.club/
*** STRKFarm: Reward Optimization Tool**
STRKFarm addresses a critical ecosystem need by optimizing rewards within the Starknet ecosystem, enhancing user participation. The platform supports developer tooling and improves the usability of Starknet’s decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape, making it a great example of how the Seed Grant Program nurtures early-stage projects that provide real value to the ecosystem. https://docs.strkfarm.com/
Impact
Not publicly available
What Scroll Can Learn
- Targeted Support for Early-Stage Projects: Scroll can learn from Starknet’s approach of funding proofs of concept and prototypes, providing early-stage teams with the resources needed to tackle key ecosystem gaps.
- Streamlined Application Process: Scroll can learn from Starknet’s simple, user-friendly application process for seed grants, which accelerates the onboarding of new developers into the ecosystem.
What Scroll Can Do Based on Starknet Seed Grants
- Focus on Experimental Projects: Provide non-dilutive funding for early-stage projects that directly address Scroll’s ecosystem needs, encouraging innovation and experimentation.
- Foster Ecosystem Participation: Encourage active community involvement through hackathons, builder programs, and initiatives designed to attract and support new developers.
- Prioritize Ecosystem Gap Solutions: Direct funding toward proofs of concept that address critical gaps in Scroll’s infrastructure, driving long-term growth and ecosystem resilience.
Starknet Growth Grant
The Starknet Growth Grant program supports mature projects with demonstrated traction, aiming to scale their impact within the ecosystem. By focusing on infrastructure, developer tools, and applications, the program accelerates Layer 2 adoption while fostering ecosystem growth through strategic resource allocation.
Launch Date: 2022
Why a Valuable Case Study
The Starknet Growth Grant Program illustrates how funding mature projects with proven traction can accelerate ecosystem development. By prioritizing measurable outcomes in infrastructure, tools, and applications, it ensures strategic resource allocation. Its focus on scaling impactful projects aligns well with broader adoption goals, making it a strong reference for designing effective grant frameworks.
Objectives
- Scale mature projects that address critical needs in the Starknet ecosystem.
- Focus on strategic infrastructure and tooling contributions.
- Fund teams with live products and measurable impact.
Focus Areas
- Infrastructure: Rollup scalability, zk-STARK advancements, and data availability solutions.
- Developer Tools: Enhancements to Cairo programming and ecosystem tooling.
- Applications: dApps with demonstrated utility aligned with ecosystem priorities.
Funding Tiers & Parameters
- Funding Amount: Grants up to $1M in STRK per project.
- Non-Dilutive Funding: Designed to support growth without equity dilution.
- Focus: Scaling infrastructure, applications, and tools critical to ecosystem development.
- Parameters: The program evaluates projects based on their ability to deliver measurable, strategic contributions to Starknet’s ecosystem.
Eligibility
*Restricted to mature projects with demonstrated traction.
- Proposals must align with Starknet’s infrastructure and application priorities.
- Teams must have a proven track record and operational experience.
Selection Process
- Proposal Submission: Teams provide detailed documentation on product goals and ecosystem contributions.
- Review: Starknet grants committee evaluates applications for ecosystem alignment and measurable outcomes.
- Funding Allocation: Grants are awarded to high-impact proposals.
Transparency and Accountability
- Grantees must meet predefined milestones to demonstrate measurable progress within the grant period.
- Regular updates on progress and outcomes are required, shared publicly to maintain transparency.
- After three months, the Starknet Foundation conducts follow-ups with grantees to assess impact and progress.
- Projects are monitored by Starknet’s grant committee to ensure alignment with ecosystem priorities.
- Grantees are encouraged to share progress via blog posts, AMAs, or videos to foster community involvement and accountability.
Support Beyond Funding
- Technical and strategic support to enhance scalability.
- Assistance with integrating into Starknet’s ecosystem.
- Visibility: Opportunities to demonstrate progress at ecosystem events and initiatives.
Example Projects
The Starknet Foundation has not publicly disclosed specific recipients of the Growth Grants program.
Impact
The Starknet Foundation has not publicly disclosed specific impact from their Growth Grants program.
What Scroll Can Learn
- Scaling Proven Projects: The Starknet Growth Grant’s exclusive focus on funding mature projects with demonstrable traction ensures resources are directed toward initiatives that deliver significant ecosystem impact.
- Measurable Outcomes: The program emphasizes structured milestones and public reporting, providing a model for ensuring grantee accountability.
- Strategic Resource Allocation: By focusing on impactful infrastructure and tools, the grant program maximizes the utility of resources to accelerate adoption and scalability.
What Scroll Can Do
- Focus on Scaling Established Projects: Provide funding exclusively to mature projects with demonstrated traction, ensuring resources are directed toward initiatives with proven potential to deliver significant ecosystem impact.
- Align Funding with Ecosystem Priorities: Require proposals to explicitly align with Scroll’s strategic goals, such as enhancing infrastructure, scaling applications, or improving developer tools, to maximize ecosystem-wide benefits.
- Enforce Post-Funding Accountability: Implement structured, milestone-based evaluations for funded projects, including public progress updates and community oversight, to ensure measurable outcomes are achieved.
Resources
- Starknet Seed Grant
- Starknet Growth Grants
- Cointelegraph Article on Starknet’s $5M Seed Grant Program
Celo Foundation Grants Program
The Celo Foundation Grants Program is designed to support projects that contribute to building an inclusive financial system that fosters prosperity for all. Through a combination of funding, mentorship, and strategic resources, the program aims to accelerate innovation in infrastructure, education, community building, and social impact within the Celo ecosystem.
Grant Objectives
- Supporting technical advancements and tools that enhance the Celo ecosystem.
- Reducing the barrier of entry especially in emerging markets.
- Funding projects that foster equitable economic opportunities and community engagement.
Focus Areas
- Technical & Research: Developing innovative tools and foundational components for the Celo platform and reference wallet.
- Ecosystem Support: Creating resources to improve developer and user accessibility within the ecosystem.
- Education & Community: Expanding global participation through educational initiatives and developer outreach.
- Social Impact: Enhancing access, opportunity, and equity through blockchain-based solutions.
Funding Tiers & Parameters
- Grants are tailored to project needs, with no fixed maximum funding amount.
- Priority is given to projects that provide public goods and align with the Celo mission.
- Preference is given to projects that address critical ecosystem gaps and enhance accessibility for developers and users.
Eligibility
- Applicants must provide a well-defined roadmap and demonstrate the technical capability to deliver the proposed project.
- Proposals must demonstrate a clear alignment with Celo’s core mission of financial inclusion and ecosystem growth.
Selection Process
- Application Submission: Proposals are submitted through the Celo grants platform.
- Screening: Initial review for mission alignment and basic eligibility criteria.
- Pre-Evaluation: Proposals are scored (0-12 scale); only those scoring 7 or higher advance.
- Interview & Final Evaluation: A 15-minute presentation is conducted to assess feasibility and impact.
- Decision Notification: Successful applicants proceed to onboarding; unsuccessful applicants receive feedback.
Transparency and Accountability
- Milestone-Based Reporting: Grantees must complete milestone review forms at key stages to track progress.
- Community Engagement: Regular updates on accomplishments, challenges, and progress are required.
- Structured Evaluation: Projects are assessed against predefined success metrics, such as engagement and roadmap completion.
Support Beyond Funding
- Mentorship: Grantees are paired with mentors who provide guidance throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with goals and ecosystem standards.
- Office Hours: Grantees can schedule video calls with the Foundation’s team for additional support during weekly office hours.
Impact
- Ecosystem Growth: Celo’s grants have supported projects such as Saldo MX and Pesabase, expanding the ecosystem by integrating cUSD payments and remittances, driving real-world adoption.
- Technical Innovation: Grants have facilitated the development of foundational tools like ChainSafe’s interoperability bridge, enhancing seamless asset transfers within Celo’s infrastructure.
- Financial Inclusion: Initiatives such as Impact Market, a universal basic income app, have been funded to promote financial access and equity within underserved communities.
Example Projects
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ChainSafe (Technical & Research)
ChainSafe developed a bridge that enhances Celo’s interoperability between private and public chains, improving transparency, usability, and adoption. This aligns with the grant program’s focus on technical innovation by supporting foundational tools that bolster the ecosystem’s infrastructure.
https://chainsafe.io -
Bitfy (Ecosystem Support)
Bitfy enabled the use of cUSD for everyday transactions in Brazil, demonstrating real-world adoption. This project fits the grant’s goal of ecosystem support by driving accessibility and lowering barriers for crypto usage, particularly in emerging markets.
https://bitfy.app -
Hummingbot (Technical & Research)
Hummingbot developed the celo-arb trading algorithm, providing scalable arbitrage trading solutions for CELO and cUSD. This supports the program’s goal of financial inclusion and technical innovation by enhancing ecosystem efficiency and driving participation.
https://hummingbot.io
What Scroll Can Learn
- Centralized Grant Application Portal: Scroll can learn from Celo’s grant kit documentation and how to consolidating all grant-related information into a single, user-friendly platform.
What Scroll Can Do
- Develop Centralized Grant Application Portal: By consolidating all grant-related information into a single, user-friendly platform, similar to Celo 's Grant Kit.
- Strengthen Mentorship Programs: Introduce dedicated mentorship initiatives to guide grantees through technical and strategic challenges, ensuring long-term success.
Resources
Mantle Scouts Program
The Mantle Scouts Program identifies and supports innovative projects through mentorship, guidance, and grants in $MNT tokens. By leveraging a network of 40 industry leaders, including investors and founders, the program aims to foster the growth of high-quality projects in the Mantle ecosystem.
Grant Objectives
- Supporting projects that improve user experiences and drive adoption of blockchain technology.
- Funding solutions that enhance payment systems through blockchain integration.
- AI Applications:** Encouraging the development of AI-driven innovations within the Mantle ecosystem to expand technological capabilities.
Focus Areas
- Consumer Applications: Projects that improve user experiences and drive adoption.
- Payments: Solutions enhancing payment systems through blockchain.
- AI Applications: Integrating AI for innovative use cases within the ecosystem.
Funding Tiers & Parameters
- Funding in $MNT: Grants provided in Mantle’s native token.
- Evaluation Framework: Assessed based on team competence, feasibility, and value proposition.
- Scalable Support: Grants tailored to the scope and maturity of each project.
Eligibility
- Nomination by Scouts: Projects must be nominated by one of 40 appointed Mantle Scouts.
- Project Readiness: Teams must demonstrate clear roadmaps, technical competence, and alignment with ecosystem objectives.
- Global Inclusion: Open to participants worldwide who meet program criteria.
Selection Process
- Nomination: Scouts nominate projects based on potential and alignment.
- Evaluation: Submissions are reviewed using a consistent framework assessing key criteria.
- Grant Award: Approved projects receive $MNT grants upon final evaluation.
Transparency and Accountability
- Framework Consistency: All projects evaluated using a transparent and uniform framework.
- Milestone Tracking: Regular progress reports ensure accountability and alignment with goals.
- Community Updates: Projects must provide public updates on progress and outcomes.
Support Beyond Funding
- Mentorship: Guidance from Scouts and industry leaders throughout project development.
- Community Integration: Access to Mantle’s ecosystem resources and networking opportunities.
- Visibility: Featured participation in Mantle events to showcase progress and outcomes.
Impact
- Project Growth: 16 projects supported in Season 1, including FIDE AI, which achieved over 2 million on-chain transactions.
- **Ecosystem Expansion: ** Integration of Mantle ecosystem assets like $FBTC, $mETH, and $AUSD into supported projects, driving liquidity and adoption.
- Scalability and Innovation: Strengthened Mantle’s position as an Ethereum Layer 2 solution through projects that enhance interoperability and scalability.
Example Projects
- FIDE AI: FIDE AI leverages Mantle’s infrastructure to enhance innovation and scalability in decentralized AI applications. By focusing on AI-driven blockchain solutions, it showcases how Mantle’s ecosystem supports cutting-edge technologies that contribute to ecosystem growth. https://fide.ai
- Spacebar: A social Web3 platform focused on consumer engagement and adoption, providing seamless integration of Mantle’s assets to encourage ecosystem growth. https://spacebar.com
- Thetanuts: A decentralized financial tool enhancing yield strategies and liquidity, addressing ecosystem gaps in DeFi optimization. https://thetanuts.finance
What Scroll Can Learn
- Scout-Led Selection Process: Scroll can learn from the Mantle Scouts Program, which leverages expert nominations to identify high-impact projects, ensuring strategic alignment with ecosystem goals and improving the quality of funded initiatives.
- Ecosystem-Driven Growth: Scroll can learn from Mantle’s approach of integrating funded projects with broader ecosystem assets, strengthening network effects and driving adoption through ecosystem coherence.
- Structured Mentorship Support: Scroll can learn from Mantle’s ongoing mentorship model, which supports project scaling and community integration, maximizing the long-term success of grantees.
What Scroll Can Do
- Implement a Scout-Based Nomination System: Introduce a structured nomination process involving trusted ecosystem participants to improve project selection and ensure strategic alignment with Scroll’s goals.
- Prioritize Ecosystem Synergy: Require grant recipients to integrate with Scroll’s existing infrastructure, fostering cohesion and enhancing long-term ecosystem value.
- Enhance Accountability Through Milestones: Establish milestone-driven reporting with public progress updates to maintain transparency, improve accountability, and engage the broader community.