Apply for Funding
Thanks for your interest in OpenSats!
We're incredibly grateful to contributors like you working to support Bitcoin, nostr, and other free and open-source projects.
Because OpenSats is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all applications must be vetted by our board of directors to ensure that they help us further our mission of supporting contributors to Bitcoin, nostr, and related free and open-source projects.
We also distribute grants from our general fund and you may also choose to apply for a grant below.
Criteria
All applications should be made with the following criteria in mind:
- Good for Bitcoin
- Free and Open-Source
- Transparency & Education
Our grant selection process involves the evaluation of multiple criteria, but these three are crucial for any successful application.
Bitcoin: We prioritize projects that will have a direct impact on the utility or adoption of Bitcoin. We will consider all projects but prefer projects that are not readily funded and which have an obvious benefit to the Bitcoin community and ecosystem. Potential projects include Bitcoin Core contributions, scientific/security research, code review, design/UX improvements, etc.
Free and Open-Source: OpenSats supports free and open-source software, tools, and contributors which complement Bitcoin and help Bitcoin reach its fullest potential. Potential areas of interest include secure messaging, merchant acceptance tools, layer two protocols, etc. Source code and documents resulting from funded projects must be made publicly available for access, edit, and redistribution free of charge and without restrictions. Your project MUST HAVE a proper open-source license & educational materials must be available to the public under an open license.
Transparency & Education: Funded contributors and projects should be prepared to share their experience and expertise with the greater community. We prefer developers who actively engage in mentorship, and help introduce Bitcoin software development to newcomers.
If your application is approved, we will reach out with any additional information necessary to ensure you are able to receive grant payouts. This may include tax related information depending on your location and/or bitcoin addresses in order to receive grant payouts from OpenSats.
Our Programs
All our programs are open to applicants worldwide. We are global and nym-friendly.
OpenSats does not discriminate in its grant selection process applicants, whether internal or external, because of race, creed, color, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, veteran status, military status, application for military service or any other class per local, state or federal law.
Applications should be well written, informative, and concise. A great application will fit comfortably on one page while containing all information that is required to assess and judge the project or applicant. Refer to our Application FAQ to find answers to common questions.
Applications are currently closed!
Grant applications are currently closed as per our quarterly schedule. Please have a look at last year's report to see what kind of projects we support.
If you want to prepare a submission, please get familiar with our application criteria as well as our grant selection process.
We will re-open applications on the 1st week of next month.
We will accept applications again soon. To prepare your application please read our application criteria and Application FAQ, prepare at least two written reference letters, and make sure your project uses a proper FOSS license.
You can download our application template to prepare your answers offline before filling out the form.