Catalyst Pilot
Build. Launch. Get Paid.
Bring your next innovation to Cardano and receive grants to take you from development to deployment and long-term longevity.
- Total Fund
- 2.5M ada
- Per project
- 50 - 200k
- Teams selected
- 10 - 15
- Paid upfront
- 40%
Opens August 2026 | Closes 2 weeks after launch
Four themes. Many paths.
Use at least one of the integration areas. More are welcomed.
All areas come with an Integration Guide providing ideas, documentation, sandboxes, and an honest read of the solution's readiness.
Oracles
Build with oracle feeds and use live, verified data to inform smart contracts and connect Cardano to the world.
Stablecoins
Improve experience for USDM, USDCx, and others, especially with easier transfers from exchanges to Cardano.
Programmable Tokens
Apply built-in rules to tokens with CIP-0113 and add compliance logic for RWAs or KYC and AML enforcement.
On-Chain Identity
Use CIP-0170 to attach verifiable digital identity to Cardano wallets and create metadata attestations.
Prepare your success. Submit a great proposal.
The Catalyst Pilot is only open to product teams. Projects must deliver a working solution that's live on Cardano within three months of the Pilot launching.
What to include in the proposal
Product and Problem
Explain what you'll build and why it matters
Market and Timing
Provide an overview of competitors and why launch a new solution now
Team and Traction
Demonstrate why you're the right ones to deliver this product
Build Plan
Detail how you'll get to a live product within three months
Chosen Area(s)
Clarify which themes you'll tackle and how
Usage Target
Identify existing users, partners, channels, and if usage is set at or higher than the minimum
Launch and Adoption Plan
Show how you'll bring users in from day one and what's the scaling strategy
Pitch Video
Summarise your proposal in a short video (three minutes recommended)
Four stages for select projects. Real usage valued.
The Catalyst Pilot is designed to reward projects that scale and bring long-term value to Cardano.
- STAGE 01
Onboarding
40% payment — Selected projects complete the onboarding process and receive the first payment of the requested amount.
- STAGE 02
Building
First 3 months — Projects develop their products and put them on mainnet with at least one real transaction as proof.
- STAGE 03
Launching
Up to 40% payment — Projects get paid proportionally to performance; those that hit their stated targets receive the full 40% payment.
- STAGE 04
Scaling
20% payment — Projects receive extra payment if there's still relevant usage two months after the previous measurement.
50% bonus
Up to four best-performing projects can earn as much as 50% of their initial grant. Judging based on usage relative to grant size.
Throughout the Pilot, usage will be measured in network fees paid to use the projects' solutions. Selected projects will label their transactions with a standard label provided by the Pilot, so that activity automatically appears on the public dashboard as well as the Cardano leaderboard.
Full transparency, clear rules.
