Canton Dev Fund

The Development Fund accelerates high-quality contributions that increase the utility, security, and long-term resilience of the Canton Network. The fund supports work such as: - Core protocol research and development - Developer tools and SDKs - Security reviews, audits, and hardening - Reference implementations - Critical ecosystem infrastructure - DeFi liquidity seeding where required for early utility ## How the Fund Works The program was established through governance: - **CIP-0082** allocates **5% of future Canton Coin emissions** to the Development Fund - **CIP-0100** defines the governance and review process Unlike many networks, Canton does **not** use a premine or treasury. Funding comes from future network rewards to create a durable, predictable source. The Canton Foundation acts as a neutral facilitator. Funding decisions are made by the **Tech & Ops Committee**, with final approval by the **Voting Group**. **Program structure** - Quarterly funding allocation - Milestone-based payments - Funding denominated in Canton Coin (CC) - Transparent, community-visible process --- ## Who Can Submit You may submit a proposal if you are: - A Canton Foundation member - A contributor organization - An external team or individual External contributors must have a **Tech & Ops Committee champion** to support the proposal. All proposals are evaluated based on **impact, quality, feasibility, and alignment**, not on who submits them. --- ## How to Submit a Proposal All proposals are submitted via Pull Request. ### Step 1: Review the PR Template Use the Development Fund template located at: ``` .github/pull_request_template.md ``` The template requires: - Objective and scope - Technical approach - Architectural alignment - Milestones and deliverables - Acceptance criteria - Funding request and milestone breakdown --- ### Step 2: Create Your Proposal 1. Fork this repository 2. Create a new branch 3. Add your proposal as a Markdown file under: ``` proposals/<project-name>.md ``` 4. Complete the content using the PR template structure --- ### Step 3: Open a Pull Request Use the following title format: ``` Proposal: <Project Name> ``` Once submitted, your proposal will enter the review process. --- ## Review Process 1. Initial feedback from the contributor group 2. Technical and operational review by Tech & Ops 3. Security review (if applicable) 4. Funding decision by the Voting Group Proposals are evaluated based on: - Ecosystem impact and value - Alignment with protocol priorities - Scope and feasibility - Cost effectiveness - Security and scalability - Long-term maintenance plan - Clarity of milestones and deliverables Funding is released **only after milestone acceptance**. --- ## What Makes a Strong Proposal Successful proposals typically include: - A clear problem and ecosystem value - Deliverables that can be objectively verified - Realistic timelines and scope - Open-source or reusable outputs where appropriate - Evidence of technical capability - Adoption or distribution plan --- ## RFPs and Priority Areas The Tech & Ops Committee may publish Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for strategic needs. RFP announcements will be published here: ``` <ADD RFP LOCATION> ``` --- ## Governance Structure (CIP-0100) The Development Fund is administered through: **Voting Group** - 5 voting members and 2 alternates - Final approval of funding decisions **Security Subcommittee** - Reviews security-sensitive proposals **Core Contributors Group** - Provides technical input and prioritization **Operations Subcommittee** - Oversees reporting, communications, and operational coordination --- ## Payment Terms - Funding is denominated in **Canton Coin (CC)** - Payments are milestone-based and released after acceptance - Projects longer than 6 months may be re-evaluated for price volatility - Funding may be paused or stopped if milestones are not met --- ## Scope Guidance Eligible work includes contributions that are a **common good** for the ecosystem: - Protocol improvements - Shared developer tooling - Security and reliability enhancements - Reference implementations - Infrastructure used by multiple participants The fund does **not** support purely private or proprietary work. --- ## Questions Email: **dev-fund@canton.foundation** Additional information: - [CIP-0082](https://github.com/canton-foundation/cips/blob/main/cip-0082/cip-0082.md) - [CIP-0100](https://github.com/canton-foundation/cips/blob/main/cip-0100/cip-0100.md) --- ## Why This Fund Exists Canton adoption is growing rapidly. The Development Fund ensures the network evolves with: - Open participation - Transparent governance - Predictable funding - Long-term ecosystem resilience **Goal:** Support development that makes Canton stronger for everyone.