Grants for builders on Aleo in 2026
The Aleo Network Foundation’s developer grants fund privacy-first, zero-knowledge apps and tooling on Aleo: up to $100K, paid by milestone, with open-source code required. Data from our web3 grant tracker, last verified 2026-09-27.
What gets funded on Aleo
Focus (tracker): privacy-first / zero-knowledge apps and tooling on Aleo. Ticket: up to $100K. No stage requirement is listed and no equity is taken.
Format: milestone-based; open-source required; initial feedback within one week.
From the official page (aleo.org/grants, checked 2026-09-30):
- Anyone can apply: individuals, teams, nonprofits and companies.
- Projects must contain open-source elements built on the Aleo network; non-developer contributions are not funded.
- Scope listed on the page: payments, identity, gaming and DeFi.
- The application asks for a project overview, the team’s background and a grant proposal with a development roadmap.
- Besides funding, the page lists technical mentorship and community access.
Aleo grant programs: amounts, stage, type
| Program | Ticket | Stage | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aleo Network Foundation — Developer GrantsOfficial: aleo.org/grants | Up to $100K | Any | Ecosystem foundation |
Equity, per the tracker: “No” for this program. Terms change, so confirm on the official page before you apply.
Which route fits your team
- Private app in payments, identity, gaming or DeFi — Developer grant: up to $100K, paid by milestone.
- Tooling for Aleo developers — The same program; the code must be open-source.
- ZK infrastructure that is not tied to Aleo — Provers, zkVMs or tooling for other stacks fit a chain-agnostic ZK program better: see the next section.
- Non-developer contribution — Not funded by this program, according to the official page.
Chain-agnostic options
Ecosystem programs fund work on their own chain. The options below do not depend on the chain you build on, and none of them stops you from applying to the Aleo program above as well.
ZK Prime Capital grants. $5K–$75K, no equity, idea or prototype stage welcome, reply within 5 business days. The same application document you write for Aleo Network Foundation is accepted, and there is no exclusivity. If the milestone ships, the fund can continue into a $50K–$250K round, 3–6 months of incubation and a token launch. How the program works.
ZK infrastructure is one of ZK Prime’s three focus areas, so an Aleo application usually maps straight onto ZK infrastructure grants. Also: grants for on-chain AI agents and DeFAI funding.
Public-goods rounds. For open-source and public-goods work, the tracker lists quadratic funding rounds that are not tied to one chain: Gitcoin and Giveth.
Everything in one table. The web3 grants tracker compares all 27 programs by ticket, equity and stage; each has a program guide.
Building on Aleo? Apply to ZK Prime in parallel
Same document, no exclusivity. $5K–$75K non-dilutive grants for on-chain AI agents, DeFAI and ZK infrastructure at idea or prototype stage; reply within 5 business days.
Apply with the same doc ▸Frequently asked questions
How much funding can builders on Aleo get?
Our tracker lists the ticket for Aleo Network Foundation as: Up to $100K. Confirm current amounts on the official page; last verified 2026-09-27.
Do Aleo grant programs take equity?
No. Our tracker lists Aleo Network Foundation as non-dilutive: no equity is taken. ZK Prime Capital grants are non-dilutive as well.
How fast does the Aleo Network Foundation reply to a grant application?
Our tracker lists initial feedback within one week. Grants are milestone-based and open-source code is required. For comparison, ZK Prime replies to every application within 5 business days.
Grants on other chains
Ethereum & L2s · Arbitrum · Optimism · Starknet · Solana · Avalanche · Sui · Aptos · Polkadot · Stellar · Celo · Zcash · Tezos · Stacks · Filecoin · Cosmos · Cardano · all chains
Source: ZK Prime web3 grant tracker, last verified 2026-09-27; official pages checked 2026-09-30. Writing the application: one-page template. Spotted an outdated detail? Open a PR.