WEB3 GRANTS TRACKER 2026
Active grant programs for web3 founders — money you can apply for without giving up equity. Ecosystem foundations fund their chain, protocol DAOs fund their usage, VC grant programs fund your company. Apply to all three kinds; they don't exclude each other.
AllEcosystemsProtocol DAOsPublic goodsVC grants
| Program | Type | Funds | Typical ticket | Equity | Stage | Notes |
|---|
How to pick
- Idea stage, no code yet — VC grant programs and small ecosystem grants; foundations usually want a repo.
- Building on one chain — that chain's foundation first; it's the easiest yes you'll get.
- Public good / open source — Gitcoin rounds and Optimism Retro Funding stack on top of anything else.
- Need more than a grant — a fund that continues into a round; grants from foundations end at the milestone.
Building on-chain AI, DeFAI or ZK?
ZK Prime Capital: $5K–$75K grants, no equity, reply in 5 business days — then a round, incubation and a launchpad if it ships.
Apply for a grant ▸Writing the application: one-page template · what committees actually look for.