DeGrants
Community-led microgrants for the Stacks ecosystem
DeGrants funds small, practical projects that create value for the Stacks ecosystem.
The program supports builders, creators, educators, and community contributors working on projects that may not fit the main Stacks Endowment Grants Program, but still strengthen Stacks through education, culture, tooling, public goods, experimentation, and community engagement.
DeGrants is funded by the Stacks Endowment. Grant recipients are selected by Community Stewards, who make the final award decisions.
Program Overview
What DeGrants Supports
DeGrants supports community-led work with clear relevance to Stacks. This may include:
Creative ecosystem
projects
NFT-related projects
BNS-related
projects
Educational content
& onboarding resources
Community
activations
Small tools or
prototypes
Ecosystem
experiments
Public goodsApplicants do not need to be building a large protocol or venture-scale product. They should have a clear project, a practical plan, and a strong reason why the work matters for Stacks.
Who Should Apply
DeGrants is open to individual builders, creators, educators, community contributors, and ecosystem participants with a clear project that can benefit Stacks.
This track is especially relevant for projects that are smaller in scope, community-oriented, creative, educational, experimental, or public-goods focused.
If a project includes multiple collaborators, one individual must serve as the applicant and payee.
Selected applicants must be prepared to complete KYC before receiving funding.
Individual Builders
Contributors
Creators
Ecosystem Participants
EducatorsHow It Works
Apply
Submit a proposal describing what you plan to build, create, host, publish, or deliver; why it matters for Stacks; how much funding you are requesting; and your expected timeline.
Community Steward Review
Applications are reviewed by 3 Community Stewards. Steward seats rotate across DeGrants cycles so more ecosystem members have the opportunity to participate in funding decisions.
Final Award Decisions
Community Stewards review, score, and discuss applications using the DeGrants rubric. Final decisions are made after the application window closes so proposals can be evaluated together.
The Stacks Endowment and operating partners provide funding, guardrails, communications, payment coordination, and process support. They do not choose grant recipients.
Deliver
Selected grantees complete their approved deliverables or milestones and share progress with the Stacks community where relevant.
Apply
Submit a proposal describing what you plan to build, create, host, publish, or deliver; why it matters for Stacks; how much funding you are requesting; and your expected timeline.
Community Steward Review
Applications are reviewed by 3 Community Stewards. Steward seats rotate across DeGrants cycles so more ecosystem members have the opportunity to participate in funding decisions.
Final Award Decisions
Community Stewards review, score, and discuss applications using the DeGrants rubric. Final decisions are made after the application window closes so proposals can be evaluated together.
The Stacks Endowment and operating partners provide funding, guardrails, communications, payment coordination, and process support. They do not choose grant recipients.
Deliver
Selected grantees complete their approved deliverables or milestones and share progress with the Stacks community where relevant.
✅ What Stewards Look For
Strong applications should demonstrate:
- Clear relevance to Stacks
- Meaningful community or ecosystem value
- Defined deliverables
- Feasible scope and timeline
- Credible ability to execute
- Creative, cultural, educational, technical, or public-goods contribution
❌ What DeGrants Is Not
DeGrants is not guaranteed funding for everyone who applies. It is not a participation award, an unlimited funding pool, or a smaller version of the main Stacks Endowment Grants Program.
Funding is limited. Strong applications are clear, practical, relevant to Stacks, and realistic to deliver.
⚖️ Conflict of Interest
Because Stacks is a close community, conflicts of interest may arise.
Community Stewards must disclose any personal, financial, professional, or close community relationship with an applicant. If a conflict exists, that Steward will recuse themselves from reviewing that application.
When a Steward recuses themselves, the applicant's score will be averaged only across the non-conflicted Steward scores. A recusal will not negatively impact the applicant's overall score.
Stacks DeGrants
Designed and incubated by dedicated community members from all corners of the Stacks ecosystem, the DeGrants (decentralized grants) program aims to fund and support a wide range of projects that are beneficial to Stacks community members and network.
Ileana Malacrino is a Stacks Resident focused on bringing creators, artists, and emerging NFT projects into the Bitcoin ecosystem. Through her work with the Stacks Foundation and The Mintery, she helps onboard and support teams building NFT and creative applications secured by Bitcoin. Ileana's contributions have helped expand the diversity and reach of projects launching on Stacks, strengthening the broader Bitcoin-based creator economy. She is also one of the leads for Decentralized Grants, supporting community-driven funding across the ecosystem.
Haddy is the Community Manager Leader at Zero Authority and facilitates Stacks DeGrants grantees as they navigate resources, connections, and support. He brings a steady hand to fast-moving builder communities, helping teams stay unblocked and informed. His work blends practical coordination with a creator's instinct—turning scattered needs into clear paths forward. With a background in digital creation and community-driven projects, he operates at the intersection of technology, design, and onchain innovation. You can find him online at @BrendynHadfield.
Who We Are
Zero Authority
Zero Authority is a decentralized community of builders, creators, and supporters driving the future of Web3. Our partnership with DeGrants reflects our commitment to funding projects that push boundaries and create lasting value.
Stacks DeGrants
DeGrants is organized by members of the Stacks community called Stewards along with the Stacks Foundation Governance Resident. Stewards and community members work together to decide how funding is allocated.
Apply for a DeGrant
Have a clear project that can benefit Stacks?
Submit your proposal and tell the Community Stewards what you plan to deliver, why it matters, and how a DeGrant would help you bring it to life.
