Grant Categories
We fund various projects across several categories to grow the AEZ and drive value to the Cosmos Hub.
If you are thinking of applying for funding, check out the categories for which we are currently soliciting applications. We have also listed key stats that may be useful for your application for each category.
For specific projects that we are currently seeking proposals for, check out the RFPs link below.
ATOM as Interchain Money 2 projects funded $200,000 deployed ($100,000 median/project)
As the Cosmos Hub matures in its decentralization and distribution, ATOM is poised to become the most liquid and functional IBC-native token within the Cosmos ecosystem.
This grant category aims to enhance ATOM’s role as interchain money by expanding its DeFi utility, liquidity profile, and usability as gas within the Cosmos network. Ideal applicants are those building DeFi projects that align with the Cosmos Hub. Potential projects include:
- Restaking ATOM
- Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs) for ATOM
- ATOM-backed stablecoins
- Cross-chain money markets and loans for ATOM
- Options and futures for ATOM
- Perpetual contracts for ATOM
- ATOM-based DAOs
- Interchain payments using ATOM
- Index funds and DeFi ETFs based on ATOM
- Automated Market Makers (AMMs) and liquidity pools involving ATOM
- Insurance and risk hedging protocols
- Wallets supporting Cosmos ecosystem
- Bridges within the Cosmos network
- Research and development for using ATOM as gas
ATOM Interchain Data 3 projects funded $191,351 deployed ($54,500 median/project)
This category aims to visualize and understand the widespread use of ATOM across IBC platforms. Projects should help the community grasp ATOM’s total value locked (TVL), usage, and movement within the interchain.
Possible projects include:
- ATOM interchain TVL dashboard
- Visualization of ATOM bridging flows and usage heatmaps
- Analytics for ATOM yield farming and liquidity provision
- Growth metrics for the ATOM ecosystem
- Generalized ATOM interchain data APIs
Latest Projects Funded
Data Lenses: Airdrops for liquid staked ATOMs and ATOM PoL revenue tracker
ATOM Zone build-out 12 projects funded $1,861,129 deployed ($128,446 median/project)
The Atom Economic Zone (AEZ) consists of blockchains that borrow security from the Cosmos Hub through shared validators and slashing mechanisms.
This category seeks to expand AEZ by supporting various app chains contributing to the Cosmos Hub’s value. ATOM Zone Build Out grants may evolve into Venture Grants, providing more intimate support to projects. Inspiration for projects includes:
- IBC and non-native IBC ecosystem bridges
- Integration grants for consumer chains
- Security enhancements for AEZ
- Improved slashing mechanisms
- Advanced network monitoring tools
- Consensus algorithm optimizations
- Stress testing for consumer chains
- Tokenomic design for AEZ
- Models for optimizing tokenomics and distribution for AEZ chains
- Security research on partial set, layered, and replicated security
- AEZ growth grants, hackathons, and developer bounties
- AEZ-wide coordination in marketing, business development, and governance
Cross-Ecosystem Collaboration 2 projects funded $268,380 deployed ($134,190 median/project)
The Cosmos ecosystem offers vast opportunities for economic alignment and partnerships both within and outside its native environment.
This category encourages collaboration to enhance the Cosmos Hub’s functionality and extend its reach, while also unlocking the potential of Web3 technology for traditional industries.
Projects under this category should focus on:
- Liquidity partnerships and cross-chain collaborative research
- Cross-chain DeFi integrations leveraging ATOM and asset bridges utilizing ATOM
- Cross-chain data oracles and identity/reputation systems
- Developing enterprise integration solutions (e.g., ERP, CRM, SCERT systems) using the CosmosSDK
- Creating industry-specific use cases in finance, healthcare, supply chain, logistics, energy, and telecommunications
- Hosting enterprise blockchain showcase events to onboard businesses into the Cosmos ecosystem
Infra & Tooling 9 projects funded $555,803 deployed ($74,970 median/project)
Effective developer and user tooling is essential for the Cosmos Hub.
This category supports projects that improve access to and the quality of tools and infrastructure we have available to the Cosmos Hub and AEZ – to improve the experience of both developers and users.
Ideas include:
- Enhancements to governance tooling (UI, voting mechanisms, dashboards)
- Standardization of developer tooling
- Providing vital core infrastructure for the Cosmos Hub
- Creating tools to help users manage their assets
- New tools and dashboards not covered elsewhere
Interchain Public Goods 32 projects funded $571,160 deployed ($1,300 median/project)
Investing in core public goods is vital for the interchain ecosystem’s health. This category supports projects that develop and maintain essential infrastructure, including:
- Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC)
- Cosmos SDK
- Consensus mechanisms
- CosmWasm
- Open-source libraries
- Relaying and validating
- Smart contract development and testing
- Cryptographic primitives
Interchain Security 6 projects funded $377,000 deployed ($50,000 median/project)
The Cosmos Hub’s ability to rent out its security to other blockchains is a key product that benefits ATOM holders. This category supports the development and optimization of various security frameworks.
Applicants can focus on:
- Partial set security
- Layered (mesh) security
- Replicated security
- Economic implications of different security models
- Novel shared security concepts
- Optimization of security frameworks
- Improving efficiency and resilience against attacks
- Simulation and testing of security models
- Creating interchain security standards
- Mechanism design to incentivize participation and prevent malicious behavior
Marketing, Growth & Developer Engagement 23 projects funded $882,653 deployed ($18,500 median/project)
Promoting the Cosmos Hub and AEZ to developers and users is crucial for driving onchain activity.
This category supports activities that highlight the Cosmos Hub’s innovations, supports developer engagement and onboarding, and fosters community engagement.
Potential projects include:
- Developer education, mentorship, and training programs
- Local community events and meetups
- Developer-focused workshops and hackathons
- Content translation and localization
- Enhancement of developer documentation
- Brand ambassador programs
- Educational and promotional content (podcasts, videos, interviews, articles)
- Multi-channel marketing campaigns
- User feedback and engagement programs
- Co-marketing and cross-ecosystem promotional activities
R&D 6 projects funded $467,981 deployed ($67,241 median/project)
Research is fundamental to informed decision-making. This category focuses on applied research to enhance the Cosmos Hub’s economic impact and effectiveness. Possible research topics include:
- Optimization of staking mechanisms
- Tokenomics research for liquidity, price stability, and growth
- Network performance analysis and optimization
- Economic resilience testing and game theory
Uncategorized / Other 0 projects funded $0 deployed ($0 median/project)
Ventures 4 projects funded $950,000 deployed ($175,000 median/project)
If you’re busy building a decentralized future and are looking for a partner to help you scale, we want to hear from you.
Our Cosmos Hub Ventures Program offers flexible investment funding solutions tailored to your project’s needs, seeking equity, tokens or warrants in your start-up.
Eligible Programs:Archived Categories
These are past open grant categories, that are no longer accepting applications.
Cross Industry Collaboration 0 projects funded $0 deployed ($0 median/project)
Note: This category has now been merged into Cross-Ecosystem Collaboration
To unlock the potential of Web3 technology for traditional industries, this category supports the integration of enterprise systems with the CosmosSDK. Projects should aim to onboard enterprises and businesses into the Cosmos ecosystem, focusing on:
- Developing enterprise integration solutions (e.g., ERP, CRM, SCERT systems)
- Creating industry-specific use cases in finance, healthcare, supply chain, logistics, energy, and telecommunications
- Hosting enterprise blockchain showcase events
Developer Experience 0 projects funded $0 deployed ($0 median/project)
Note: This category has now been merged into Marketing, Growth & Developer Engagement and/or Tooling & Infra.
Improving the developer onboarding and experience within the Cosmos ecosystem is crucial. This category supports projects that enhance developer tools and education, with a special focus on the AEZ. Potential projects include:
- Developer education, mentorship, and training programs
- Feedback mechanisms for developers
- Retrospective open-source grants program
- Developer experience improvement hackathons
- Standardization of developer tooling
- Enhancement of developer documentation
Security Audits & Risk Framework 0 projects funded $0 deployed ($0 median/project)
Note: This category has now been deprecated, as audits and risk analysis are built into all application funding requests. Standalone security-related projects could be found in other categories.
To ensure the safe deployment of community pool capital, this category focuses on developing tools and resources for security and risk management in the Cosmos Hub and AEZ ecosystem. Projects may include:
- Independent security audit services
- Cosmos security and validation certification program
- Development of security audit tools and software
- Community-driven bug bounty programs
- Risk management research and framework development
- Risk monitoring, mitigation strategies, and scoring algorithms