Every blockchain ecosystem requires an innovative community of builders to create impact and growth. Funding is essential for these projects to go from concept to launch. Project Catalyst empowers the Cardano community to select projects they want to see built while also offering a funding mechanism to help these projects realize their visions.
Last month celebrated Catalyst's third year of operations; having just concluded its tenth funding round, Project Catalyst has seen over six hundred completed projects and has been pivotal in the growth of Cardano’s ecosystem. To appreciate the full extent of Catalyst’s impact, this blog looks at highlights from the past three years and looks ahead at what Catalyst has in store. Read on to learn about Catalyst, some of the innovations that have come from it, and why Cardano offers this initiative.
What is Project Catalyst?
Funding rounds consist of six stages:
These stages foster decentralized decision-making and a community-focused approach to funding ecosystem growth. Project Catalyst touches almost every facet of the ecosystem, supporting builders and educators by providing them with self-sustainability.
Project Catalyst milestones
Project Catalyst has come a long way since its inception, achieving numerous milestones and improving the funding process with every new round.
The infographic below lists some of these milestones and improvements as of August 2023.
Project Catalyst - Empowering an ecosystem
Throughout its first ten funds, Project Catalyst has contributed to developing Cardano’s ecosystem, with numerous standout projects receiving funding and having real-world impact.
Here’s a look at just five of the project proposals that have benefited from Catalyst funding:
- Cardano native token trading on decentralized exchanges (DEXs),
- NFT collection creation
- payment gateways
- project launchpads
- portfolio tracking
- token distribution
- and more
Looking ahead to future Catalyst funds
Project Catalyst and its ecosystem keep growing to provide a better user experience. This is evident in Catalyst’s latest categories, created in Fund10 to ensure the platform’s sustainability and improvement:
Catalyst accountability is also improving with the fund’s milestone-based funding and proof-of-achievement model applied to active proposals.
Education is another critical growth factor, with Catalyst introducing an education program to onboard new participants.
The Catalyst team is thrilled to embark on the next stage of evolution with the community, bringing together all engaged participants, aligning, and co-building towards a shared vision to impact the real world positively!