Project Catalyst: Cardano's Grant Machine, Get Funded!

Project Catalyst is Cardano’s decentralized grant funding instrument with approximately $80 million distributed since 2021 to over 1,600 projects

The Cardano treasury currently holds 1.5 billion ADA (approximately $700 million), funded by a 20% transaction tax that goes into the treasury

Funding rounds occur every 3-4 months, with Fund 13 coming up. Each round typically receives over 1,000 proposals

Key focus areas include:

• Developer-focused grants
• Education initiatives
• Marketing partnerships
• Gaming projects
• Real-world integrations
• Blockchain sustainability projects

Voting requirements:

• Minimum 500 ADA holding required to participate
• Two-week voting periods
• Community of 60,000 people reviewing and voting on proposals

Major companies like Ledger, Barcelona FC, and Salesforce have participated through ecosystem partnerships

The review process includes:

• Community reviewers evaluating proposals
• Review committee assessment
• Merit-based and experience-based criteria
• Milestone-based funding distribution

Project success measured through:

• On-chain activity
• Transaction volume
• User adoption
• Infrastructure development

Program is part of Cardano’s Voltaire era focusing on governance and community-driven decision making