Blockchain reaches its full potential when it connects to real financial systems in a practical, compliant, and sustainable way. The Dusk Grants Program is designed around this principle, providing funding, guidance, and structured support to developers and teams building tools that position Dusk as a Financial Market Infrastructure for clearance, settlement, and the tokenization of real-world assets.
Unlike hype-driven projects, Dusk focuses on long-term, production-ready solutions that allow institutions, fintechs, and regulated entities to operate on-chain confidently. The program encourages open-source development, ensuring that innovations can be reused, extended, and maintained by the wider ecosystem.
Purpose of the Dusk Grants Program
At its core, the program exists to accelerate projects that strengthen Dusk’s role as a foundational infrastructure layer for financial markets. This includes initiatives such as:
Compliant token issuance platforms
Custody tooling
Settlement engines
Legal-tech and regulatory middleware
Identity and compliance frameworks
Developer tools to simplify regulated financial applications
Most grants are non-dilutive funding for open-source work, though in select cases, Dusk may consider equity-based support for commercially oriented projects demonstrating long-term potential.
Who Should Apply
The program targets technically capable individuals or teams who understand both blockchain development and financial market operations. Ideal applicants are:
Building infrastructure components rather than one-off apps
Willing to release most code under widely accepted open-source licenses (e.g., Apache 2.0 or MPL 2.0)
Able to complete a Know-Your-Business (KYB) verification
Able to issue invoices as a registered entity or legally recognized individual
Projects from restricted jurisdictions or those unable to meet compliance requirements are not eligible.
Preparing a Successful Proposal
Applicants should submit a well-structured proposal that includes:
Technical specifications: Architecture, component design, data flows, and alignment with Dusk’s technology stack
Milestone-based development plan: Phased deliverables with clear timelines and cost breakdowns tied to personnel
Budget transparency: Reflecting actual development effort, not symbolic figures
Long-term sustainability: At least one year of maintenance and handover support
Impact metrics: Developer adoption, transaction volume, institutional integration, or total value locked
Proposals with a concise executive summary, links to prototypes, testnet deployments, or public repositories significantly improve credibility. Clear, structured language helps evaluators review submissions efficiently.
Grant Review and Funding Process
After submission, Dusk reviews proposals and communicates via the applicant’s email. Teams approved for funding coordinate with Dusk’s business and technical representatives to finalize milestones, terms, and payment schedules. Payments are typically tied to milestone completion rather than a single upfront transfer.
Deliverables must meet Dusk’s quality standards, including:
Thorough documentation for installation, testing, and extension
Unit and integration tests where relevant
Clear continuous integration logs
Proper code formatting and explanations for deviations
Well-prepared handovers increase approval chances and set the stage for ongoing collaboration.
What Makes a Strong Proposal
Top-tier proposals combine technical feasibility with strategic alignment:
Contributions to clearance, settlement, custody, compliance, or regulated asset issuance
Long-term sustainability through governance, revenue models, or partnerships
Reusable libraries, SDKs, or infrastructure components for the wider ecosystem
Early traction such as pilot users or institutional interest
Typical milestones progress from legal onboarding and architecture design, to core development, testing, integration, documentation, and finally, long-term maintenance. Realistic timelines and effort-based payment structures are favored.
Avoid Common Pitfalls
Proposals often fail when they:
Lack measurable deliverables
Don’t specify licensing terms
Provide poorly justified budgets
Omit maintenance plans or compliance readiness
Offer vague goals without concrete metrics
Conclusion
The Dusk Grants Program is more than funding—it’s a collaborative framework for builders shaping the future of regulated blockchain finance. Teams that approach this as financial infrastructure engineers, with clear planning, robust documentation, realistic budgeting, and measurable impact goals, are best positioned to transform their ideas into production-ready contributions for the Dusk ecosystem.
