Grants for blockchain, Web3 & AI projects in Global Web3 Ecosystem
The biggest unlock for Web3 founders worldwide: most blockchain ecosystem grants don't care where you're based. If you're building on or supporting a Layer 1 or major protocol, you can apply — from anywhere in the world, often without forming a legal entity. Combined funding across major Web3 foundations exceeds $500M annually, with significantly faster turnaround than government grants (2-6 weeks vs 3-6 months).
Funding landscape in Global
Each major protocol foundation runs its own grants program. Ethereum Foundation's Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) funds projects benefiting Ethereum — protocol research, scaling (rollups, ZK), developer tooling, security, education. Gitcoin Grants distributes matching pool capital using quadratic funding across multiple rounds per year. Octant funds quarterly from the Golem Foundation's locked ETH treasury. Solana Foundation, Polkadot Treasury, Web3 Foundation, NEAR Foundation, Stellar Development Foundation, Filecoin Foundation, and Uniswap Foundation each run substantial programs targeting their respective ecosystems. Open Source Collective provides fiscal hosting for unincorporated maintainers, while NLnet Foundation's NGI programs fund open internet infrastructure including Web3 protocols.
Best for
- ✓Open-source Web3 projects (any geography)
- ✓Solo developers and unincorporated maintainers
- ✓Protocol-specific applications (DeFi, NFT, infrastructure)
- ✓Public goods focused projects
- ✓Teams that have shipped working code already
Key programs
- ★Ethereum Foundation ESP — $5K-$200K+
- ★Gitcoin Grants — Quadratic-funded matching rounds
- ★Octant — Quarterly $1M+ pools from Golem ETH treasury
- ★Solana, Polkadot, NEAR, Stellar Foundations
- ★Open Source Collective — Fiscal hosting + grants
Who qualifies
Most ecosystem grants accept anyone worldwide — individuals, teams, registered companies, or DAOs. Some require open-source license (MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL). Quality of existing GitHub presence and shipped work matters more than legal entity status. Public goods orientation is typically required.
💡 Application tip
Web3 ecosystem grants want concrete, shippable contributions. Generic "we'll build a DeFi platform" applications fail. Specific applications — "we'll fix MEV vulnerability X by implementing Y, deliverable in 12 weeks" — succeed. Show a working prototype, even rough, before applying. Foundations fund builders, not pitchers.
Browse Global grants by category
All Global grants (12)
All regions →Stellar Community Fund
Stellar Development Foundation grants for projects building financial inclusion on Stellar network.
$10K – $150K
View →Wellcome Leap Health Innovation
$300M+ fund for transformative health technology including AI diagnostics and decentralized health data.
$1M – $50M
View →Frontier Climate — Carbon Removal Buyer Coalition
Advance market commitment for permanent carbon removal — buyer coalition pre-purchases credits from selected suppliers.
$50K – $50M+
View →Ethereum Foundation Ecosystem Support
Direct grants from Ethereum Foundation for projects strengthening the Ethereum ecosystem worldwide.
Variable
View →Filecoin Foundation Grants
Grants for projects building on Filecoin, IPFS, and decentralized storage infrastructure.
$5K – $250K
View →Gitcoin Grants — Public Goods Funding
Quadratic-funded grants for Web3 public goods, open-source tools, and community projects worldwide.
$1K – $50K+
View →NEAR Foundation Grants
Grants supporting projects building on NEAR Protocol — AI, DeFi, infrastructure, and consumer apps.
$10K – $100K
View →Octant Public Goods Funding
Quarterly funding rounds for Web3 public goods backed by Golem Foundation staking rewards.
$10K – $100K
View →Open Source Collective Grants
Fiscal hosting and grants distribution for open-source projects, including blockchain infrastructure and dev tools.
$1K – $50K
View →Web3 Foundation Grants
Polkadot ecosystem grants for substrate-based projects, parachains, and tooling.
$30K – $1M+
View →Solana Foundation Grants
Grants for projects building on Solana, including DeFi, gaming, infrastructure, and developer tools.
$5K – $250K
View →Uniswap Foundation Grants
Grants supporting the Uniswap Protocol ecosystem, governance, and DeFi research worldwide.
$15K – $250K
View →Apply faster
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