# Ighor -- FOSS Dev Building Crypto Exchange Infrastructure

Andrew: can you tell me a bit about how you have funded your work in FOSS?
Ighor: I collected donations using just a bitcoin address for many years, but received just $150 per year... not much. Then I realized that I needed more funding, so I started to charge exchanges to be added to my app... $5k per exchange. So I got some income that way, just 4-5 exchanges. Then at some point a private company agreed to pay me in exchange for supporting them in their closed-source app, which builds primarily off of my project. I considered Github sponsors and Patreon, but they are not available in Ukraine. Although I am now located in the US, so I guess I could try them.

Andrew: What kind of benefits do you give?

Ighor: I am in close contact with people at the the private company that is paying me now. I have a contract with them and interact with them daily/weekly.

Ighor: There was actually another exchange that rebranded my software and built a commercial exchange off of it at one point. But I never received much from them.

Ighor: I also have a Youtube channel and do some bug bounty hunting, which provides income.

Andrew: do you prefer crypto or fiat?

Ighor: I prefer crypto, but either one is an option. I have received funds in a mix of fiat and crypto. Because I was in Ukraine for a long time, crypto was more convenient. But I am now in the US and can receive either one.

Andrew: do you prefer native tokens or stables?

Ighor: I prefer bitcoin over everything else, because I believe in bitcoin.

Andrew: what do oyu think about raising as an individual versus raising for projects you own or contribute to?

Ighor: I have a preference for raising for projects because then I can see what people are most interested to fund and put more of my effort there.

Andrew: did you have to KYC with any of the orgs who funded you?

Ighor: not for the exchange-add deals, but I did KYC for the main company I am contracting for as part of setting up the contract.

Andrew: if you had an opportunity to split a percentage of funds raised to your dependencies, would you try it?
Ighor:...

Andrew note: [While I tried several times to explain this functionality, Ihgor seemed a bit confused and was becoming caught up in the idea that people who depend on him would be forced to pay him royalties for building on his code. So I'm not sure I was able to get any useful response from him on this question.]