Funding for builders who ship.
The Cockroach Ecosystem Fund backs teams building apps, tools and infrastructure on Cockroach Chain. Grants are paid in COCKROACH against milestones, from the 2.5M token ecosystem allocation.
What we fund.
DeFi
DEXs, lending, stablecoin infrastructure and liquid staking that bring real liquidity to the chain.
Developer tooling
SDKs, indexers, testing tools, templates and documentation that make building faster.
Infrastructure
RPC services, explorers, oracles, IBC relayers and wallets integrations.
Consumer apps
Payments, games, NFTs and social apps that bring new users on-chain.
Education and research
Tutorials, courses, analytics dashboards and research on the protocol.
Open proposals
Something else that grows the network? Make the case. Strong ideas outside the tracks are welcome.
Three levels.
Sizes are guides, not limits. Every grant is sized to the scope of work, and most of it is paid only after delivery.
| Level | Typical size | Good fit for | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spark | Coming soon COCKROACH | Tutorials, small tools, proofs of concept | 2 milestones |
| Build | Coming soon COCKROACH | Production apps and developer tools | 3 milestones |
| Launch | Coming soon COCKROACH | Core DeFi and infrastructure | 3+ milestones, may include audit cover |
From application to payout.
Apply
Describe the team, the problem, the plan and the milestones.
Review
The grants committee scores fit, feasibility and impact.
Interview
A short call to agree scope, milestones and success measures.
Agreement
A grant agreement with KYC for the recipient.
Build and get paid
Each milestone is checked, then paid in COCKROACH.
What makes a strong application.
We look for teams that can ship and products people will use. Open source and public goods score higher.
A team that ships
Show code, past launches or a working prototype.
Clear milestones
Concrete deliverables with dates and a way to verify them.
Real usage
A plan to reach users, liquidity or developers on Cockroach Chain.
Security first
Tests, reviews and an audit plan for anything that holds funds.
Grant questions.
Who can apply?
Individuals, teams and companies anywhere grants are lawful. Recipients complete KYC before the agreement. Applicants from restricted jurisdictions cannot receive grants.
Are grants paid in COCKROACH?
Yes. Grants are paid in COCKROACH and may vest or be released per milestone. Tokens are not a salary or an investment.
Do you take equity or tokens in return?
No. Grants are non-dilutive. We may ask for open-source licensing on tooling and public goods.
How long does a decision take?
We aim to decide within about four weeks of a complete application.
Can I apply more than once?
Yes. Teams that deliver a first grant can apply for follow-on funding.
Ready to build?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Grants are discretionary. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding. Grant recipients must comply with the Terms of Use and applicable law.