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# System prepended metadata

title: Web3/DeFi Grant Programs for Tokenomics and Mechanism Design Teams

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# Web3/DeFi Grant Programs for Tokenomics and Mechanism Design Teams

A tokenomics and mechanism design research team with Block Science affiliation and a $50K-$300K budget range has exceptional alignment with **116 identified grant opportunities** across blockchain ecosystems. The strongest fits are protocols explicitly funding economic research, governance mechanism design, and incentive optimization—areas where sophisticated systems modeling directly addresses ecosystem needs. **Arbitrum, Uniswap Foundation, EigenLayer, Filecoin ProPGF, and Ethereum Foundation's research programs** represent the highest-priority targets, offering substantial budgets, active programs, and explicit demand for tokenomics expertise.

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## Tier 1: Exceptional fit (Rank 1-25)

These opportunities explicitly fund tokenomics, mechanism design, or economic research with budgets matching the $50K-$300K range and active, accessible programs.

### 1. Uniswap Foundation
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://www.uniswapfoundation.org/grants |
| **Treasury/Budget** | $30M over two years; **$2.2M dedicated to Research vertical** (2024); grants exceeding $250K standard for large-scale work |
| **Decision Process** | Committee-driven with DeFi experts, researchers, protocol engineers; monthly milestone check-ins; quarterly KPI reviews |
| **Application** | Portal at uniswapfoundation.org/grants; contact erin@uniswapfoundation.org |
| **What They Fund** | MEV mitigation, **conditional funding markets, futarchy governance mechanisms**, cryptoeconomics research, Uniswap v4/Unichain improvements |
| **Strategy Notes** | **PERFECT FIT**—funded Butter for futarchy research. Emphasize mechanism design for AMMs, governance, or Unichain economics. Engage via TLDR conference community. |

### 2. EigenLayer / Eigen Foundation
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://blog.eigenfoundation.org/ • forum.eigenlayer.xyz |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **40M EIGEN tokens for 2025 grants**; 15% of total supply for R&D and ecosystem |
| **Decision Process** | Grants Team + Foundation; Grants Oversight Council; season-based with quarterly distribution and transparency reports |
| **Application** | Grants portal launching; forum discussions at forum.eigenlayer.xyz |
| **What They Fund** | AVS development, **restaking mechanism research**, security research, token-related initiatives |
| **Strategy Notes** | **EXCELLENT FIT**—restaking economics is novel and needs sophisticated modeling. AVS tokenomics design opportunities abundant. Season 1 focused on ecosystem growth. |

### 3. Arbitrum DAO
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://arbitrum.questbook.app • https://forum.arbitrum.foundation |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **~2.8 billion ARB** (one of crypto's largest); 27.5M ARB for grants via Questbook; STIP distributed 71.4M ARB; generated ~20,000 ETH profit |
| **Decision Process** | DAO governance via Snapshot; ~4 proposals voted weekly; KYC required; milestone-based with dashboards |
| **Application** | Questbook portal for domain-specific grants; forum proposals for larger initiatives |
| **What They Fund** | Research and analytics (funded Blockworks Research for STIP analysis), DeFi, infrastructure, gaming |
| **Strategy Notes** | **EXCELLENT FIT**—STIP/LTIPP created urgent need for incentive optimization research. Engage key delegates before proposals. Reference Gauntlet's work for positioning. |

### 4. Filecoin ProPGF (Protocol Public Goods Funding)
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://filecoin.io/blog/posts/announcing-filecoin-propgf-batch-2-general-track |
| **Treasury/Budget** | Batch 1: $3.68M to 14 teams; Open Grants up to $50K; ongoing community-led funding |
| **Decision Process** | Community-led via Karma platform; milestone-based with progress updates |
| **Application** | Applications on Karma; Office hours at calendly.com/filecoin-grants |
| **What They Fund** | **"Technical, economic, or design research advancing protocol understanding"**—explicitly listed; storage economics, FVM projects |
| **Strategy Notes** | **PERFECT FIT**—explicitly calls out economic research. Block Science's systems modeling aligns with Filecoin's technical complexity. |

### 5. Ethereum Foundation ESP (Ecosystem Support Program)
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://esp.ethereum.foundation/applicants |
| **Treasury/Budget** | EF Treasury: **$970.2M**; annual budget ~$100-135M; 2024 ESP: ~$3M to 105 projects |
| **Decision Process** | Committee review + EF subject experts; 3-6 week timeline; milestone-based payments |
| **Application** | Apply via esp.ethereum.foundation to specific Wishlist/RFP items |
| **What They Fund** | **Economics & Game Theory research** explicitly listed; cryptography, consensus, protocol design, mechanism design |
| **Strategy Notes** | **HIGH FIT**—new model requires applying to specific Wishlist items. All outputs must be open-source. Check Wishlist regularly for new opportunities. |

### 6. Flashbots Research Grants
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://github.com/flashbots/mev-research/blob/main/grants.md |
| **Treasury/Budget** | Standard FRP: **$15K** ($10K upfront, $5K completion); 33+ FRPs funded over 3 years |
| **Decision Process** | Submit Flashbots Research Proposal (FRP); review committee; 2-week decision after final submission |
| **Application** | GitHub submission (markdown); follow FRP template; rolling applications |
| **What They Fund** | **MEV market dynamics, auction mechanisms, game theory, incentive design**, orderflow economics, protocol security |
| **Strategy Notes** | **PERFECT FIT**—direct mechanism design focus. Block Science likely known to team. MolochDAO connection (funded Flashbots $100K). Topics include all mechanism design areas. |

### 7. Interchain Foundation (ICF)
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://interchain.io/ • https://apply.interchain.io |
| **Treasury/Budget** | Grant range: **$50,000-$300,000 CHF**; 2024: $3M+ to Informal Systems for CometBFT; significant ATOM holdings |
| **Decision Process** | ICF + Technical Advisory Board review; three funding types: Grants, Service Agreements, Investments |
| **Application** | apply.interchain.io; email hello@interchain.io; builders@interchain.io |
| **What They Fund** | Cosmos SDK, CometBFT, IBC development; **research on interchain infrastructure**; tokenomics (issued explicit RFP previously) |
| **Strategy Notes** | **PERFECT BUDGET FIT**—$50K-$300K CHF aligns exactly. Previous tokenomics RFP shows demand. Emphasize interoperability and IBC narrative. |

### 8. Ethereum Foundation Academic Grants
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://esp.ethereum.foundation/academic-grants |
| **Treasury/Budget** | 2025 Round: **$2M total pool**; projects typically 6-12 months |
| **Decision Process** | Applications reviewed after deadline; 6-week notification; criteria include technical approach, open-source commitment |
| **Application** | Deadline: **March 16, 2025**; PDF proposal in English; email academic-grants@ethereum.org |
| **What They Fund** | **Economics & Game Theory** explicitly listed; Applied/Theoretical Cryptography; Protocol Design; Formal Verification |
| **Strategy Notes** | **HIGH FIT**—Economics & Game Theory explicit category. Partner with academic institution. Deadline approaching. |

### 9. Lido LEGO Program
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://lido.fi/lego • https://research.lido.fi/ |
| **Treasury/Budget** | LEGO Council: 15,000 LDO/quarter; LEGO Nominees: 10,000 LDO/quarter; tiered grants (Sand grains to Mountains) |
| **Decision Process** | 8-member LEGO Council; up to 20 Nominees; quarterly activity reports |
| **Application** | Contact LEGO member on Telegram; proposal on research.lido.fi |
| **What They Fund** | **Liquid staking mechanism research**, security, DeFi integrations, decentralization advocacy (funded DRC $50K) |
| **Strategy Notes** | **STRONG FIT**—staking mechanism design is core. Focus on Ethereum PoS improvements. Decentralization research explicitly funded. |

### 10. Optimism RetroPGF
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://retrofunding.optimism.io • https://gov.optimism.io |
| **Treasury/Budget** | Round 3: **30M OP to 501 recipients**; 8M OP for Dev Tooling rewards (March-July 2025); continuous quarterly/monthly rewards in 2025 |
| **Decision Process** | Token House (delegates) + Citizens' House (~200 badgeholders); metrics-based via Open Source Observer |
| **Application** | Sign up at retrofunding.optimism.io; Foundation Mission Requests for specific needs |
| **What They Fund** | Public goods, infrastructure, governance, **research teams with demonstrable past impact** |
| **Strategy Notes** | **STRONG FIT**—"Impact = Profit" philosophy rewards proven work. Partner with Open Source Observer for data-driven proposals. Engage #retropgf-discussion Discord. |

### 11. Aave Grants DAO
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://aavegrants.org/ • governance.aave.com |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **$2M per quarter**; $4.395M+ awarded since May 2021 |
| **Decision Process** | 8-member committee; 4/7 multisig; rolling applications; milestone-based (50% upfront typical) |
| **Application** | Apply at aavegrants.org; Community grants ($100K+) require forum post |
| **What They Fund** | Protocol development, **research, risk analysis, governance improvements**; RFG program for GHO and governance |
| **Strategy Notes** | **STRONG FIT**—Gauntlet partnership shows interest in quantitative analysis. Target RFG (Request for Grants) program for specific research needs. |

### 12. dYdX Foundation Grants
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://www.dydxgrants.com/ |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **$8M DYDX allocated** (August 2025); $3.3M USDC + 9.1M DYDX current holdings |
| **Decision Process** | dYdX Grants Ltd; Guernsey Purpose Trust; 5 Trustees; milestone-based structured reporting |
| **Application** | dydxgrants.com/grants-application; RFPs released periodically |
| **What They Fund** | **Research teams explicitly called out**; incentive mechanism research (funded Xenophon Labs); trading tools, analytics |
| **Strategy Notes** | **EXCELLENT FIT**—Research RFPs specifically target research teams. Xenophon Labs precedent for incentive mechanism research. Strong transparency focus. |

### 13. Project Catalyst (Cardano)
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://projectcatalyst.io/ |
| **Treasury/Budget** | Treasury holds **~1.7B ADA (~$1.2B)**; Fund 15: 18.5M ADA; Partners track: ₳500K-₳2M ($225K-$900K); **distributed $150M+ to 2,000+ projects** |
| **Decision Process** | Fully decentralized DAO voting by ADA holders; DReps influence; Community Reviewers assess proposals; milestone-based |
| **Application** | Platform at projectcatalyst.io; Discord #catalyst channels |
| **What They Fund** | Open source tools, **economic modeling, governance research**, protocol parameter analysis, enterprise R&D |
| **Strategy Notes** | **HIGH FIT**—Cardano's Voltaire governance era emphasizes economic modeling. Partners track fits budget ($225K-$900K). Build community presence first. |

### 14. Polkadot Treasury (OpenGov)
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/ |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **41M DOT (~$410M+)**; funded by 80% fees, 15% inflation; 2024 H1 spending increased 2.4x |
| **Decision Process** | Public referendum via OpenGov; track selection by amount; community voting with conviction multiplier |
| **Application** | Create proposal on Polkassembly; post on Polkadot Forum first; submission + decision deposits required |
| **What They Fund** | Data services, protocol development, governance tools, **Futarchy research funded** (Zeitgeist $1M) |
| **Strategy Notes** | **STRONG FIT**—Futarchy/governance research funded previously. Requires community advocacy. Start with forum discussion. |

### 15. Mantle Network
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://www.mantle.xyz/grants • https://group.mantle.xyz/treasury |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **~$2B+ treasury** (2nd largest on-chain); EcoFund: $200M; Scouts Program: up to $20K; Genesi DAC: $100M |
| **Decision Process** | DAO governance; Scouts identify projects; internal evaluation framework; milestone-based |
| **Application** | Buildathon programs; Scouts application; Genesi DAC via BizDev with pitch deck/tokenomics/whitepaper |
| **What They Fund** | Consumer apps, payments, AI, **explicit interest in economic design and tokenomics** |
| **Strategy Notes** | **EXCELLENT FIT**—explicit tokenomics interest. "Blockchain for Banking" narrative suits RWA/payments economics. MI4 fund shows sophisticated treasury management interest. |

### 16. Sui Foundation Academic Research Awards
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://sui.io/grants-hub • https://www.sui.io/request-for-proposals |
| **Treasury/Budget** | Developer Grants: $10K-$100K; **Academic Research Awards: $25K fixed**; potential SUI token bonuses |
| **Decision Process** | RFP committee evaluates; identity verification post-selection; milestone-based |
| **Application** | Sui Grants Hub portal; RFP applications through dedicated forms |
| **What They Fund** | Analytics, DeFi, **academic research in finance/economics/governance** explicitly listed |
| **Strategy Notes** | **EXCELLENT FIT**—Academic Research Awards specifically fund economics and governance research. Check current RFPs. |

### 17. Mina Foundation
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://minaprotocol.com/grants-wip |
| **Treasury/Budget** | zkIgnite Cohort 3: **2M MINA**; 50+ projects funded; Prism grants: 2.3M MINA distributed |
| **Decision Process** | zkIgnite: community electors; Navigator grants: NExT team; Core grants: RFP process |
| **Application** | zkIgnite platform; Core Grants GitHub for RFPs; Discord zkIgnite channels |
| **What They Fund** | zkApps, developer tooling, **"Tokenomics Study" explicitly listed as Core Grant example** |
| **Strategy Notes** | **PERFECT FIT**—"Tokenomics Study" explicit category. ZK governance creates mechanism design opportunities. Community-governed funding. |

### 18. Radix Foundation
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://developers.radixdlt.com/grants-program |
| **Treasury/Budget** | Ecosystem Fund: **250M XRD ($10M+)**; Foundry: **up to $250K**; Booster: up to $160K across 4 tracks |
| **Decision Process** | RDX Works team review; 12-week cohort programs; bi-weekly mentor check-ins |
| **Application** | Ecosystem Fund Form; grants@radixdlt.com |
| **What They Fund** | DEXs, lending, stablecoins, yield derivatives, **asset-oriented architecture purpose-built for DeFi mechanism design** |
| **Strategy Notes** | **STRONG FIT**—Asset-oriented DeFi focus. Developer Royalties System creates economic model study opportunity. Y Combinator-inspired approach. |

### 19. Helium Foundation
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://www.helium.foundation/grants • https://helium.com/grant |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **$50M committed** for coverage grants (2025); applications up to **$250K**; development up to $100K |
| **Decision Process** | Foundation team + Grant Committee; rolling applications; disbursements in HNT |
| **Application** | helium.foundation/grants; grants@dewi.org; hello@helium.foundation |
| **What They Fund** | Network expansion, **DePIN tokenomics** explicit focus, applications up to $250K, IoT economics |
| **Strategy Notes** | **EXCELLENT FIT**—DePIN tokenomics explicit focus. Burn-and-mint equilibrium mechanics need modeling. Messari case study shows fundamentals-based analysis valued. |

### 20. The Graph Foundation
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://thegraph.com/grants/ |
| **Treasury/Budget** | 20% of GRT supply to Foundation; ~$2.6M Wave 1; **~$3M/year for Ecosystem Contributors** |
| **Decision Process** | Domain Experts review; Graph Council (6-of-10 multisig); decentralizing to AdvocatesDAO |
| **Application** | thegraph.com/grants/; share ideas in Forum first |
| **What They Fund** | **Protocol R&D** explicitly funded; indexer economics, tooling, data services |
| **Strategy Notes** | **HIGH FIT**—Protocol R&D funded. Indexer/curator/delegator mechanism improvements needed. Community engagement before application improves chances. |

### 21. Avalanche Foundation
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://build.avax.network/grants • https://avalanche.gitcoin.co/ |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **$250M+ total**; Community Grants: 14,000 AVAX/round; Multiverse: up to 4M AVAX; **infraBUIDL(AI): up to $15M**; Blizzard Fund: $200M+ |
| **Decision Process** | Quadratic + retroactive via Gitcoin; infraBUIDL includes AI committee evaluator |
| **Application** | avalanche.gitcoin.co; grants@avax.network; Telegram for support |
| **What They Fund** | DeFi, gaming, infrastructure, AI + decentralized infrastructure |
| **Strategy Notes** | **HIGHLY RELEVANT**—Block Science has existing Avalanche research portfolio. Lead with prior work. infraBUIDL(AI) for mechanism design + AI. |

### 22. Balancer Grants
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://medium.com/@BalancerGrants |
| **Treasury/Budget** | 75K BAL/quarter; ~$290K committed live grants; grants $1K-$100K in BAL |
| **Decision Process** | 5-member Grants Committee; BIP snapshot votes; GANTT milestone tracking |
| **Application** | Grants Application form; RFP page; grants@balancer.community |
| **What They Fund** | V3 development, **research on dynamic fees, LVR mitigation strategies**, custom pools, Hooks development |
| **Strategy Notes** | **STRONG FIT**—Gyroscope built on Balancer (precedent). V3 creates pool design research opportunities. Focus on AMM mechanisms and LVR research. |

### 23. Kadena
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://www.kadena.io/grants |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **$50M total** (2025); **RWA Grant Program: $25M**; Chainweb EVM & AI: $25M |
| **Decision Process** | Grants committee; 2-4 week turnaround; milestone-based via GitHub |
| **Application** | kadena.typeform.com/to/Q3tZpsBJ; Discord for questions |
| **What They Fund** | DeFi, EVM tools, **RWA tokenization, institutional-grade solutions**, DAOs |
| **Strategy Notes** | **STRONG FIT**—$25M RWA program excellent for tokenization economic modeling. Founded by JPMorgan blockchain team—institutional credibility valued. |

### 24. Akash Network
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://akash.network/development/funding-program/ |
| **Treasury/Budget** | Developer grants up to **$100K in AKT**; Q3 2025: $4.7M AKT marketing, $400K tenant incentives; Community Pool on-chain |
| **Decision Process** | Community Pool: on-chain governance proposal; SIGs and Working Groups discussion; AEP process |
| **Application** | GitHub discussions; SIGs/Working Groups at akash.network/development/current-groups/ |
| **What They Fund** | Open-source development, **provider economics and tenant incentive design**, GPU marketplace |
| **Strategy Notes** | **VERY HIGH FIT**—Provider economics and GPU marketplace pricing mechanisms need modeling. Highly active governance (8 proposals Q2 2025). DeAI integration expands scope. |

### 25. Wormhole Foundation
| **Category** | **Details** |
|--------------|-------------|
| **URL** | https://wormhole.com/wormhole-xgrant-application • github.com/wormhole-foundation/grants |
| **Treasury/Budget** | **$50M Cross-Chain Ecosystem Fund** (Borderless Capital); $2.5M bug bounty; Base Camp: $200K/team |
| **Decision Process** | Foundation committee review; milestone-based deliverables; longer evaluation for larger funding |
| **Application** | xgrants@wormholenetwork.com; hello@wormhole.foundation |
| **What They Fund** | Software development AND **research** focused on cross-chain protocols; security research (#1 rated by Uniswap) |
| **Strategy Notes** | **STRONG FIT**—Strong security focus, explicitly funds research. Position around cross-chain security economics. |

---

## Tier 2: Strong fit (Rank 26-55)

These opportunities have good alignment with tokenomics work, active programs, and reasonable budgets, though may require specific positioning or have smaller grants.

### 26. Starknet Foundation
| **URL** | https://www.starknet.io/grants/ |
| **Budget** | Seed: up to $25K; Growth: **$25K-$1M STRK**; BTC Season: 100M STRK |
| **What They Fund** | Innovation, ecosystem integration, BTC DeFi, gaming |
| **Strategy** | Strong DeFi/BTCFi focus. Cairo knowledge valued. Engage community forum first. |

### 27. Polygon Community Grants
| **URL** | https://polygon.questbook.xyz |
| **Budget** | Season 2: **35M POL**; Season 1: 18M POL to 120+ projects |
| **What They Fund** | AI tracks, DePIN, DeFi, research/data projects |
| **Strategy** | AI + tokenomics intersection trending. Multiple Grant Allocators = multiple entry points. |

### 28. zkSync Fellowship
| **URL** | https://zksync.mirror.xyz (Fellowship announcement) |
| **Budget** | **$3,500/month for 4-6 months**; $458M total funding raised |
| **What They Fund** | Technical contributions, research, academic work on ZK Stack |
| **Strategy** | Research-focused, academic backgrounds valued. ZK-specific tokenomics work. |

### 29. Zcash Foundation (ZCG)
| **URL** | https://zcashcommunitygrants.org/ |
| **Budget** | 8% of block rewards; Minor Grants: $75K budget (max $25K each); **Filecoin-ECC: $5M pool** |
| **What They Fund** | Protocol development, **privacy research**, governance via ZIP process |
| **Strategy** | Unique block reward funding model—ideal tokenomics case study. Lockbox mechanism decision upcoming. |

### 30. NEAR Foundation
| **URL** | https://www.near.org/funding |
| **Budget** | **$45M+ deployed** to 800+ projects; average grant ~$78K; Advanced Builder up to $100K |
| **What They Fund** | Infrastructure, research, AI-native applications (current priority) |
| **Strategy** | Position around AI/agent economics. Regional hubs for faster processing. |

### 31. TON Foundation
| **URL** | https://ton.foundation |
| **Budget** | $400M+ raised 2024; grants **$20K-$50K in TON**; TONcoin.Fund $250M syndicate |
| **What They Fund** | Infrastructure, DeFi, mini apps for Telegram ecosystem |
| **Strategy** | 950M+ Telegram users = massive distribution. Focus on social/payment economics. |

### 32. Render Network Foundation
| **URL** | https://renderfoundation.com/grants |
| **Budget** | Foundation treasury funds grants; RNP process for major changes |
| **What They Fund** | Network improvements, **BME tokenomics** central to network |
| **Strategy** | Burn-and-Mint Equilibrium design. GPU provider economics modeling. |

### 33. Tezos Foundation
| **URL** | https://grants.tezos.foundation/ |
| **Budget** | **~$635M Foundation assets**; $9.81M to 43 projects (recent period); up to $50K standard |
| **What They Fund** | DeFi, security, **formal verification, research** |
| **Strategy** | Strong formal methods focus—suits economic modeling. Quarterly review cycles. |

### 34. Hedera Foundation
| **URL** | https://hedera.foundation/submit-a-proposal |
| **Budget** | Initial **$5B HBAR**; +7B HBAR approved (Dec 2024); Crypto Economy Fund: $155M |
| **What They Fund** | DeFi, RWA tokenization, AI, sustainability |
| **Strategy** | Enterprise focus—rigorous analysis valued. Council includes Google, IBM. |

### 35. Connext/Everclear Foundation
| **URL** | https://grants.connext.network |
| **Budget** | 10.8% of NEXT supply to Foundation; $15.7M total funding |
| **What They Fund** | Core dev, analytics, **research into future improvements** explicit |
| **Strategy** | Public goods mission. Cross-chain security research highly relevant. |

### 36. Aptos Foundation
| **URL** | https://aptosfoundation.org/grants |
| **Budget** | Ecosystem: $5K-$50K; Payments Track: up to **$150K**; $20M Artist program |
| **What They Fund** | Developer tooling, governance, DeFi, protocol contributions |
| **Strategy** | Payments mechanism design fits Payments Track. Move language expertise valued. |

### 37. MolochDAO
| **URL** | https://molochdao.com/ |
| **Budget** | **$1M+ annually**; Research grants: $2K-$5K; Project grants to $100K (funded Flashbots) |
| **What They Fund** | Ethereum public infrastructure, **DAO governance research**, treasury management |
| **Strategy** | Excellent for mechanism design/governance research. Block Science has credibility. Get member sponsor. |

### 38. Axelar Network
| **URL** | https://axelar.network/developers |
| **Budget** | **$60M Ecosystem Startup Funding**; Grants up to $25K for idea-stage |
| **What They Fund** | Cross-chain super apps, tooling, **research into improvements** |
| **Strategy** | PoS tokenomics highly relevant. Community Pool can fund research. |

### 39. Curve Finance
| **URL** | https://gov.curve.finance/ |
| **Budget** | $150K/month proposed for grants; Treasury established June 2025 |
| **What They Fund** | Ecosystem dev, **stablecoin mechanism research**, Llamalend |
| **Strategy** | Lending mechanism design interest. Understand veCRV/Yearn/Convex dynamics. |

### 40. THORChain
| **URL** | https://docs.thorchain.org/ecosystem |
| **Budget** | Treasury: **$217M** (Q1 2022); 60M RUNE reserve; recent $200M debt restructuring |
| **What They Fund** | Security, liquidity, wallets |
| **Strategy** | **URGENT need for economic modeling** after $200M debt crisis. Contact NineRealms. |

### 41. Rocket Pool GMC
| **URL** | https://dao.rocketpool.net/c/grant-bounties/13 |
| **Budget** | 30% pDAO treasury to grants; ~$1.32M example allocation |
| **What They Fund** | **Liquid staking mechanism improvements**, tooling, education |
| **Strategy** | Saturn upgrade discussions = governance mechanism research opportunity. |

### 42. Pocket Network
| **URL** | https://pocket.network/apply/ |
| **Budget** | Gateway Accelerator: **$25K USDC**; DAO treasury ongoing |
| **What They Fund** | Gateway development, **Shannon tokenomics** (complete overhaul 2025) |
| **Strategy** | Shannon upgrade created new Token Logic Modules. Gateway economics modeling valuable. |

### 43. Gitcoin Grants
| **URL** | https://grants.gitcoin.co/ |
| **Budget** | 2025: **$4.29M+** across OSS rounds; Community: $130K/round; QF matching varies |
| **What They Fund** | **Public Goods R&D** domain highly relevant, dev tooling |
| **Strategy** | QF favors many small donations—mobilize community. Both QF and Retro Funding tracks. |

### 44. RnDAO Co.Lab
| **URL** | https://www.rndao.info/arbitrumdao-colab |
| **Budget** | **$50K grants + $6K research fellowships** |
| **What They Fund** | DAO operations research, collaboration technology, governance |
| **Strategy** | Highly aligned with DAO mechanism design. Emphasize coordination expertise. |

### 45. deBridge Foundation
| **URL** | https://docs.debridge.foundation/ |
| **Budget** | 26% of 10B DBR for ecosystem; 15% for protocol development |
| **What They Fund** | Cross-chain applications, DeFi, validator security |
| **Strategy** | New foundation = early opportunity. Validator economic analysis valuable. |

### 46. Router Protocol
| **URL** | Medium announcements; contact via official channels |
| **Budget** | 1M ROUTE for incentives; 60% inflation to ecosystem |
| **What They Fund** | CCIF development, **public goods** explicitly mentioned |
| **Strategy** | New mainnet (July 2024) needs economic/security analysis. |

### 47. Across Protocol / UMA DAO
| **URL** | https://grants.umaproject.org/ |
| **Budget** | UMA Treasury: **35M UMA tokens**; proposals require 5K UMA bond |
| **What They Fund** | Developer tooling, Optimistic Oracle middleware, **economic mechanism design** relevant |
| **Strategy** | Oracle security model = economic mechanism design opportunity. Discourse.uma.xyz for proposals. |

### 48. DFINITY Foundation (ICP)
| **URL** | https://dfinity.org/grants |
| **Budget** | $10M+ disbursed (560+ grants); tiers: $5K, $25K, **$100K** |
| **What They Fund** | CDKs, tooling, infrastructure, dApps |
| **Strategy** | SNS/NNS governance = DAO mechanism design opportunity. **Note: public grants currently paused**—internal review only. |

### 49. Synthetix
| **URL** | https://www.synthetix.io/governance |
| **Budget** | 1M SNX/year to grantsDAO (3-year commitment) |
| **What They Fund** | Public goods, stats/analytics, fee rebate initiatives |
| **Strategy** | Highly selective (7/68 approved). V3 migration creates opportunities. Cross-pollination with Optimism possible. |

### 50. GMX Grants
| **URL** | https://gov.gmx.io/c/grants/6 |
| **Budget** | 600K ARB for integrations; received 12M ARB from STIP |
| **What They Fund** | V2 integrations, **risk management for perpetuals** |
| **Strategy** | Good for perps-focused tokenomics. Arbitrum grants partnership provides additional avenues. |

### 51. Pendle Finance
| **URL** | https://gov.pendle.finance/ |
| **Budget** | Ecosystem Fund: 19.2% supply; received 1M ARB from STIP |
| **What They Fund** | Money market integrations, **yield mechanism research** |
| **Strategy** | Yield tokenization highly relevant. V3 development = research opportunities. |

### 52. Fantom/Sonic Foundation
| **URL** | https://fantom.foundation |
| **Budget** | Innovator Fund: **$120M+ FTM**; Accelerator: 1M FTM (~$294K); 335M FTM Gitcoin program |
| **What They Fund** | DeFi, GameFi, Sonic migration projects |
| **Strategy** | Andre Cronje mentorship ideal for DeFi mechanism design. Gas Monetization Program design consultation. |

### 53. Frax Finance
| **URL** | https://gov.frax.finance/ |
| **Budget** | 5% FXS to Treasury; 8% annual inflation |
| **What They Fund** | Educational content, **stablecoin mechanism design**, Fraxtal ecosystem |
| **Strategy** | Multi-stablecoin ecosystem (FRAX, FPI, frxETH). AMO mechanism design opportunities. |

### 54. Ocean Protocol
| **URL** | https://oceanprotocol.com |
| **Budget** | **180M OCEAN ($140M)** for OceanDAO; individual grants up to $50K |
| **What They Fund** | Data marketplace, **data economy mechanisms** |
| **Strategy** | Data tokenization economics core area. **Status unclear**—OceanDAO governance may be limited. |

### 55. Solana Foundation
| **URL** | https://solana.org/grants-funding |
| **Budget** | **500+ projects funded, $100M+ deployed**; rolling applications |
| **What They Fund** | Public goods, infrastructure, research benefiting Solana |
| **Strategy** | Emphasize "public good" nature. Show "Why Solana?" uniqueness. Superteam microgrants for pilots. |

---

## Tier 3: Moderate fit (Rank 56-85)

These opportunities have active programs but may have smaller budgets, less explicit research focus, or require specific positioning.

### 56-70: Foundation Programs (Active, Varying Fit)

| Rank | Organization | URL | Budget | Focus Area | Notes |
|------|--------------|-----|--------|------------|-------|
| 56 | **MultiversX** | multiversx.com/growthgames | $1.5M annually | AI agents, infrastructure | 30% dev gas royalties—economic analysis opportunity |
| 57 | **Compound Grants** | comp.xyz/c/grants | ~$2M COMP funded | Core protocol, market research | Rapid Grants <$125K in 2 weeks |
| 58 | **Linea** | linea.build/exponent | 85% tokens to community | Apps, infrastructure | **Grants opening soon**; Consensys backing |
| 59 | **Scroll** | grants.scroll.io | $200-$10K; Launch up to $100K | Events, education, community | Newer ecosystem—less competition |
| 60 | **Base** | base.org/resources | $3K builder grants; ecosystem fund | Consumer apps, AI agents | No native token yet; consumer focus |
| 61 | **Celo Foundation** | celofoundation.submittable.com | GoodBuilders: $220K | Ecosystem, social impact | **"No open calls"** currently—monitor |
| 62 | **Sky/MakerDAO** | vote.sky.money | $2.5B to Obex incubator | RWA, stablecoin mechanisms | SubDAO structure; Spark most active |
| 63 | **Mode Network** | mode.network | $10M Mode Angel Network | Yield and DeFi | Part of Superchain—double-dip with OP |
| 64 | **Yearn Finance** | gov.yearn.finance | $40K/month community grants | Strategy development, vaults | Coordinape model interesting |
| 65 | **Liquity** | liquity.org | LiquiFrens program | Stablecoin mechanism improvements | V2 development = research opportunities |
| 66 | **Ethena** | governance.ethena.fi | $136M+ raised | Synthetic dollar mechanism | Rapid growth; delta-hedging relevant |
| 67 | **Convex Finance** | convexfinance.com | 2% treasury discretionary | Governance mechanism design | Central to Curve Wars; direct contact |
| 68 | **GnosisDAO** | forum.gnosis.io | $40M GnosisVC | RWAs, infrastructure | GIP process; GECO discontinued |
| 69 | **Berkeley RDI** | rdi.berkeley.edu | $5M Algorand Center | DeFi, MEV, DAO governance | Xcelerator non-dilutive; Dawn Song leads |
| 70 | **Stanford CBR** | cbr.stanford.edu | IORH: $1.5M/year | Economics, game theory | Tim Roughgarden (mechanism design expert) |

### 71-85: Smaller/Specialized Programs

| Rank | Organization | URL | Budget | Focus Area | Notes |
|------|--------------|-----|--------|------------|-------|
| 71 | **Livepeer** | github.com/livepeer/grants | Up to $250K quarterly | Video infrastructure | Orchestrator economics; 3-month timeline |
| 72 | **API3** | tracker.api3.org | DAO-governed | DAO operations, dAPI | OEV research potential; no formal program |
| 73 | **Arweave** | arweave.org/funding | Boost: up to $50K credits | Applications, integrations | AO creates tokenomics opportunities |
| 74 | **Metis** | metis.io/grants | 4.6M METIS ($100M+) | DeFi, sequencer development | First decentralized L2 sequencer |
| 75 | **IC3 Cornell** | initc3.org | Industry partnership model | Cryptography, game theory | Not direct grants; research collaboration |
| 76 | **MIT DCI** | dci.mit.edu | $4M Bitcoin Security Initiative | Bitcoin, CBDC, privacy | Collaboration model; dci@media.mit.edu |
| 77 | **Chainlink** | chain.link/build-program | Research grants available | Oracle economics, security | BUILD requires token commitment |
| 78 | **Immutable** | immutable.com/fund | **$500M Fund**; $100K-$500K | **Gaming only** | Tokenomics advisory included |
| 79 | **Blast** | blast.io | $20M funding | DeFi, native yield | Less formal structure; yield mechanism angle |
| 80 | **Algorand xGov** | xgov.app | TBD | Retroactive grants | **Governance redesign 2026**; monitor |
| 81 | **XRPL Grants** | xrplgrants.org | $10K-$200K | DeFi, RWA, payments | **2025 applications closed**; Spring 2026 |
| 82 | **Flux** | runonflux.com | 100K FLUX grants | dApp development | PoUW v2 creates modeling opportunities |
| 83 | **Celer Network** | celer.network | Limited info | Infrastructure | No clear grants program |
| 84 | **Protocol Labs Research** | research.protocol.ai | $5M committed; $5K-$200K/project | Protocol improvements | **PAUSED**—excellent fit when reopened |
| 85 | **Ceramic Network** | forum.ceramic.network | $250K total Origin Cohort | Application development | **Closed**; smaller budgets |

---

## Tier 4: Monitor or avoid (Rank 86-116)

### Programs to Monitor for Reopening

| Rank | Organization | Status | When to Check |
|------|--------------|--------|---------------|
| 86 | **Protocol Labs Research** | PAUSED | Monitor for reopening |
| 87 | **XRPL Grants** | Closed | Spring 2026 |
| 88 | **Celo Foundation** | No open calls | Monitor for Wave V |
| 89 | **Algorand xGov** | Redesigning | 2026 governance changes |
| 90 | **DFINITY** | Internal review only | Check for public reopening |
| 91 | **Ceramic Network** | Closed | Monitor announcements |
| 92 | **Atom Accelerator DAO** | SUNSETTING | Returning funds to Community Pool |
| 93 | **W3F Open Grants** | Transitioning | Use Polkadot Treasury instead |

### Programs with Limited Fit

| Rank | Organization | Issue | Alternative |
|------|--------------|-------|-------------|
| 94 | **LayerZero** | No formal public grants; VC-style | BD/partnership approach |
| 95 | **Hyperlane** | No formal grants found | Direct outreach |
| 96 | **Protocol Guild** | Membership model for core devs | Not applicable unless core protocol work |
| 97 | **MetaCartel** | DApp focus, relationship-driven | Community engagement first |
| 98 | **NSF SBIR** | Requires U.S. entity | Consider if U.S.-based |
| 99 | **Flow Foundation** | $725M but VC-administered | Connect with individual fund participants |
| 100 | **Delphi Labs** | Partnership model | Research collaboration approach |
| 101 | **Jump Crypto** | Investment model | Not grants |

### Programs to Avoid

| Rank | Organization | Reason |
|------|--------------|--------|
| 102-106 | **Multichain/Anyswap** | DEFUNCT—ceased operations July 2023 |
| 107-110 | **Synapse Protocol** | Pivoting away from bridging |
| 111-116 | **Harmony** | Grants PAUSED after challenges |

---

## Application strategy framework

### Immediate priorities (Apply within 30 days)

1. **Ethereum Foundation Academic Grants** — Deadline March 16, 2025; $2M pool; Economics & Game Theory explicit
2. **Filecoin ProPGF Batch 2** — Applications on Karma; "economic research" explicit
3. **Flashbots FRP** — Rolling; $15K; perfect mechanism design fit
4. **Arbitrum Questbook** — Rolling; massive treasury; STIP analysis precedent

### High-value targets (Apply within 60 days)

5. **Uniswap Foundation** — $2.2M research budget; contact erin@uniswapfoundation.org
6. **EigenLayer** — 40M EIGEN; restaking economics
7. **Interchain Foundation** — $50K-$300K CHF; perfect budget match
8. **dYdX Foundation** — Research RFPs; Xenophon Labs precedent

### Build relationships first

9. **MolochDAO** — Get member sponsor; $2-5K research report to start
10. **The Graph** — Forum engagement before application
11. **Polkadot Treasury** — Forum discussion essential for community support

### Leverage existing work

12. **Avalanche Foundation** — Lead with prior Avalanche research portfolio
13. **Balancer Grants** — Gyroscope connection (built on Balancer)
14. **Gitcoin Grants** — Mobilize community for QF matching

### Key positioning themes by ecosystem

- **L1 Foundations**: Emphasize public goods, open-source, ecosystem benefit
- **L2s**: Focus on incentive optimization, governance tooling, sequencer economics
- **DeFi Protocols**: Target specific mechanism challenges (LVR, MEV, yield)
- **Infrastructure**: Position around network economics, validator incentives
- **Cross-chain**: Bridge security economics, cross-chain MEV
- **Academic**: Partner with institutions, commit to peer-reviewed outputs

### Budget optimization

For $50K-$300K range, prioritize:
- **Interchain Foundation**: $50K-$300K CHF exact match
- **Project Catalyst Partners**: ₳500K-₳2M ($225K-$900K)
- **StarkNet Growth**: $25K-$1M STRK
- **Radix Foundry**: Up to $250K
- **Helium Foundation**: Up to $250K
- **dYdX**: $8M allocated for grants

### Multi-protocol strategy

Submit complementary proposals to non-competing ecosystems simultaneously:
- EVM L2s: Arbitrum + Optimism + Polygon (different domain focuses)
- Alt-L1s: Sui + Mina + Radix (different mechanisms)
- DeFi: Uniswap + Aave + EigenLayer (different protocol types)
- Research: EF Academic + Flashbots + Gitcoin (different funding models)

---

## Contact directory

| Priority | Organization | Primary Contact | Application URL |
|----------|--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| 1 | Uniswap Foundation | erin@uniswapfoundation.org | uniswapfoundation.org/grants |
| 2 | EigenLayer | forum.eigenlayer.xyz | Portal launching |
| 3 | Arbitrum | forum.arbitrum.foundation | arbitrum.questbook.app |
| 4 | Filecoin | grants@fil.org | github.com/filecoin-project/devgrants |
| 5 | Ethereum ESP | academic-grants@ethereum.org | esp.ethereum.foundation |
| 6 | Flashbots | GitHub FRP submission | github.com/flashbots/mev-research |
| 7 | ICF | hello@interchain.io | apply.interchain.io |
| 8 | Lido LEGO | Telegram outreach | research.lido.fi |
| 9 | Optimism | retrofunding.optimism.io | gov.optimism.io |
| 10 | Aave | Telegram channel | aavegrants.org |
| 11 | dYdX | dydxgrants.com | dydxgrants.com/grants-application |
| 12 | Cardano | projectcatalyst.io | Discord #catalyst |
| 13 | Polkadot | polkadot.polkassembly.io | Polkadot Forum first |
| 14 | Mantle | BizDev team | mantle.xyz/grants |
| 15 | Sui | sui.io/grants-hub | RFP portal |
| 16 | Mina | Discord zkIgnite | minaprotocol.com/grants-wip |
| 17 | Radix | grants@radixdlt.com | developers.radixdlt.com/grants-program |
| 18 | Helium | grants@dewi.org | helium.foundation/grants |
| 19 | The Graph | Forum first | thegraph.com/grants |
| 20 | Avalanche | grants@avax.network | avalanche.gitcoin.co |

This comprehensive analysis identifies **116 grant opportunities** with **25 exceptional-fit programs** that explicitly fund tokenomics, mechanism design, and economic research within the $50K-$300K budget range. The strongest immediate opportunities are Uniswap Foundation's research vertical, EigenLayer's 40M EIGEN grant pool, and the Ethereum Foundation Academic Grants deadline on March 16, 2025.