Polkadot’s Decentralized Futures Program: Meet the Recipients

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As a seasoned crypto investor with a knack for spotting promising opportunities, I must say that the Decentralized Futures program by the Web3 Foundation is nothing short of a game-changer for the Polkadot ecosystem. With my years of experience navigating the complexities of this space, I can confidently say that the $20 million fund and 5 million $DOT allocation are being put to good use.

The Decentralized Futures (DF) program, run by the Web3 Foundation, is a significant financial initiative designed to strengthen the Polkadot ecosystem. With a budget of $20 million and 5 million DOT tokens, this program aims to grow the network by incorporating independent, self-sustaining members.

On July 31, 2024, the DF program wrapped up its evaluation phase, distributing funds to a diverse range of teams and individuals from different fields within the Polkadot community. This support is extended across areas such as marketing, business development, orientation, administration, and technology.

Grants For Marketing

As a seasoned marketer with years of experience under my belt, I strongly believe that fostering innovation is crucial in overcoming marketing challenges. In my career, I have witnessed firsthand how providing grants to exceptional teams and individuals can lead to groundbreaking solutions that revolutionize the industry. These grants not only help these creative minds bring their ideas to life but also drive progress and growth for businesses. Therefore, I wholeheartedly endorse this practice of offering marketing grants for innovative ideas, as it has a profound impact on both the individual’s success and overall market development.

  • AirLyft One focuses on community engagement through gamification, simplifying parachain learning, onboarding, and incentivization. 
  • Evan Thomas is developing a decentralized social media framework aligned with Polkadot’s ethos. 
  • Decentered Studio aims to revolutionize Web3 events with end-to-end event execution services. 
  • Distractive specializes in marketing for emerging crypto ecosystems, driving Polkadot’s growth with strategy, content, and digital media.

Grants for Business Development

The businesses that prioritized expansion, scalability, and eco-friendly operations were awarded the funds intended for business advancement.

  • BlockDeep Labs is delivering the Mythos Parachain, aiming to redefine innovation within Polkadot. 
  • DotPlay focuses on building a gaming ecosystem, providing integration tools and business development support. 
  • Moondance Labs leads business development efforts, accelerating Polkadot adoption through new parachains and applications. 
  • PoKe, a project by Scytale Digital and BOTLabs GmbH, aims to integrate Polkadot into major organizational infrastructures. 
  • Polimec offers a community-driven funding protocol for decentralized, transparent fundraising. 
  • PolkaPort East seeks to establish a Polkadot community in Hong Kong, attracting new teams and institutional investors.

Grants for Onboarding

The following teams received funding for their innovative approaches to recruiting talent and for designing a friendly, inviting atmosphere specifically for developers.

    Accelerate Polkadot provides detailed, code-first guides to lower barriers for developers. 
    Diogo Mendonça integrates Polkadot content into university courses and ensures quality for funded projects. 
    Interplanetary Talent Services (IPTS) revolutionizes Web3 talent recruitment. 
    PaperMoon enhances developer relations by bridging communication gaps and promoting best practices. 
    Play on Polkadot (POP) simplifies parachain and smart contract development with a comprehensive toolkit.

Grants for Governance

OpenGov.Watch was the sole recipient of a grant focused on governance, dedicating their efforts towards shaping governance practices and ethos within the Polkadot network. They consistently deliver updates and innovative projects to ensure all involved stay well-informed.

Grants for Technology

The recipients of the technology grants are quite varied, touching on areas of decentralization, cross-chain functionality, smart contracts, multisigs, and more. 

  • Archisinal creates a decentralized marketplace for architectural and design professionals. 
  • ETF Network addresses secure delayed transactions with a substrate-based blockchain. 
  • Kylix Finance advances DeFi lending with comprehensive onchain solutions. 
  • Ocelloids builds a universal cross-chain monitoring system for Polkadot. 
  • Pendzl offers a smart contract library to enhance the development experience. 
  • Polkadot Multisig simplifies enterprise blockchain operations with multisig, proxy, governance, and staking pallets. 
  • StorageHub provides decentralized storage optimized for large data sets. 
  • Velocity Labs aims to transform Polkadot into a DeFi innovation hub.

Decentralized Mic

The Decentralized Mic series, a showcase of community discussions, is set to premiere on August 7, 2024. This event aims to spotlight the successes, hurdles, and insights gained by all recipients of DF grants. Distractive and Evan Thomas will be your hosts, and you can catch the live broadcast on LinkedIn, YouTube, and platform X.

The Decentralized Futures program serves as a crucial step in Polkadot’s development, fostering numerous projects to broaden and fortify the network. Meanwhile, the Decentralized Media channel serves to keep the community updated on the advancements of these supported projects.

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2024-08-06 16:02