Round 7 closes 12 Dec

Grants for teams that ship

We fund wallets, payment tools, infrastructure and research on Oriel. No equity and no lockups: you get paid as each milestone ships.

Paid out

$48.6M

Teams funded

412

Typical decision

6 weeks

Stacks of chrome coins rising step by step along a glass ribbon to a gold coin

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Programs

Four programs, one review standard

Pink glass coins with an arch emblem falling through soft lavender light

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Round 7 open

Builder grants

$25k to $250k

For teams shipping wallets, payments and infrastructure. Two rounds a year with a theme.

Learn more

Pink glass coins with an arch emblem falling through soft lavender light

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Round 7 open

Builder grants

$25k to $250k

For teams shipping wallets, payments and infrastructure. Two rounds a year with a theme.

Learn more

Pink glass coins with an arch emblem falling through soft lavender light

?

Round 7 open

Builder grants

$25k to $250k

For teams shipping wallets, payments and infrastructure. Two rounds a year with a theme.

Learn more

Pink glass coins with an arch emblem falling through soft lavender light

?

Round 7 open

Builder grants

$25k to $250k

For teams shipping wallets, payments and infrastructure. Two rounds a year with a theme.

Learn more

A glass sphere filled with orange and blue swirls resting on still water

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Next intake in March

Research fellowships

$90k a year

Twelve months of paid research in cryptography, consensus or economics.

Learn more

A glass sphere filled with orange and blue swirls resting on still water

?

Next intake in March

Research fellowships

$90k a year

Twelve months of paid research in cryptography, consensus or economics.

Learn more

A glass sphere filled with orange and blue swirls resting on still water

?

Next intake in March

Research fellowships

$90k a year

Twelve months of paid research in cryptography, consensus or economics.

Learn more

A glass sphere filled with orange and blue swirls resting on still water

?

Next intake in March

Research fellowships

$90k a year

Twelve months of paid research in cryptography, consensus or economics.

Learn more

A stack of violet, magenta and gold cubes rising in a loose tower

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Rolling

Ecosystem fund

Up to $1M

Matches outside investment for projects that already have users.

Learn more

A stack of violet, magenta and gold cubes rising in a loose tower

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Rolling

Ecosystem fund

Up to $1M

Matches outside investment for projects that already have users.

Learn more

A stack of violet, magenta and gold cubes rising in a loose tower

?

Rolling

Ecosystem fund

Up to $1M

Matches outside investment for projects that already have users.

Learn more

A stack of violet, magenta and gold cubes rising in a loose tower

?

Rolling

Ecosystem fund

Up to $1M

Matches outside investment for projects that already have users.

Learn more

A frosted glass book standing open, its pages fanned out with a gold edge

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Rolling

Academy grants

$5k to $20k

For courses, workshops and translations that bring new developers in.

Learn more

A frosted glass book standing open, its pages fanned out with a gold edge

?

Rolling

Academy grants

$5k to $20k

For courses, workshops and translations that bring new developers in.

Learn more

A frosted glass book standing open, its pages fanned out with a gold edge

?

Rolling

Academy grants

$5k to $20k

For courses, workshops and translations that bring new developers in.

Learn more

A frosted glass book standing open, its pages fanned out with a gold edge

?

Rolling

Academy grants

$5k to $20k

For courses, workshops and translations that bring new developers in.

Learn more

Scope

What we fund, and what we don’t

We fund

Open-source code that other teams can reuse

Products with a clear first user and a date to ship

Audits, tooling and docs that nobody else pays for

Research that ends in a paper and working code

We don’t fund

Token launches, airdrops or market making

Marketing budgets without a product behind them

Work that is already finished

Closed forks of open Oriel code

Process

From application to first payment

Apply

A short form, no deck needed

Call

30 minutes with two reviewers

Decision

Within six weeks of the round closing

Milestones

Paid in two to four tranches

Recent grants

Paid this quarter

Project

What it pays for

Amount

Program

Tessel

Passkey recovery for wallets

$180,000

· $180,000

Round 6

· Round 6

Paywire

Refunds API for merchants

$120,000

· $120,000

Round 6

· Round 6

Quarry Nodes

One-click validator setup

$95,000

· $95,000

Round 6

· Round 6

Ledgerlight

Explorer in six languages

$60,000

· $60,000

Academy

· Academy

Passmark

Selective disclosure proofs

$210,000

· $210,000

Research

· Research

Questions

Before you apply

Do you take equity or tokens?

No. Grants are gifts tied to milestones. You keep everything you build.

Do you take equity or tokens?

No. Grants are gifts tied to milestones. You keep everything you build.

Can individuals apply?

Yes. About a third of our grants go to people working alone or in pairs.

Can individuals apply?

Yes. About a third of our grants go to people working alone or in pairs.

Does the code have to be open source?

Code funded by a builder grant ships under an open licence. Products on top of it can be closed.

Does the code have to be open source?

Code funded by a builder grant ships under an open licence. Products on top of it can be closed.

How are grants paid?

In USDC or ORL, your choice, in tranches after each milestone is reviewed.

How are grants paid?

In USDC or ORL, your choice, in tranches after each milestone is reviewed.

What if a milestone slips?

Tell us early. We move dates often; we stop paying only when work stops.

What if a milestone slips?

Tell us early. We move dates often; we stop paying only when work stops.

Who reviews applications?

Two reviewers from the foundation and one from the community, named on the round page.

Who reviews applications?

Two reviewers from the foundation and one from the community, named on the round page.

Have something to build on Oriel?

The application takes about 20 minutes. A reviewer replies within ten working days, whatever the answer.

Violet coins and a magenta cube riding a long glossy ribbon that sweeps to the right
Violet coins and a magenta cube riding a long glossy ribbon that sweeps to the right
Violet coins and a magenta cube riding a long glossy ribbon that sweeps to the right

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Oriel Foundation supports the open development of Oriel Network from Zug, Switzerland.

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© 2026 Oriel Foundation, Zug

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