> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/category-brief.md).
# Category Brief
### Overview
Catalyst Pilot pays teams in ADA for real, verified usage on Cardano. Grants run from **50,000 to 200,000 ADA**, paid **40% to build** your integration, up to **40% on the adoption it earns**, and **20% for holding that usage** afterwards. Top performers also share a **separate bonus pool**. Adoption is measured in real network fees from real users, not self-reported metrics, so the money follows genuine usage, not vanity numbers.
It is a fast, focused round with one job: get a new Cardano integration live on mainnet and earning real fees. The grant is an enabler to kickstart that, not to cover end-to-end costs. Marketing-only proposals cannot be funded, the first milestone is a working integration, but marketing matters enormously afterwards, because it drives the usage that earns the adoption payment.
Teams that show real mainnet adoption are well positioned for what comes next, including potential support from the Cardano Foundation's [Venture Hub](https://cardanofoundation.org/venture-hub) and other specialised tracks in the wider ecosystem such as the [Draper Dragon](https://www.draperdragon.com/)-managed [Orion Fund](https://orion.draperdragon.com/) and associated instruments (e.g. [Cometa Labs](https://www.cometalabs.com/), [Draper U](https://draperuniversity.com/)).
***
### Who can apply
This pilot is for **teams with a mature product** who want to add a Cardano area of interest to it.
* **You have a real, working product**, validated on a public testnet or already live, on Cardano or another chain (roughly **TRL 5 or above**; [the TRL Guide](/open-funding/funding-basics/technology-readiness-levels.md) explains the concept of Technology Readiness Levels).
* **The integration is new work**. The grant funds you to build it, from the ground up to mainnet, and drive real usage. It must be live with real transactions by pilot end.
* It must be **genuine, incremental development**, not retroactive funding or research alone. Open source is preferred, not required.
**Submission limits**. One proposal per applicant, whether an individual, organisation, or consortium, and you cannot split into multiple entities to get around it. No individual may be named on more than one proposal in any delivery role, so a shared contributor cannot be spread across teams. This counts your project team, not the providers you integrate: many teams can build on the same oracle or stablecoin. Submit more than one and only the first counts; every participant's role must be disclosed. Read [Fund Rules](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/fund-rules) to learn more.
**Good standing**. Newcomers from other ecosystems are unaffected by this. But if you already deliver Catalyst-funded work, you cannot apply if any active project is more than 90 days behind, or over 12 months old and still incomplete (unless the Fund Operator has accepted a valid reason), or if you run more than three active Catalyst projects. Applicants must be 18 or over and complete identity verification (KYC/KYB). Read [Fund Rules](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/fund-rules) to learn more.
***
### Areas of Interest
Your proposal must leverage **at least one**:
* **Oracles**: real-time price feeds (for example, Pyth).
* **Stablecoins**: building with or accepting verified stablecoin policies (for example, USDM, USDCx), especially paths that move stablecoins from centralised exchanges onto Cardano.
* **Programmable tokens (CIP-0113)**: tokens with embedded logic, for example real-world-asset tokenisation with compliance rules.
* **On-chain identity (CIP-0170)**: wallet and stake-key-based identity.
[The Integration Guides](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/integration-guides) cover each one, with docs and starting points. Every project must clear its category's **program floor**, a minimum level of counted network fees; floors and target guidance are in [the Proof of Adoption & Standard](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/proof-of-adoption-and-standard).
**Dune Analytics** is a mandatory tracking add-on, not an integration in itself: every funded project tags its transactions with a standardised label, so its activity feeds a central "Catalyst Impact" dashboard and the [public leaderboard](https://cardano.org/apps/leaderboard/).
***
### Funding and milestones
Your grant (50,000 to 200,000 ADA) is paid in three parts, and top performers earn a bonus on top:
| Part | Share | Paid when |
| -------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Build | 40% | At onboarding |
| Adoption | up to 40% | After your measurement window, on the usage you earned |
| Kicker | 20% | About two months later, if your usage holds |
| Bonus | up to 50% of your grant | Top adoption performers only, from a separate pool |
* **Total pool: 2,500,000 ADA**, 2,000,000 in base grants, a 400,000 bonus pool for top performers, and 100,000 for ecosystem-supporting activities (separate from the bonus).
* **Cohort: about 10 to 15 teams, subject to proposal quality**.
* Your requested amount sets your **adoption floor** and your **external-wallet minimum**, both shown to you when you declare your target.
The three steps:
1. **Onboarding (KYC/KYB)** unlocks the 40% build payment. Complete it, with an approved Statement of Milestones, within **two weeks** of award, or the grant may be withdrawn, so come ready to move.
2. **Milestone 1, technical delivery (within 3 months)**. Your integration is live on Cardano mainnet, proven by a real on-chain transaction. No payment attaches; this is your Demo Day, where you lock your adoption target and declare what counts ([Standard §4](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/pages/X5jb8zrivKjmdlbCethM#id-4.-the-milestone-1-checkpoint)). Mainnet by this point is required whatever readiness you started from.
3. **Milestone 2, adoption.** Your measurement period runs from Milestone 1 to the program's end at **month 4**, the same for everyone, so delivering early gives you a longer window against the same target. Reach your target and the full 40% adoption payment pays; land between the floor and your target and it pays proportionally; finish below the floor and it doesn't pay. The full mechanics, floors, pace, and timing, are in the Standard ([§7](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/pages/X5jb8zrivKjmdlbCethM#id-7.-the-rhythm), [§8](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/pages/X5jb8zrivKjmdlbCethM#id-8.-the-adoption-payment), [§10](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/pages/X5jb8zrivKjmdlbCethM#id-10.-the-kicker)).
***
### What your proposal must include
1. **Product and problem:** what you're building and why it matters.
2. **Market and business case:** the landscape, and why now.
3. **Team and traction:** why you're positioned to deliver, with verifiable profiles and roles.
4. **Build plan:** a concrete route to Milestone 1 within three months.
5. **Integration selection:** which area(s), and how you'll use them.
6. **Fee target and usage model:** your self-declared target per area (above the floor, final at submission), your expected transaction count, and where the usage comes from, named channels, existing users, and partner commitments, with rough volumes.
7. **Pace awareness:** that you understand usage has to hold a steady rhythm through the window ([Standard §7](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/pages/X5jb8zrivKjmdlbCethM#id-7.-the-rhythm)), and your plan for the first two weeks after going live.
8. **Recommended:** a three-minute pitch video.
***
### How proposals are selected
Every proposal passes an eligibility check during curation, then a scoring pass on two fronts: a **technical review** (is the integration sound and buildable to mainnet?) and a **business review** (is there real demand, a credible route to users, and usage that lasts?). Funding decisions are made by a **decision panel** of institutional and community members, whose assessments are merged into a single outcome; the top-ranked eligible proposals that fit the budget and cohort are then selected. Targets are scored both ways: too timid loses points, and too aggressive without evidence loses points too. The funding pool is a ceiling, not a quota: if too few proposals meet the bar, the program funds fewer teams than the target cohort and may reallocate the remainder to future rounds. Applying does not guarantee funding. Learn more about [Curation](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/curation) and [Decision](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/decision) stages.
***
### Playing it straight
This pilot pays for authentic utility, not vanity metrics. **The golden rule: if a simple script across a handful of your own wallets could reproduce your volume, it doesn't count.** Anyone can confidentially flag suspected misconduct; unproven flags are never published, and confirmed reports earn a reward. A confirmed case removes the activity and recalculates payments; a confirmed case of paying for or faking transactions forfeits every unpaid amount, with consequences that attach to the named individuals. Full detail is in [the Proof of Adoption & Standard](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/proof-of-adoption-and-standard).
***
### Dates and how to apply
Your proposal, progress reports, and proofs of achievement are published publicly. Before applying, read the [Fund Rules](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/fund-rules) and [Terms and Conditions](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/fine-print/terms-and-conditions), which govern funding, payment, and termination and prevail in any conflict. For this round, the payment and milestone structure set out in this Brief and the [Proof of Adoption & Standard](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/proof-of-adoption-and-standard) is what applies.
Go deeper:
* [Integration Guides](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/integration-guides): what to build in each area, with docs and the [TRL guide](/open-funding/funding-basics/technology-readiness-levels.md).
* [Proof of Adoption & Standard](https://docs.projectcatalyst.io/open-funding/funding-basics/proof-of-adoption-and-standard): the floors, targets, and every counting rule.
* [Pre-Submission Checklist](/open-funding/funding-basics/pre-submission-checklist.md): run it before you submit.
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