We are extremely excited to announce the final grant award winners for Stacks DeGrants Cohort 2. The Stacks Decentralized Grants Program was organized by the Stacks community to provide funding and support for projects building on Stacks, aligned with the core values of the Stacks Foundation.

The response from the Stacks builder community was AMAZING, with over 100 applications submitted! This overwhelming enthusiasm for innovation within the Stacks ecosystem is a testament to the community’s strength, with nearly half of the applications coming from new participants.

These projects span across our six tracks: Developers, DeFi, NFT, BNS, Community and Governance, and Submit Your Own (BlueSky) Category, each aimed at driving different aspects of the Stacks ecosystem forward. The participation across all tracks showcases a diverse range of innovative projects.

The awardees share a grant pool totaling $50,000 to help bootstrap their projects and develop their ideas. There were many worthy candidates, and we wish there were more funds to distribute. The selection process was rigorous and transparent, with open forums on X for all applicants to discuss and organize their projects. Community members and track stewards had the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

All project links can be found on the DeGrants GitHub.

Developers Track
Lead Steward: Davek from HashHavoc
Stewards and Contributors: Rafael, Sam, Binaya.btc, j2p2, and tripnmonkey

Recipient: friedger

• Project Name: TX2 - Sponsoring Service for Stacks Transactions
• Award: $2,006
• Description: A backend service enabling users to interact with the Stacks blockchain without holding STX, allowing transaction fees to be paid in other tokens through sponsored transactions.

Recipient: Dan Travino

• Project Name: Boom Payment Request Standard
• Award: $1,970
• Description: Developing an open standard for payment requests that bridges Bitcoin and Stacks, enhancing user experience with interoperable payment solutions.

Recipient: Jeevan Jutla

• Project Name: Gecko Fuzz - Automated Auditing using AI and Fuzzing
• Award: $1,787
• Description: A platform for automated security testing of Clarity smart contracts using AI-guided fuzzing to detect vulnerabilities.

Recipient: Sam

• Project Name: Stacks Labz
• Award: $1,662
• Description: Building a global community for Stacks developers, offering Clarity lang education, mentorship, and support.

Recipient: Gary Riger

• Project Name: Mentor: from Zero to Clarity
• Award: $1,575
• Description: Providing mentorship to new Clarity developers, helping them launch their first smart contracts.

DeFi Track
"The DeFi Track of DeGrants Cohort 2 exceeded expectations, with a surge in interest in Stacks and received exceptional applications. We also ventured into GameFi, further expanding our ecosystem. Some of our talented grantees have already begun to deliver impressive beta and live versions, which are now being battle-tested with the community. I'm incredibly grateful for the invaluable support of my fellow stewards." - Haddy

Lead Steward: Haddy
Stewards and Contributors: Stuart, Bitbybit, Rapha, and Rozar

Recipient: Lord Rozar

• Project Name: Charisma DAO
• Award: $2,800
• Description: A protocol that combats token liquidity fragmentation by incentivizing users to consolidate and stabilize liquidity.

Recipient: Rapha Stacks

• Project Name: JingCash
• Award: $1,525
• Description: Enables users to swap crypto without slippage by connecting wallets, creating offers, and settling swaps seamlessly.

Recipient: Xenitron

• Project Name: Skullcoin Treasure Island
• Award: $1,525
• Description: A GameFi platform with a sustainable economy focused on skill-based treasure hunting powered by meritocratic tokenomics.

Recipient: Khoanguyen.btc

• Project Name: STXCITY
• Award: $1,525
• Description: A no-code tool that allows anyone to create and distribute tokens on the Stacks blockchain quickly and easily.

Recipient: Joe Macmillan

• Project Name: Minera - Liquid mining app
• Award: $565
• Description: A decentralized mining pool for STX, lowering the barrier to entry and increasing competition among miners.

NFT Track
“We saw significant growth in both the number and quality of NFT applicants in Cohort 2, reflecting emerging trends in NFT events, music platforms, literary and film proposals, and fine art applications. The grantees selected will drive impactful trends in the NFT ecosystem on Stacks, leveraging the increasing interest in Bitcoin L2s and Stacks' unique benefits like unlimited file size and low minting costs.” - Goodkitty

Lead Stewards: Goodkitty, Nietta
Stewards and Contributors: Grymm, Keletso, Sarah, and Tank

Recipient: Sherie

• Project Name: Stacks EXhibition - NFT Afrika 2024
• Award: $1,900
• Description: An event series onboarding African artists to the Stacks ecosystem, exploring the possibilities of NFTs and blockchain technology.

Recipient: Redblocklabs

• Project Name: Audiobox.fun
• Award: $3,500
• Description: A Music NFT streaming platform that enhances musician-fan relationships through innovative compensation models.

Recipient: Paul

• Project Name: Exifs Annual World Photography Awards
• Award: $1,000
• Description: A decentralized photography competition on the Stacks blockchain, minting winning entries as NFTs.

Recipient: Reece

• Project Name: The BlockWeb
• Award: $1,000
• Description: An interconnected art collection of 552 unique artworks that highlight the power of connection in the crypto world.

Recipient: Sandy

• Project Name: Mixmi - DJ mixer to NFT
• Award: $1,000
• Description: Enabling artists to remix tracks, mint them as NFTs, and ensure fair rights management and compensation.

Recipient: Gavin

• Project Name: A Museum of Metamorphosis
• Award: $1,000
• Description: An evocative NFT art series capturing the emotional journey of pursuing a seemingly impossible dream.

BNS Track
Lead Stewards: Snazzy, Haddy
Stewards and Contributors: Rocky, George, 3.id, Almost, and Phillip R

Recipient: Snazzy and Rocky

• Project Name: BNS One MVP
• Award: $4,300
• Description: A platform designed to manage BNS assets, including registering, renewing, and managing BNS assets, with high-value features for the BNS community.

Recipient: Snazzy

• Project Name: BNS X account organization
• Award: $150
• Description: Improving the organization and management of BNS accounts with better tools and features.

Recipient: Snazzy

• Project Name: Best BNS Thread competition!
• Award: $100
• Description: A community-driven initiative encouraging creativity and participation by organizing a competition for the best BNS-related thread.

Recipient: Snazzy and Rocky

• Project Name: BNS Official Website
• Award: $1,800
• Description: Providing more functionality for BNS through a website that educates users on how to use BNS and links to BNS tools.

Recipient: Dan Trevino

• Project Name: Boom Wallet
• Award: $2,200
• Description: A seamless and user-friendly wallet solution for managing BNS assets, integrating advanced features for enhanced user experience and security.

Community & Governance Track
“The Community and Governance track of DeGrants has achieved impressive outcomes, including the establishment of leadership structures, the launch of recognition programs, the advancement of on-chain reputation systems, AI integration, and advancing DAO tooling, all of which foster community engagement, retention, and collaboration while laying the groundwork for a sustainable community-led grants program within the Stacks ecosystem.” - Gordon STXAUS
Lead Stewards: Gordon, Acrossfire
Stewards and Contributors: Sam, Zero, Haddy, Stuart, HeroGamer, Nat

Recipient: Goodkitty

• Project Name: Stacks Community Lead
• Award: $4,030
• Description: Fostering a unified and active Stacks ecosystem by developing the Stacks Link brand and building a core team of ecosystem custodians.

Recipient: Nietta

• Project Name: TacOvation! Recognition Program
• Award: $1,600
• Description: Enhancing community engagement through a unique recognition system where members award virtual tacos for exemplary efforts.

Recipient: BitByBit

• Project Name: 100daygiveaway
• Award: $1,000
• Description: Growing Welsh and Stacks wallets by 10,000 through 100 days of giveaways, onboarding new users into the Stacks ecosystem.

Recipient: ZeroAuthority

• Project Name: Reputation on-chain SIP
• Award: $1,000
• Description: Developing a framework for on-chain reputation management to ensure trust and transparency.

Recipient: Goodkitty

• Project Name: Stacks Proof-Of-Work Recognition Program
• Award: $1,540
• Description: Celebrating and recognizing impactful projects and individuals within the Stacks ecosystem through the Stacks (POW)ER Awards.

Recipient: Michael

• Project Name: Syndi as a Community Co-Pilot
• Award: $1,300
• Description: Enhancing community engagement and productivity with an AI co-pilot that provides key answers and accelerates go-to-market strategies.

Recipient: Hamish Jones

• Project Name: Enhancing Governance and Incentives for Stacks Projects
• Award: $1,500
• Description: Conducting research on Stacks governance and incentives to develop tools and best practices for community engagement.

Submit Your Own (BlueSky)Track
“DeGrants saw significant growth in applicants, with half of the participants being new to Stacks, driving impactful trends across various pillars. We support founders and community members in both financial and non-financial ways, creating valuable connections, collaborations, and discovering new talents. The 'Submit Your Own' track fostered out-of-the-box ideas, further enhancing our community's innovation.” - HeroGamer

Lead Steward: HeroGamer
Stewards and Contributors: All Lead and Co-Lead Stewards

Recipient: PeaceLoveMusic

• Project Name: Stacks Media Hub for DeGrants and Ecosystem Projects
• Award: $140
• Description: Providing media coverage, including articles, video blogs, and Twitter Spaces, to spotlight DeGrants projects and relevant Stacks and Bitcoin-related news.

Recipient: David Choukroun

• Project Name: Nestai.ai: Interactive Blockchain Education and Social Intelligence
• Award: $2,000
• Description: Transforming blockchain education with AI avatars guiding users through a curriculum and minting 'diploma' NFTs upon course completion.

Recipient: Paul

• Project Name: AOScribe (Speech to Text (STT) transcription - AI summarization)
• Award: $1,000
• Description: An AI-driven tool for automatic transcription and summarization of meeting minutes from audio recordings.

Congratulations to all the grantees! We are looking forward to seeing what you build. Recipients will work towards their target milestones and provide regular updates on their progress. Stay tuned for these updates to see how these projects evolve.
We appreciate each and every one of the applicants and encourage everyone to continue to be involved in the community, follow these projects, provide feedback, and support their development through engagement on our platforms. Most importantly, talk to others in the community about your ideas. Find people who compliment your skills and help you work towards your goals. We all need support, and this community supports one another.

• Join the DeGrants community on @consoledao for community support & chats: Console
• Follow StacksLink, your ultimate Stacks community resource
• Follow HeroGamer, Goodkitty, and PeaceLoveMusic.btc on X/Twitter to keep up to date on news and events from DeGrants.

Follow the Stacks calendar: Stacks Events for Stacks Spaces and all events.

The Stacks DeGrants program, through its two cohorts, has successfully funded 32 innovative projects with a total of $75,720. This initiative has significantly contributed to the growth and vibrancy of the Stacks ecosystem across six key tracks: DeFi, Builders and Developers, Community and Governance, BNS, NFTs, and BlueSky.

Notable projects include Charisma DAO, enhancing decentralized decision-making; BNS One MVP a platform designed to manage BNS assets; TX2 - Sponsoring Service for Stacks Transactions, facilitating transaction sponsorship; and TacOvation! Recognition Program, fostering community engagement and recognition. Additionally, Audiobox.fun is revolutionizing music streaming with NFT integration, while the DeOrganized Media project is providing media coverage for developing projects and events in the Stacks and greater Bitcoin ecosystem.

The DeGrants project has helped foster a community of inclusion, innovation, collaboration, and support that will help grow Stacks to levels yet unreached. We look forward to continuing along this path with you.

A special shout-out to the lead stewards and marketing team contributors who helped get the word out and made this an overwhelmingly successful grant process.

Developers Track:
Lead Steward: Davek, co-founder of HashHavoc and a dedicated lead in the Developer/Builder Track, passionate about bringing innovation to Bitcoin and Stacks. He supports developers in building impactful projects on the Stacks blockchain.

DeFi Track:
Lead Steward: Brendyn Hadfield, a creative generalist and connector of dots, leading the DeFi Track with a philosophy of curiosity. As a Stacks DeGrants advisor and Art Unchained advisor, he is instrumental in expanding and enhancing DeFi projects within the Stacks ecosystem.

NFT Track:
Lead Steward: Goodkitty, the founder of Bitcoin Art Collective and the Stacks Music Project, is a prominent figure in the Bitcoin and Stacks ecosystems. She hosts "Art on Stacks" with Nietta and writes "GK Insights," supporting NFT creators and driving the NFT market's growth across various art mediums. Nietta, an Aria and Deadly nominated illustrator, and commissioned NFT artist, brings creative expertise and innovation to the Stacks branding and marketing efforts.

BNS Track:
Lead Stewards: Snazzy_888 and Brendyn Hadfield. Snazzy is committed to promoting and supporting the adoption of BNS domains. His focus is on integrating BNS within the Stacks community to enhance digital identity and ownership.

Community and Governance Track:
Lead Stewards: Gordon, the lead at Stacks Australia, is dedicated to bringing builders to Bitcoin and fostering community engagement. AcrossFireX is passionate about Bitcoin and Stacks, contributing significantly to community governance and engagement.

Submit Your Own (BlueSky) Track:
Lead Steward: HeroGamer21BTC, a key supporter of the ecosystem, interfacing with Core Engineers and facilitating community feedback sessions. He hosts regular educational calls and stewards the SIP review process, ensuring effective communication and progress within the Stacks community.

Brand and Marketing Lead:
Lead Steward: Nietta, a valued member of the Stacks ecosystem, known for her artistic talent, logo design, and warm personality, consistently shares her creativity with the community. She co-led the NFT track with Good Kitty and co-hosts their weekly X space called #ArtOnStacks every Tuesday at 2 PM EST.

Contributors:
Phtog - A professional photographer providing support services to the Stacks DeGrants community, driving the cohort 2 process and increasing involvement.
Gpsc.btc - An OG in the Stacks community, providing graphics and marketing support for the DeGrants project and participating in many of the DeGrants track spaces.
PeaceLoveMusic.btc - Embodying the spirit of the decentralized community, building and integrating strong communities, and creating opportunities to grow and prosper through the #DeOrganized project.
HeroGamer - His tireless commitment to fostering and building the DeGrants project from an idea to a decentralized, productive organization hitting goals and producing results far beyond expectation is a testament to what can be done in a decentralized way with some will and a cooperative, community-driven ideal. Thank you, HeroGamer. You have built something amazing!