Introducing Project Catalyst, Cardano's revolutionary innovation engine and one of the world's most significant decentralized grant funds. Project Catalyst propels collaborative innovation to new heights and fuels Cardano ecosystem expansion by connecting people with groundbreaking ideas to a funding source, collaborating with and voted for by the Cardano community, and spearheaded by the Cardano treasury.

Why Collaborate to Innovate?

Over the last ten funds, the Catalyst team has put great effort into creating a governance system that allows everyone to have their voice. But why do it? What advantages?

• Distributed research and development. By empowering our community, we can build things better, faster, and cheaper than top-down organizations.

• Decentralized team building. Great innovation comes from great teams. Many of our most impactful projects come from teams who met while becoming a part of Project Catalyst.

• Group refinement and execution. We see a significant improvement in the quality of proposals after the community weighs in with their constructive criticism.

How Does Project Catalyst Work?

• Innovation - Each participant responds to community-generated challenges with their ideas during this phase. Brainstorming leads to conceptualization, community feedback, and then finalized proposals.

• Governance - Participants register to vote on the proposals they wish to see funded. A tally occurs once the voting period ends before verifiable results are shared.

• Execution - Selected projects receive funding upon completion of milestones. They are given guidance and mentorship to deliver on their proposals, and regular reports are made to the community to ensure everything goes according to plan.

How Can I Participate?

• - Propose new ideas for a shot at winning funding

• - Provide opinions and help guide voters through submitted proposals. This role is incentivized

• - Decide on the future of Cardano by deciding which proposals receive funding

How to navigate in this website?

You can find easily information by either checking FAQ below or by using search box.

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Search box

If you didn't find information that you are looking for in FAQ, please use Ask or search box which is on the right upper corner. You may type your question/word that you are looking for. The search box will present you all the information relevant to your question.

This page contains category Category Scopes in the current Fund

Community Reviewers must consider each of the following points as they undertake their reviews:

• Assign a score between 1 and 5 for each criterion based on the scoring rubric below.

• For each of the three criteria, a score and rationale for your score must be provided.

• Each of the 3 sections should be considered and reviewed on its own merits. These sections are:

By selecting “Yes, I agree” to the onboarding form to which this Catalyst FC Personal Data Consent is attached, you acknowledge and agree that:

1. In connection with your participation in Project Catalyst and, as a requirement to accept funding from CFC (as those terms are defined in the ), your personal data will be collected, stored and processed by third party processors authorized by CFC in its discretion (“Third Party Processors”) in connection with CFC’s legitimate interest in protecting against fraud, corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, illicit use of funds and other criminal activity (collectively, the “Permitted Purposes”).

2. For the purposes of this Personal Data Consent, “personal data” means personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you and which may include, without limitation, your name, email address, physical address, phone number and biometric identifiers and information.

The Catalyst Town Hall is a public square where progress and achievements are communicated across the Project Catalyst ecosystem. It provides an opportunity to gather insights from attendees about new features or potential changes to Catalyst operations, and it’s also an open forum where Catalyst-funded projects give updates on their progress.

Town Hall slides may be found in this folder.

Town Hall recordings may be found here.

Coming soon!

In Fund15, Reviewers who registered to be Reviewer in both Catalyst and Midnight category and are eligible for rewards, will receive separate rewards for both categories.

For Catalyst categories:

LV0 reviewers will receive an amount per review that is inversely proportional to the total number of reviews submitted by LV0. The more reviews are submitted the lower the reward amount per review. The maximum amount per review for LV0 is 12 ada. This amount could be less if LV0 reviewers completed many more reviews. LV0 gets rewarded only for allocated reviews. To receive rewards, LV0 must have at least 10 valid reviews. The pot of allocated LV0 rewards includes the overflow of additional LV1 reviews that exceed the LV1 reviewer’s auto-allocation, added to the LV0 pool of published reviews.

LV1s can expect a fixed amount of 25 ada per allocated review. If the LV1 reviewer wants to perform more reviews beyond the assigned allocation, then every additional published review will be compensated for the LV0 pot of rewards. To receive rewards, LV1 must have at least 10 valid reviews, including assigned and additional reviews. Any number of reviews under this amount will not be rewarded.

LV2s can expect to receive a maximum of 2.5 ada per flag check. The effort here is anticipated to be straightforward and quick to accomplish for each flagged review

Only valid, published reviews will be rewarded. Discarded reviews will not be rewarded.

For Midnight category:

Rewards for LV0, LV1 and LV2 Reviewers in the Midnight category will be shared at a later stage.

In Fund15, the Community Review stage will take place within the Community Review module - a new platform designed specifically to manage the Community Review and Moderation process. This module replaces Ideascale, which was used up to Fund13. Please follow this user guide to get familiarized with this new platform.

IMPORTANT: If you are interested to become LV0, LV1 or LV2 in Fund15, you have to register in the Community Review module during submission window.

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

New Community Reviewers (LV0)

• Community reviewers must register, complete a required identity verification process and carry out reviews using the Community Review module.

• Community reviewers must read through the guidance documentation provided.

• Community Reviewers will log into the Community Review module and carry out their reviews, providing scores and reasons for giving those scores using the scoring rubric supplied.

• LV0 and LV1 Reviewers can review proposals from any Fund categories; however, Catalyst suggests that opinions are most valuable when reviewing proposals from areas and subject matter that the Community Reviewer is familiar with.

• LV0 and LV1 Reviewers will be provided an allocation of proposals to review which will be visible in the tab “Allocated proposals”. Reviewers can choose to review outside of the allocation (by reviewing proposals in the “Proposals” tab), however, to minimize risks of gaming, non-allocated proposal reviews will have a lower weighted score compared to allocated reviews. (More details in the section).

• Once a review is submitted, it will pass through Catalyst scripts which analyze the review for: ‘length,’ ‘similarity,’ ‘profanity,’ and ‘use of AI’ (details can be found in the Catalyst flags section).

• All flagged reviews will be randomly allocated to at least 2 LV2 Community Moderators for analysis. Community Moderators will determine whether a flagged review will be published or discarded.

• Once voting has concluded, the reward calculations for all reviewers (LV0-LV2) are prepared.

• Community Reviewer rewards will be distributed as soon as possible.

Experienced Community Reviewers (LV1)

Experienced Community Reviewers must follow the same guidance and steps as LV0 Community Reviewers, noting that after Step 3 above, LV1 community reviewers will have the following additional steps.

• Catalyst will generate a random allocation of proposals to be reviewed for eligible LV1 and LV0 reviewers in the visible in the “Allocated proposals” tab. Reviews of allocated proposals will be rewarded at a fixed rate per review for LV1 and at a variable rate per review for LV0, determined by the number of reviewers participating and the total reviews published.

• LV1 Community reviewer allocations are based on the category preferences selected during registration. While LV1s can review any proposal, the higher rewards will be paid for reviewing proposals identified in the allocation.

• When an LV1 reviewer chooses to review proposals outside of the prescribed allocation (visible in “Allocated proposals” tab), the review will still be counted (subject to passing the flagging and LV2 stage), and rewards for these additional reviewers will be counted as part of the LV0 pot of rewards.

As LV1 reviewer in Catalyst categories, you may perform more than the allocation of 50 reviews. To do so, you may review proposals visible in the “Proposals” tab. The rewards for each review above and beyond the allocation will be paid as part of the LV0 pool of reviews. Those excess reviews will also carry a lower weight in the score as outlined in the score weight formula section.

As LV1 reviewer in Midnight category, you may perform more than the allocation of 7 reviews. To do so, you may review proposals visible in the “Proposals” tab. The rewards for each review above and beyond the allocation will be paid as part of the LV0 pool of reviews. Those excess reviews will also carry a lower weight in the score as outlined in the score weight formula section.

F10 Catalyst Fund Operations

Link to the project in the Milestone Module: https://milestones.projectcatalyst.io/projects/1000046

F10 Catalyst Platform UI/UX

Link to the project in the Milestone Module: https://milestones.projectcatalyst.io/projects/1000096

• For full access to GitHub branches please review:

• https://github.com/input-output-hk/catalyst-core

F10 Catalyst infrastructure powered by Hermes

Link to the project in the Milestone Module:

• For full access to GitHub branches please review:

F11 Alternative Catalyst voting schemes

Link to the project in the Milestone Module:

F11 Catalyst Working Groups

Link to the project in the Milestone Module:

General questions

Where can I find the link to the Community Review module?

You can access the Community Review module directly at this link: . We recommend bookmarking this page for easy access.

Is your project considering open source licensing? Here's how to go about it:

If you declare that the project will be open-source in the application form, it must remain open-source throughout the entire lifecycle of the project, with a publicly accessible repository.

Open-source software is software whose source code is publicly accessible and licensed in a way that allows anyone to use, modify, and share it freely, typically under licenses approved by the Open Source Initiative.

Proprietary software source code is not publicly available and the rights to use, modify, or redistribute proprietary software are restricted and typically reserved by the software's owner.

All information can be found

All information can be found.

Final Milestone: represents the last step for Funded Projects before their project is considered complete and includes submitting a Project Closeout Report and a Project Closeout Video.

Funded Project: a project approved for funding by the community of ada holders.

Grant Amount: the total funding the community approves for a Funded Project.

Proof of Achievement (PoA): evidence to be submitted by Funded Projects to show that the acceptance criteria for a Milestone as set out in the Statement of Milestones have been fulfilled and the Milestone has been completed.

Milestone: a milestone identified by the Funded Projects in the Statement of Milestones with a corresponding Milestone Achievement Date and a Milestone Funding Amount.

Final Milestone: a milestone which has to include Project Closeout Report and Project Closeout Video.

Milestone Achievement Date: a date specified in the Statement of Milestones on which a Funded Project will complete a related Milestone.

Effective Date: [October 2025]

Issued by: Catalyst FC (“CFC”) in coordination with the Fund Operator

1. Overview

This Refunds Policy outlines how and when Catalyst funded projects must return funds to Catalyst FC (“CFC”) following suspension, termination, or cancellation under the Project Catalyst Terms and Conditions (“Terms”). Our goal is to ensure fairness, transparency and consistency in how grant funds are managed, monitored, and, when necessary, recovered within the Catalyst ecosystem.

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

• What kind of acceptance criteria/outputs should FP deliver during SoM formulation to have it approved by the Milestone Reviewers? 0:37

• What was the most difficult part during the review of SoM? 2:47

• What was the most difficult part during the review of PoA? 7:02

1. What kind of acceptance criteria/outputs should FP deliver during SoM formulation to have it approved by the Milestone Reviewers? 0:37

2. What should Milestone Reviewer pay attention to during SoM review? 2:39

3. What was the most difficult part during the review of SoM? 3:37

This policy provides guidance to projects teams funded by Project Catalyst (“Grantees”) on requesting a suspension or termination of their project and the conditions under which the Fund Operator may suspend or terminate project funding. This policy takes effect on May 1, 2024 and applies to all active projects funded by Project Catalyst.

Coming soon!

Welcome to Fund15. Please check our where you can find more information about Project Catalyst and Fund categories.

Given the dynamic nature of Project Catalyst, the following dates may change as the fund progresses. If this is the case, we will notify the community via our announcement channels on and .

Last update: December 2nd, 2025

• What kind of acceptance criteria/outputs should FP deliver during SoM formulation to have it approved by the Milestone Reviewers? 0:26

• What should Milestone Reviewer pay attention to during SoM review? 1:57

• What was the most difficult part during the review of SoM? 2:50

Community Reviewers should recuse themselves from reviewing and moderating

• their own proposal and their own reviews,

• a proposal where they are engaged as an advisor, mentor, or otherwise substantially involved in the execution phase of such proposal; or

• any other proposal and review in the same challenge category as a proposal they have submitted or are engaged with as an advisor, mentor, or otherwise substantially involved in the execution of such proposal.

Any Community Reviewer account previously identified as ineligible to participate in the process will not be allowed to participate in any shape or form in Fund15 as per earlier guidelines. Full list of reviewer IDs that have been blacklisted will be made available.

Coming soon!

Milestone Reviewer - Interview 1

Milestone Reviewer - Interview 2

Milestone Reviewer - Interview 3

Milestone Reviewer - Interview 4

Milestone Reviewer - Interview 5

In Fund15, the Community Moderation process is conducted through the Community Review Module, which has replaced the previous Moderation module. A user guide explaining how to use this new tool is available here to help you understand its features and functionality.

All reviews provided by the Community Reviewers will be subject to an automated review process using Catalyst Flags. Catalyst Flags* are pieces of code known as scripts that are run to analyze all reviews by the Community Reviewers. Catalyst scripts will raise flags in case of:

• Similarity ~ reviews which are identical or almost identical to a another review

• Profanity ~ reviews that contain profanities or abusive content or language

• Use of AI ~ reviews which do not reflect the opinion of the Community Reviewer or which are provided by others or an AI-agent acting on their behalf.

* Length requirements have already been applied for automatically (reviews containing less than 150 characters in impact, feasibility, and value for money criteria)

All reviews that have been flagged will go through a moderation process involving Community Moderators (LV2).

• Community Moderators will be randomly allocated flagged reviews for further assessment. In addition, between 1-5% percent of reviews not flagged by scripts will be allocated to LV2 Community Reviewers for a spot check (depending on the total reviews received).

• Community Moderators have to register in the to perform moderation

• Community Moderators can see which flags have been raised by scripts about the review/reviewer.

• After reading the review and flags, Community Moderators will submit their moderations, marking reviews they believe were legitimately flagged and providing a reason for why the review should be removed. Eg. Where the flag is raised because of potential ChatGPT AI involvement or plagiarism, the Moderator must make a judgment whether they believe the review not to be a reviewer's own opinion. If the Moderator agrees with the flag, they mark it as REMOVE and give a rationale.

Rules to be followed by Community Moderators (LV2)

• All reviews should be provided to voters unless a Community Moderator has good reason not to include it.

• It is anticipated that Community Moderators will approve many flagged reviews and will be included for voters to consider.

• Moderators are there to provide a sanity check to verify if the flag(s) have raised a valid concern.

• Moderators should use their best judgment and provide a reason if they agree the flag is valid, meaning that the review should not be included.

STEP 1

Install the latest version of the Catalyst Voting application on your mobile device.

STEP 2

Open the Catalyst Voting app on your mobile device and tap "Let's start" or "Skip":

STEP 3

Next - tap on "Connect Wallet":

STEP 4

Next - tap on "Scan voting QR code" and scan the QR code, which you received in Step 7.

STEP 5

Tap on "I'm ready to scan my QR code" to go to the next step.

STEP 6

Tap on "Continue" to allow access to your camera.

STEP 7

Enter the 4 digit PIN code, which you set in Step 6 and tap "Confirm".

STEP 8

You will see a confirmation message saying that your wallet is successfully connected.

Exceptions

If you are using a wrong QR code (e.g. from and old registration, malformed QR code, unregistered wallet etc.), this pop-up will be displayed and the App won't be connected to any wallet. In this case, check if you are using the correct QR code coming from the most recent registration before the snapshot date.

In case you didn't have enough ADA in your wallet at the snapshot date, this message will be displayed. Your wallet will be still connected to the voting App but you won't be able to submit votes for this voting round. Wait the next Fund and make sure to have enough ADA at the next snapshot date.

Who is the legal counterparty responsible for providing grants from the Catalyst Treasury?

Grants from the Catalyst Treasury are managed and disbursed by the Catalyst Foundation Company (CFC) also known as Catalyst FC. Catalyst FC has appointed IOG as its administrator.

Organisation details:

• Name: Catalyst Foundation Company (CFC/Catalyst FC)

• Address: 4th Floor Harbour Place, 103 South Church Street, P.O. Box 10240, Grand Cayman, KY1-1002, Cayman Islands

• Incorporation number: 407644

If you require more information, please raise a ticket with the Catalyst team

What are the Custody Wallets used by Catalyst FC for fund disbursements?

• F2-F9 Wallet:

• F10 Wallet:

• F11 Wallet:

• F12 Wallet:

What is the Funding Wallet used for fund disbursements?

• Funding Wallet Address:

Where can I view recent transaction history?

• Funded Projects are tracked via their individual proposal pages on projectcatalyst.io and via the .

• Monthly grant disbursements are announced publicly in periodic intervals via Catalyst Network announcement channels including relevant .

• Transaction logs can be viewed through any Cardano blockchain explorers such as , , , etc.

In your Daedalus wallet

STEP 1

In the latest version of Daedalus, navigate to the voting registration page from the menu on the left-hand side.

• Confirm that you have installed the Catalyst Voting app.

• Confirm that you hold at least 25 ADA at the time of the snapshot.

• Click on "Register to vote”

STEP 2

Select the wallet you wish to vote with and click "Continue" (ensure the wallet contains the minimum required amount for voting: 25 ADA *excluding rewards*) Note: This amount must remain in this wallet until the snapshot, which will collect your voting power. Dates and times of the snapshots for each Fund will be announced through our official social and communication channels

STEP 3

Enter the spending password for your wallet or connect your Hardware wallet and click "Submit registration transaction":

STEP 4

Wait for approximately 5 minutes until the transaction is confirmed by the blockchain and click "Continue". Do not close Daedalus during this time, otherwise your registration will be canceled and you will need to start over:

STEP 5

Set a 4 digit PIN code of your choice, confirm it and click "Continue". Please make sure to remember it or write it down as you will need it for voting later on. Note that if you lose the PIN you will not be able to vote and you will need to repeat the registration process to select a new PIN:

STEP 6

Daedalus will generate a QR code that you will use on Catalyst App to complete the registration and to cast your votes.

• Click "Save as PDF"

• Click "Save" in the dialog

• Note that if you don't save the QR code you wont be able to complete your registration and vote.

STEP 7

Wait for the confirmation message "PDF successfully downloaded" and click on "Close".

The next steps are described in the section .

How to navigate

There are many resources available to help you navigate the proposal submission process. For additional assistance, please consider reviewing the following documents and support:

• Proposal Submission Form along with the guidance cards in the Catalyst app

Where to submit your proposal?

Proposal should be submitted in the

Writing your proposal

• Use simple language: When writing your proposal, keep your words clear and easy to understand. Avoid using technical terms or complicated jargon.

• Everyone follows the same rules: Both the Proposers and Reviewers use the same instructions for submitting, reviewing, and scoring.

• Why this matters: Writing simply helps everyone understand your ideas better and makes the review process fair for all.

• What kind of acceptance criteria/outputs should FP deliver during SoM formulation to have it approved by the Milestone Reviewers? 0:31

• What should Milestone Reviewer pay attention to during SoM review? 1:51

• What was the most difficult part during the review of SoM? 2:59

• What was the most difficult part during the review of PoA? 5:03

• In your opinion, what ideal SoM should look like? 6:05

• In your opinion, what would an ideal PoA should look like? 7:19

• Do you have something additional that is worth mentioning? 8:30

• What kind of acceptance criteria/outputs should FP deliver during SoM formulation to have it approved by the Milestone Reviewers? 0:42

• What should Milestone Reviewer pay attention to during SoM review?

• What was the most difficult part during the review of SoM? 7:53

• What was the most difficult part during the review of PoA?

• In your opinion, what ideal SoM should look like? 12:58

• In your opinion, what would an ideal PoA should look like? 12:58

• Do you have something additional that is worth mentioning? 21:57

A score weighting will be applied to all reviews submitted beyond the reviewer’s allocation.

In past funds, the score for each criterion was calculated with the simple average of all the valid reviews. Still, this approach leaves the door open to attacks on score ratings since a bad actor could feasibly create an unlimited number of LV0 accounts and have a major influence on the final score.

To prevent this, the score of each criterion is calculated by weighting the allocated reviews differently versus the non-allocated reviews. Allocated reviews are weighted 80/20 against non-allocated reviews.

Reviews by LV0 and LV1 are not treated differently in the voting app interface. It is only the weighted score that differs, which impacts the final aggregated score rating of reviews. The final rating for each criteria calculation is protected against spam attacks by giving more weight to allocated reviews.

1. What can I do if my copyrighted content is being displayed on Project Catalyst ()?

The information below is provided for general information purposes only and is not legal advice. If you have any questions about this information or your specific intellectual property (IP) rights or situation, please consult with a professional legal counsel.

As stated in our , content that infringes copyrights of others will be delisted or removed from the Project Catalyst site.

If you have a good faith belief that your copyrights are infringed on the Project Catalyst site, please complete and submit a to request that an item or items be taken down due to alleged infringement.

Please note that you must be the copyright owner or the copyright owner’s legal representative (such as an agent or attorney) to file this Takedown Request Form on behalf of the copyright owner. We are unable to process your submitted Takedown Request Form if you are not the copyright owner or the copyright owner’s legal representative.

Community Reviewers will score each proposal between 1-5 for each of the three criteria listed below. They are asked to opine on whether the proposal has clearly outlined its ability to provide a solution within the context of the three criteria:

1. IMPACT

2. CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY

3. VALUE FOR MONEY

NOTE: Do not assume that every Community Reviewer has technical or subject matter expertise.

How to register as a voter?

Voting registration minimal requirements

These are the pre-requisites you need to have in order to participate

Published: Mar 26, 2024

Maturing Catalyst

Project Catalyst has grown tremendously over the past three years. It has produced a fantastic amount of unique and diverse projects. As with time, the maturity and process readiness of the program has evolved as well to upkeep with the ever growing needs of funded cohorts. There's a delicate balance to be maintained between appropriate levels of oversight but equally freedom to deliver based on the premise of funded projects.

With now nearly - another opportunity presents to level up our collective efforts. During many retrospectives and associated feedback loops it has been identified the ever present need to improve overall transparency and accountability of the past, present and future outcomes. This has been a consistent theme throughout every feedback loop available.

It is also the Catalyst team's gathering actionable feedback through the lenses of that will be taking place to help further optimize via recommendations for community led parameter and guardrail optimizations. We hope to see you in some of them.

Feedback loops

As with innovative projects, some may succeed fully, others partially or not at all. And that’s okay as long as lessons learned can be accounted for by projects coming next. This has been the primary reason for the availability of the official project

Community Reviewer levels

Fund15 has three levels of Community Reviewers: LV0, LV1, and LV2. All reviewers can provide their opinions in precisely the same way as each other. The difference is that more experienced reviewers have more opportunities to support Catalyst processes and receive rewards.

For Catalyst categories:

LV0 - LV0 Community Reviewers are ALL new reviewers and less experienced reviewers. Consider yourself on the ground floor, and Catalyst wants you to get used to performing the role. LV0 reviewers will share in a pot of reward incentives. The larger the pool of LV0 reviews and reviewers, the less per review each reviewer will receive. LV0 Reviewers will be invited to review up to 20 proposals. They will be allocated a set of proposals to review based on proposals across the entire fund (unable to choose specific Fund categories).

In some cases, unforeseen factors may temporarily prevent a Grantee from implementing their project.

If a Grantee has completed at least one previous project within Project Catalyst and wishes to request a suspension of their current project, they may apply to the Fund Operator for a suspension of up to 6 months. Each project may only submit one (1) suspension request per funding round. The Grantee must submit using the guidance written in the page.

A request for suspension should NOT be used to justify delays caused by a Grantee’s negligence or events that could reasonably have been anticipated.

The Fund Operator will review the request and notify the Grantee in writing of its decision. If approved, the Grantee may pause project delivery for the suspension period. Monthly milestone payments will also be suspended during this time.

Upon resumption, Grantees delivering a project based on a Statement of Milestones must submit a revised Statement of Milestones in the Milestone Module for the Fund Operator’s approval within 14 calendar days. Grantees which have non-SoM projects are requested to submit within 14 calendar days from the last day of suspension period, to confirm project resumption. Failure to meet these requirements may result in project termination. Projects in Fund2 to Fund9 cannot suspend a project, but only terminate it.

Not all timeline changes require project suspension. Some modifications may be accommodated through an amendment of the project scope or delivery plan. Before requesting a suspension, Grantees are encouraged to consult informally with the Fund Operator.

LV0 and LV1 Community Reviewers will read a proposal and assign it a score between 1 and 5 for each of the 3 criteria (impact, feasibility, and value for money). These are three distinct scores for each of the categories. There is no additional final score as 3 criteria are looked at independently and not added together as an average.

For each of the three criteria, Community Reviewers are required to give their opinion and rationale in English to explain the score and demonstrate the assessor’s critical thinking. A proposal may receive a low score for various reasons, including if the funding application form is incomplete, the applicant cannot be identified, or the project does not comply with . If a rationale does not correspond with the score given, the review will likely be filtered out in the Moderation Stage.

Community Reviewers should consider and assess proposals and criteria on their own merits. Community Reviewers should only provide their own opinions. Their review should not be the work of others or an AI agent acting on their behalf.

Overview

This category is dedicated to funding the technical creators who build the Cardano ecosystem. We’re looking for entrepreneurial teams and engineers, experienced blockchain developers both - native or new to Cardano - and small, agile teams who have an idea for a new on-chain utility and the skills to build it. This fund allows builders to scope a project from its initial validated design through to a functional prototype or application deployed on testnet or mainnet. The primary goal is to achieve a public launch of the prototype on a Cardano testnet or mainnet for testing and feedback, not necessarily a full commercial launch with a completed business model.

Budget & Constraints

• Total Budget: $ADA 6,000,000

• Proposal Range: From $ADA 15,000 to $ADA 200,000

Areas of Interest

Proposals should focus on:

• Industrial or commercial use cases with significant potential adoption using Cardano’s blockchain and smart contracts.

• DeFi solutions with unique approaches e.g. a peer-to-peer yield and novel bond curve protocol MVP.

• Privacy, oracles, or zero-knowledge proof applications.

• Projects porting or bridging from other ecosystems e.g. a wallet prototyping Cardano Native Token support.

Core Eligibility: Who Can Apply?

This category is for the builders. It is open to individuals and technical teams. To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrate Foundational Work: Your project must be past the idea stage. You must provide evidence of prior work, such as user research, whitepaper, UX/UI mockups, technical diagrams, or a proof-of-concept.

• Possess Verifiable Technical Skills: Proposers must demonstrate the technical capability to deliver the project. This can be verified in one of two ways:

  • In-House Talent: The proposal provides verifiable credentials (e.g., public code repositories, project portfolios) for the core team members who will be building the software.

Proposal Requirements

All proposals must adhere to the following standards. The primary focus is on turning a validated concept into a tangible, working piece of software - a prototype on Cardano’s testnet or mainnet.

Define the Problem & Use Case: Clearly define the problem you are solving and why your on-chain utility is valuable for Cardano users. Explain the ‘So What’ of your proposed solution. This must include a thorough analysis of the existing ecosystem. The responsibility to conduct this research lies entirely with the proposer. Your analysis must specifically address:

1. Ecosystem Research: Describe the results of your research into previously funded projects (via Project Catalyst) and existing solutions in the wider Cardano ecosystem.

2. Value Proposition: Based on your research findings, demonstrate your project's value in one of two ways:

   1. If similar solutions exist: Justify why your proposal is sufficiently unique, detailing how it substantially differs from, improves upon, or builds on them.

• Deliver a Functional Prototype: The primary goal of your project must be a working software prototype deployed on at least a public Cardano testnet that users can interact with. Non-technical projects (e.g., marketing, events) or foundational research only are not eligible. These can be submitted via “Cardano Open: Ecosystem” instead.

• Detail Verifiable Team Credentials: Simply listing names and roles is insufficient. The proposal must include verifiable references (e.g., comprehensive LinkedIn profiles, project portfolios, public repositories) that clearly demonstrate each key team member's specific experience, accomplishments, and suitability for their role in the project.

• Outline a Credible Technical Plan: Describe your technical approach, including the architecture and key technologies you will use.

Self-Assessment Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your proposal meets all foundational and content requirements before submission.

You may submit your proposal in this category via during .

Project Catalyst is more than just funding—it’s an evolving ecosystem driven by innovation and community collaboration. To enhance transparency and keep the community informed, we’re launching a new video series showcasing key features, tools, and improvements within Catalyst. Through exclusive walkthroughs, live demos, and expert insights, we’ll provide a clear look at how these innovations are shaping the future of Catalyst - making participation smoother, governance stronger, and collaboration more impactful.

This initiative is all about bringing the community closer to Catalyst’s ongoing development, ensuring visibility into our progress and fostering greater engagement in the decision-making process. Stay tuned as we unveil the latest advancements - because transparency is key to building a stronger Catalyst!

February, 2025

Time to tune in to the first episode of Under The Hood! Get ready for the premiere episode of "Under The Hood," your essential guide to the upcoming changes in Catalyst as Fund14 approaches. This episode is designed to equip you with crucial insights, breaking down significant adjustments and enhancements to ensure you're fully prepared.

April. 2025

This episode features Community Manager TK Princewill and Head of Architecture Steven Johnson, taking a deep dive into the key system updates and what the community can expect from the new Catalyst App.

June, 2025

This time, we’re joined by Senior Product Designer Niels Kijf for a deep dive into how user experience shapes the future of a decentralized world. Niels will offer an insightful deep dive into how thoughtful UX design is not merely a feature but a fundamental driver in shaping the future of a truly decentralized world.—and how that vision is coming to life in Project Catalyst!

Overview: Sometimes plans may change, and that’s okay. However, Catalyst needs to account for these changes transparently. For this purpose, there's a Change Request (CR) process. Only well-argued CRs with adequate supporting information will be approved.

Applicable scenarios

• A change to any deliverable, any form of pivot to the project, KPI, or output that was included in the Statement of Milestones (SoM)

• A change to the timelines (duration and project completion date) set out in the original proposal and at onboarding specifically

• A change to the funding schedule and payment structure that was agreed with Catalyst at the onboarding stage

• A change to the payment address where project receives their tranche allocations

How to submit a Change Request?

1. In writing on the project's letterhead (using the information that is tied to your onboarding information)

2. Submit change request attached as a PDF via .

3. The document should be on a company letterhead and should include the following information:

   • Date of the change request

• What is the impact of this change on the ability to complete the project as set out in the original proposal?

• If the change is financial in any way, please lay out in clear detail the BEFORE and AFTER of your change request in a table as part of your CR.

• Clearly write the current milestone and then highlight the changes you want to make. The new milestone with the requested changes needs to be provided.

• The change request needs to be submitted by the main proposer or co-proposer.

Next steps

1. Once a project's change request is received, it will be reviewed and assessed by the Catalyst team

2. The Funded Proposer will then receive an email notification from the Catalyst team informing the project whether their change has been accepted or if further information is required.

3. If change request was approved, Catalyst will unlock FP SoM resubmission in the Milestone module and will insert link to change request on the proposal dashboard (it will become public)

4. FP resubmits SoM via the Milestone Module once received email from Catalyst team that SoM submission is reopened

IMPORTANT:

Change request can be submitted only for milestones where Proof of Achievements are not signed off yet.

Catalyst no longer accepts change requests for projects from Fund2 to Fund9 included.

How to submit Project milestones

Milestone-based funding enables Funded Projects to lay out their critical path to deliver the promises set out in their proposals, highlighting each key milestone, output, acceptance criteria, costs, and what evidence of achievements will be demonstrated at each stage of the project. In this context, a milestone is an important event or action in any project or business journey that marks a crucial stage of progress. It is a crucial reporting tool to inform the Catalyst team and the community of the project's progress and to ensure the accountability of Funded Projects within a fair and unbiased decentralized funding framework. Funded Proposer submit Statement of Milestones using the .

From F10 The Project Close-out Report and Project Close-out Video will be part of the Final Acceptance Milestone and will have to be submitted in the Milestone Module. It represents the last step for Funded Projects before their project is considered complete.

Please include:

1. 2-3 pages written summary ‘Project Close-out Report’ listing KPIs and how they were (or were not) addressed and what the next stage plans are with the product or service that was developed. Please use the following headings for your report:

   • Name of project and Project URL on IdeaScale/Fund

All data is provided by the wallet vendors. Due to the large number of wallets and wallet versions, it is not possible for Project Catalyst to validate this data in all circumstances and is not endorsed by Project Catalyst.

Updated as of June 27th, 2025

Introduction

Within the Catalyst ecosystem, milestone reviewers play a crucial role in ensuring projects that were selected for funding by the Cardano community (“Grantees”) remain accountable throughout the project delivery lifecycle. These terms and conditions (“Terms”) govern the role and responsibilities of a milestone reviewer (the "Reviewer" or “you”) and they apply together with all other rules, requirements and documentation applicable to Reviewers that were provided or made available to you including the Catalyst Terms and Conditions (altogether the “Catalyst Rules”). If there is a conflict between these Terms and the Catalyst Rules, these Terms will control.

By accepting these Terms, participating in Project Catalyst or accepting compensation, you represent and warrant that you have read, understood and agreed to be bound by these Terms.

1. Role and Responsibilities

The role of a Reviewer is to review and assess objectively and fairly (i) the statement of milestones (“Statement of Milestones”) and (ii) the proof of achievement (“Proof of Achievement”) submitted by Grantees from time to time. Reviewers assigned to review a Statement of Milestones for a particular Grantee will also have the opportunity to review each Proof of Achievement submitted by such Grantee for milestones delivered.

2. Onboarding and Access

A Reviewer will be assigned work following completion of an onboarding process which includes identity verification and being granted access to the Milestone Module. Reviewers are obliged to reset their password to the within 24 hours from receipt of the link requesting such reset.

3. Timeliness of Reviews

Reviewers are expected to complete their review of a Statement of Milestones within 48 hours from when a Statement of Milestones is submitted/resubmitted to the Milestone Module by a Grantee. Proof of Achievement reviews are expected to be completed within 72 hours from submission/resubmission of the Proof of Achievement by a Grantee in the Milestone Module.

4. Inability to Complete Assigned Work

Reviewers should inform the Catalyst Team within 48 hours, if they are unable to carry out their assigned work in a timely fashion. Notification should be done by submitting ticket .

5. Documentation and Feedback

All reviews must be documented on the Milestone Module, including whether a Statement of Milestones/Proof of Achievement milestone is being approved or rejected. Reviewers shall provide constructive, detailed and actionable feedback to Grantees as part of their review and shall ensure that all reviews are accurate and truthful and comply with the guidelines and criteria set out in these Terms and the Catalyst Rules. If a Statement of Milestones/Proof of Achievement milestone is rejected, the Reviewer must provide detailed reasons for such rejection.

6. Confidentiality

Reviewers must not disclose any information about the projects, Grantees, or their submissions to any third party and shall at all times, maintain the confidentiality of all project related information and documentation that is shared with them. All documents and information shared with Reviewers must be used solely for the purpose of carrying out assessments unless the Reviewer can show that such information was already in the public domain at the time it was used for other purposes.

7. Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest prior to reviewing a Statement of Milestones/Proof of Achievement. Reviewers must recuse themselves from reviewing any Statement of Milestones/Proof of Achievement where a conflict of interest may exist. In particular, Reviewers must refrain from conducting reviews for their own proposals, for proposals where they are engaged as an advisor, mentor, or otherwise where they are substantially involved in the execution phase of the proposal and/or proposals or where the Reviewer is closely affiliated to the Grantee.

8. Intellectual Property

Reviewers acknowledge that all intellectual property contained within the Statement of Milestones/Proof of Achievement submissions remains the property of the Grantees. Any use by Reviewers of ideas, information or intellectual property arising from the submissions must be in accordance with the Grantee’s applicable terms of use.

9. Professional Conduct

Reviewers must communicate professionally and respectfully with Grantees, other reviewers and Catalyst participants generally and must at all times act with integrity and honesty in all review-related activities. Any issues or concerns regarding the review process should be directed to the Fund Administrator via ticket .

10. Termination

The Fund Administrator reserves the right to terminate the Reviewer’s role at any time for breach of any of these Terms, the Catalyst Rules or for any other reason deemed appropriate by the Fund Administrator. The Fund Administrator shall explain the reasons for termination in a written notice to the Reviewer and shall grant the Reviewer the opportunity to share their perspective or respond to the reasons given. Upon termination, any pending reviews shall be reassigned to other reviewers to ensure continuity. Relevant stakeholders, such as Grantees and their team members shall be notified of the change in the review team. Examples of situations that may result in termination include but are not limited to:

1. where a review is not submitted within the timescales set out in these terms, causing delays in the review process

2. where a review lacks specific, detailed feedback, making it difficult for a Grantee to understand what needs improvement

3. where a review contains personal attacks or inflammatory language directed at a Grantee rather than constructive criticism of the work

4. where the Reviewer demonstrates a lack of understanding of the subject matter of a project, leading to incorrect or irrelevant feedback

Reviewers may also resign from their role at any time, provided they give sufficient notice to the Fund Administrator to find a replacement.

11. Payment and Compensation

Reviewers will be compensated for their services as per the rates notified for each funding round by the Fund Administrator. The compensation due to each Reviewer shall be calculated on a monthly basis and shall be paid in ada to the wallet designated by the Reviewer as part of the onboarding process. Reviewers are responsible for complying with their local tax laws and regulations related to their compensation.

12. Limitation of Liability

Neither Catalyst FC nor the Fund Operator makes any representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information provided to the Reviewer. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the liability of Catalyst FC and the Fund Administrator to the Reviewer for any claims arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Catalyst Rules shall be limited to the amount of compensation paid to the Reviewer during the fund in which the liability arose.

13. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the United States and of the State of New York without regard to conflict of laws provisions. The federal and state courts sitting in New York County, New York will have exclusive jurisdiction and venue to adjudicate any dispute arising out of these Terms. YOU HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE ALL RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS.

14. Amendments

The Fund Administrator reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Reviewers will be notified of any changes and continued participation as a Reviewer will constitute acceptance of the new terms.

Hello Moderator, and thank you for helping us uphold the quality of proposals for Fund15! Your role is crucial in helping the Catalyst Team review all "Final" proposals to ensure only compliant submissions make it to the ballot.

This is a focused mission to identify and flag non-compliant proposals. This guide will provide the expectations, compliance documents, and reward structure for this program.

📣 An Important Disclaimer for All Participants

🧑‍⚖️ For Our Moderators

Please note: This paid L2 Moderation Bounty is an exclusive pilot initiative for our cohort of experienced L2 Moderators introduced . Fund15 is the iteration of that process. We are entrusting this critical task to you in recognition of your proven experience and deep understanding of the Catalyst process. Your work is essential, and this bounty is a token of our appreciation for your expertise. This is in addition to your general duties as L2 Moderator during the Fund15 Community Review stage.

TL;DR: Only invited L2 Moderators from the Fund15 cohort are eligible for bounty payments. Others may participate but will not receive payment.

🌱 For the Wider Cardano Community

If you are not an L2 Moderator but are passionate about proposal quality, we warmly welcome your contributions! The Cardano community's collective intelligence is our greatest asset.

While you are not eligible for the ADA rewards in this specific bounty, you can still help by identifying and discussing proposals that may not meet community standards. We encourage you to share your insights on a volunteer basis in the relevant community discussion channels (like Discord or Telegram or X) or submit and choose ‘Feedback: Misconduct Report’ from the type of inquiry drop down choice. Your voice matters and helps inform voters and proposers alike.

⚖️ TERMS & CONDITIONS

By participating in this Program and submitting flags, you agree to our Terms & Conditions at the bottom of this document.

Our Mission: Flagging "Final" Proposals

For Fund15, your task is to identify and flag proposals that have been locked by the proposer.

• "Final" Proposals: These proposals are finalized. This is your focus. Your goal is to be a firm moderator and submit a private flag to the Catalyst Team for any "Final" proposal that violates compliance rules.

## Your Source of Truth: Category Briefs & Fund Rules

For Fund15, your flags must be based only on the official Category Briefs and Fund Rules. These are the source of truth for all compliance.

Your job is to check the proposal against the Category Brief for its specific category:

1. Cardano Open: Ecosystem

2. Cardano Use Cases: Prototype & Launch

3. Cardano Partners: Tier-1 Enterprise Integrations

4. Midnight: Compact DApps

Please find the official & here. Before you begin, review these documents carefully. Each category has unique requirements, and your flags will be judged against them.

## Your Task: Flagging "Final" Proposals

This is the firm moderation task. These proposals are locked, so your review is final and must be private.

🔎 Your Task:

1. Find a proposal with the "Final" status.

2. Review it against the official Category Brief for its category and the general Fund Rules.

3. If you find a clear and undeniable violation, submit a private flag. Your justification for the flag must be clear and reference the specific rule or brief item being violated.

💰 How to Claim Your Reward:

For proposals, all flags must be submitted via form.

• Fill out Google Form for each private flag [if you are eligible L2 moderator, please check your email for link]

## How Rewards Are Calculated (Fund15) 💰

We are running a single bounty pool to incentivize the accurate flagging of non-compliant "Final" proposals. We want to reward your time and sharp eye fairly. The reward system is based on the quality and uniqueness of your flags from a total bounty pool of 20,000 ADA.

Here’s how it works:

Example Scenario:

• Pay-Per-Flag: You will earn 15 ADA for each confirmed flag you submit.

• What is a "Confirmed Flag"? A flag is considered "confirmed" when the Catalyst Team reviews your submission and agrees the proposal clearly violates the Category Brief (and your flag justification references it) and you were the first to flag it.

• What Makes a Good Flag Justification? A clear, concise, and verifiable justification is required for a flag to be confirmed. Flags with weak or missing justifications may not be approved, even if the issue is valid.

Example Scenario:

Let's say you spend an evening reviewing proposals:

• You submit private flags for 12 different "Final" proposals.

• The Catalyst Team reviews them:

  • 8 flags are confirmed as valid, and you were the first to report them.

  • 2 flags are confirmed as valid, but another moderator reported them just before you did.

## A Note on Fair Play, Empathy & Good Conduct

Your job is to flag, not to judge. You are an extra set of eyes helping our team focus our attention. When you flag a proposal, you are simply stating that it may not meet the category criteria and requires an expert review. Any attempts to abuse this system in a malicious way are not going to be tolerated in any shape and form and may result in exclusion from future programs.

Please provide a clear, concise justification for each flag based on the guidance above. This helps us quickly assess the situation. There's no need to write an essay.

Thank you again for your commitment. Your work helps ensure that voter attention is focused on the highest-quality proposals, strengthening the entire Cardano ecosystem. ✨

Thank you for your work in helping to ensure a high-quality ballot for Fund15.

Happy flagging! The Catalyst Team

Terms & Conditions

- By submitting flags through the L2 Moderation Bounty Program for Fund15 (the "Program"), you ("Moderator") confirm you read, understand and agree to these Terms & Conditions and the foregoing Program guidance (together, the "Terms"). IOG Singapore Pte. Ltd. administers the Program on behalf of Catalyst FC (collectively, "we," "us" or “our”).

- All bounty payments are discretionary and subject to our confirmation that your flag is valid and you were first to report it.

- You: (a) will submit accurate flags in good faith; (b) keep all proposal information confidential and not share or use it outside the Program; (c) are an independent participant, not an employee or contractor; (d) are responsible for tax obligations and regulatory compliance in your jurisdiction; and (e) assign to us all rights in your submitted flags and materials, including intellectual property rights.

- We make no warranties about the Program, payment amounts or timing. To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability will not exceed amounts paid to you, and we are not liable for indirect, incidental or consequential damages. We may modify or terminate the Program at any time, with notice when practicable.

- The Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of laws provisions.

Statement of Milestones (SoM) is a list of milestones in the project created by Funded Proposer in the Milestone Module with deliverables, milestone achievement dates, milestone funding amounts, and the expected Proof of Achievements. Milestone is a specific point within your project that marks achievement of the progress.

As a Funded Proposer (FP) you are obliged to submit SoM during the onboarding process. Completion of the milestone moves your project towards the next one. Number of milestones in SoM depends on the budget you request for the project.

Below you may find information on how to write each section of a Statement of Milestones, so that it would be successfully approved.

Milestone outputs

Milestone outputs is a description of what you will produce, e.g. new UIUX designs, customer/user-centered research, work package technical outputs, documentation, prototypes, demonstrators/pilots, white-paper, business/tokenomics model, events, research papers, measurable engagement, reference/production software implementation or any other outputs you will provide.

Below you may find useful tips on how to describe outputs:

• Provide a straightforward list of the things you will make / the tasks you will do in this milestone.

• Use a numbered list. In acceptance criteria and evidence of milestone completion sections number things in a corresponding way.

• Provide only outputs for which you can provide evidence of completion.

• Make sure your outputs match your original proposal as stated in the Ideascale.

• Make sure that you are able to provide evidence for the output within a given time frame, don’t underestimate/overestimate the timeline.

Acceptance criteria

Acceptance criteria is linked to the outcomes you described in the outputs section. It should describe a way by which it could be judged that output has been achieved, e.g. for a milestone relating to creation of video lectures, acceptance criteria might be to release 10 instructional videos per month.

Below you may find useful tips on how to describe acceptance criteria:

• Use target numbers to understand when the task is achieved, e.g. how many people you will onboard, how many views your social media post will get.

• Include at least one acceptance criteria for each output to show how certain output is measured to be achieved. If it is not possible to provide that, then probably it shouldn’t be included as an output at all.

• Do not provide qualitative measures e.g. “Our written material will be well-organized”. Such statements are impossible to assess, as everyone can perceive qualitative measures in different ways, and as a result, lead to possible disapproval.

Evidence of milestone completion

Evidence of milestone completion is a way, by which you prove, that the milestone has been completed. Evidence is linked to your output and acceptance criteria, e.g. output is video lectures, acceptance criteria is to release 10 instructional videos per month and evidence for it will be instructional videos posted on Youtube channel.

Below you may find useful tips on how to describe acceptance criteria:

• Make sure your evidence proves what you stated in outputs and acceptance criteria sections.

• Use the same number for evidence of the specific output as you used in the outputs and acceptance criteria section, so that it would be easy to understand that all of them are connected.

• Remember to include a piece of evidence for each output. If you can’t evidence something, you should remove it.

• Be realistic. Don’t commit yourself to more evidence than you need to demonstrate that you’ve achieved your milestone.

General rules

• Keep it succinct and focus on the most important details.

• If you have significantly changed the milestones in your original proposal, add a note to explain why. In some cases it may require submission of a .

• Be specific and do not leave any room for interpretation.

Example of acceptable SoM:

Project

Project

This guideline was crafted with insights from the provided by Catalyst Milestone Reviewers. It's a high value resource, carefully capturing all the essential details from their perspective. We're truly grateful for the collaborative effort within the community.

Overview: Sometimes plans may change, and that’s okay. However, Catalyst needs to account for these changes transparently. For this purpose, there's a Change Request (CR) process. Only well-argued CRs with adequate supporting information will be approved.

Applicable scenarios

• A change to any deliverable, any form of pivot to the project, KPI, or output that was included in

  • Statement of Milestones

Project Catalyst Platform Privacy Policy

Last Updated: November 3, 2025

Thank you for choosing to be part of our community at Input Output Global, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, “IOG”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). This Project Catalyst Platform Privacy Policy (this “Platform Privacy Policy”) applies to all information that can be used to identify you ("Personal Data") that is collected through the https://app.projectcatalyst.io, https://reviews.projectcatalyst.io and https://milestones.projectcatalyst.io websites, the Catalyst Voting app (available at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store) and other services, features, functionality or resources available or enabled within the foregoing (collectively, the “Platform”). Personal Data collected through IOG’s other websites (including, without limitation, for Platform technical support), browser extensions or plug-ins or any other mobile apps, products, services, sales, marketing or events is excluded from the scope of this Platform Privacy Policy and will be collected in accordance with the IOG Privacy Policy, found here.

We are committed to protecting your Personal Data. In this Platform Privacy Policy, we describe what personal data we collect, how we collect, use, store and share your Personal Data and what rights you have in relation to it. Please read this Platform Privacy Policy carefully. If there are any terms in this Platform Privacy Policy that you do not agree with, please discontinue access to and use of the Platform.

1. Collection and Use of Data. IOG collects several types of information, including Personal Data, for various purposes to provide and improve the Platform for your use. While using the Platform, IOG may collect the following types of data (some of which constitutes Personal Data) for the following purposes:

• First and last name – If applicable to you as a Project Catalyst participant, we collect this to enable you to submit proposals to the Platform and to communicate with you regarding your use of the Platform (including, without limitation, collecting feedback) and your participation in Project Catalyst.

• Email address – If applicable to you as a Project Catalyst participant, we collect this to enable you to register to use the Platform, to create a Platform account and to communicate with you regarding your use of the Platform (including, without limitation, collecting feedback) and your participation in Project Catalyst. We also collect this if you opt to receive our newsletter to receive Project Catalyst updates. You may opt out of receiving these communications by following the unsubscribe link or instructions provided in any email sent to you by IOG.

• Name of the company you are employed or engaged by – If applicable to you as a Project Catalyst participant, we collect this to enable you to register to use the Platform and to personalize the Platform for your user experience.

Where permitted under applicable law (e.g., with your prior consent under GDPR), IOG may process your contact information that you share with us for direct marketing purposes (e.g., event invitations, newsletters, unpaid research opportunities and general information relating to Project Catalyst) and to carry out customer satisfaction surveys, in each case also by email. You may opt out of the processing of your contact information for these purposes at any time by submitting a request , by writing to or by using the opt-out mechanism provided in the respective communication you received. Information we collect and store for other purposes (e.g., to permit you to register to use the Platform) remains unaffected. We do not share your information collected for these purposes with third parties.

1. Legal Basis under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For a citizen or resident of a member country of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), the legal basis for collecting and using Personal Data described in this Platform Privacy Policy depends on the Personal Data being collected and the specific context in which it is collected, as described below.

IOG may process your Personal Data because:

• You have given us permission to do so (e.g., by opting into receiving newsletters) (GDPR Article 6(1)(a))

• IOG needs to perform a contract with you (e.g., providing Platform functionality based on your usage) (GDPR Article 6(1)(b))

• IOG has to comply with applicable law (e.g., blocking access from sanctioned jurisdictions) (GDPR Article 6(1)(c))

• IOG has legitimate interests to do so (e.g., improving the Platform based on your feedback) (GDPR Article 6(1)(f))

Please note that in some cases, the legal basis for IOG processing Personal Data may (in addition or instead) be that you have consented (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)).

Generally, the legitimate interests pursued by IOG in relation to our use of your Personal Data is the efficient performance or management of our business relationship with you, such as improving the Platform. When we rely on legitimate interests, we assess that our interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. You have the right to object to this processing (see “Rights Under GDPR” below), and we will stop processing your data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds.

1. Retention of Data. IOG will retain your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Platform Privacy Policy. Specifically:

• IP addresses and anonymized logs are kept for 30 days, except IP addresses collected to block users from sanctioned jurisdictions will be kept for ten years in accordance with the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control requirements.

• Email addresses and cookie data will be kept until you withdraw your consent (which may impact certain features of the Platform or your ability to access the Platform.

Additionally, IOG may retain and use your Personal Data for longer periods of time to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if IOG is required to retain your Personal Data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes and enforce legal agreements and policies.

1. Transfer Of Data. Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to – and maintained on – computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those from your jurisdiction.

IOG will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure your Personal Data is treated securely and in accordance with this Platform Privacy Policy. No transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls and safeguards in place including the security of your Personal Data and other information and only via approved transfer mechanisms under applicable data protection laws.

1. Disclosure Of Data. IOG may disclose your Personal Data in good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to:

• To comply with a legal obligation

• To protect and defend the rights or property of IOG

• To prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Platform

• To protect the personal safety of users of the Platform or the public

Except as required by law or as described herein, IOG does not sell, rent or share your Personal Data with third parties for their own purposes.

Disclosure to Funding Sponsors

Personal Data collected through the Platform may be shared with third-party organizations who allocate grant funding to approved projects (referred to as "funding sponsors") for the following purposes: Grant administration and payment processing; communication regarding grant-related matters; compliance with funding sponsors' legal and regulatory obligations; and oversight and monitoring of funded projects. Funding sponsors may not use your Personal Data for commercial purposes or share it with third parties without your consent, except as required by law.

Funding sponsors act as independent data controllers with respect to your Personal Data and have their own data protection obligations under applicable law. By submitting a proposal to a funding category, you consent to the sharing of your Platform data with the applicable funding sponsor for the purposes described above.

You have the same data protection rights with respect to Personal Data held by funding sponsors as you do for Personal Data held by IOG. To exercise these rights with respect to Personal Data held by funding sponsors, you may submit a request or contact us at . IOG will reasonably assist in coordinating with the applicable funding sponsor to facilitate your requests. You acknowledge IOG does not control funding sponsors' data protection practices, does not guarantee it will facilitate all such requests on your behalf, cannot control funding sponsors' responses to such requests and disclaims all liability for funding sponsors’ failure or delay in responding to such requests.

Disclosure of Personal Data Within The EU

Insofar as we employ the services of service providers to implement or fulfill any tasks on our behalf (such as cloud hosting providers or analytics services), the contractual relations will be regulated in writing according to the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (new BDSG). These providers receive anonymized or aggregated data only and are contractually obligated to protect your Personal Data.

Disclosure of Personal Data Outside of The EU

Insofar as you have selected and consented to this in the form, your Personal Data will be disclosed to our offices within the network of affiliated companies outside of the European economic area for the processing of your enquiry. These offices are legally obligated to abide by the EU-GDPR. Furthermore, between the legally autonomous companies in the network of affiliated companies, written agreements exist for the processing of data on commission, based on standardized contract stipulations.

1. Security Of Data. We use reasonable technical and organizational methods to safeguard your Personal Data. However, please note that these security measures are not a guarantee that your Personal Data may not be accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed by breach of such measures.

Whilst we will use all reasonable efforts to safeguard your information, you acknowledge that data transmissions over the internet cannot be guaranteed to be 100% secure and for this reason, we cannot guarantee the security or integrity of any Personal Data that is transferred from you or to you via the internet and as such, any information you transfer to IOG is done at your own risk.

Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access the Platform or certain parts of the Platform, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share a password with anyone.

If we learn of a security system breach, we may attempt to notify you electronically so that you can take appropriate protective steps. If you provided your email address to us, then you agree that we can communicate with you electronically regarding security, privacy and administrative issues relating to your use of the Platform. We may post a notice on the Platform if a security breach occurs. Depending on where you live, you may have a legal right to receive notice of a security breach in writing.

1. Rights Under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If you are a citizen or resident of a member country of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain data protection rights. IOG aims to take reasonable steps to allow you to correct, amend, delete or limit the use of your Personal Data.

If you wish to be informed what Personal Data IOG holds about you and if you want it to be removed from our systems, please contact us by submitting a request or by writing to .

In certain circumstances, you have the following data protection rights:

• The right to access. You have the right to request information concerning the Personal Data we hold.

• The right of rectification. You have the right to have your Personal Data rectified if that information is inaccurate or incomplete.

• The right to object. You have the right to object to your Personal Data being used for a particular purpose and you can exercise these rights, for example, via an unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email.

Please note that IOG may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests.

You have the right to complain to a Data Protection Authority about our collection and use of your Personal Data. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority in the EU or EEA

1. California Residents. If you are a California resident, you have certain rights with respect to your Personal Data pursuant to the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”). This section applies to you.

We are required to inform you of: (a) what categories of information we collect about you, including during the preceding 12 months; (b) the purposes for which we use your Personal Data, including during the preceding 12 months; and (c) the purposes for which we share your Personal Data, including during the preceding 12 months.

You have the right to: (i) request a copy of the Personal Data; (ii) request that we delete your Personal Data; and (iii) opt out of the sale of your Personal Data. You can limit the use of tracking technologies, such as cookies, by following instructions outlined in our , by submitting a request or by writing to . These rights are subject to limitations as described in the CCPA.

We will not discriminate against any consumer for exercising their CCPA rights. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please submit a request or by writing to

1. Service Providers & Newsletter.

IOG may employ third-party companies and individuals to facilitate the Platform, to provide the Platform on our behalf, to perform website-related services or to assist us in analyzing how the Platform is used ("Service Providers"). These Service Providers have access to your Personal Data only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

Newsletter

If you would like to receive our newsletter, we require a valid email address and your consent to receive this newsletter. No additional data is collected or is only collected on a voluntary basis. We only use this data to send the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.

You can revoke consent to the storage and use of your email address and other Personal Data (if any) for sending the newsletter at any time, e.g., through the "unsubscribe" link in the newsletter, by submitting a request or . The data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed. Data we have stored for other purposes (e.g., email addresses for Platform functionality) remain unaffected.

1. Links To Other Products. The Platform may contain links to other products that are not operated by IOG. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. You’re advised to review the privacy policy of each non-Platform site you decide to visit. IOG has no control over and assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third-party product or service.

2. Changes To This Platform Privacy Policy. IOG may update this Platform Privacy Policy from time to time. Such changes will be posted on this page. The effective date of such changes will be as of the "Last updated" date at the top of this Platform Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Platform Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Platform Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

3. Data Privacy Contact. You can reach our data protection officer by submitting a request or by writing to .

Overview

Midnight Compact DApps is a strategic fund dedicated to building use cases and utility that will empower the future of privacy-enabled applications. This initiative leverages Catalyst's robust infrastructure and the wisdom of the Cardano community to help select the most promising projects that demonstrate the power of programmable privacy.

Budget & Constraints

• Total Budget: $USDM 250,000

• Proposal Range: From $USDM 2,500 to $USDM 10,000

• Funding amounts are intended for small, focused prototypes, not full product builds.

Sponsored by a $USDM 250,000 commitment from the Midnight Foundation, this initiative aims to build foundational “Reference DApps” for the new ecosystem. The Midnight Foundation is looking to fund high-impact, open-source projects that directly demonstrate high-value use cases for privacy-preserving applications, laying the critical groundwork of basic UI design and prototyping.

Community Governance & Voting

To celebrate the collaboration between the Midnight and Cardano ecosystems, project selection will be a two-stage process:

1. Community Recommendation: Cardano's ADA holders will vote on proposals through Project Catalyst to create a shortlist of recommended projects.

2. Final Selection: The Midnight Foundation will make the final funding decisions from the recommended list on behalf of the Midnight Foundation.

Additional Notes

• Funding: This funding is provided under executive sponsorship from the Midnight Foundation in . No funds from the Cardano Treasury will be used for this category.

• Infrastructure: Project Catalyst will provide the voting platform on behalf of the Midnight Foundation. Catalyst voters will vote on the proposals submitted in this category, no different to other Catalyst funding categories, however the Midnight Foundation is solely responsible for funding decisions and disbursements.

Areas of Interest

This category focuses on funding the creation of open-source Proof of Concept (PoC) decentralized applications (DApps) to demonstrate how Midnight technology works in practice. The primary goal is to build a library of functional examples that showcase what is possible on Midnight and serve as a learning resource for future developers in one of the following areas using Midnight:

• Governance: Build civic platforms that protect participants while still preserving fairness and auditability.

• AI: Midnight provides a foundation where AI can scale without sacrificing privacy, ensuring that data can be used responsibly, securely, and in ways that align with user consent

• Health: use Midnight to build patient-owned data systems, research networks, and telehealth tools that simply couldn’t exist without privacy-preserving infrastructure.

What is a “Reference DApp”?

A Reference DApp is an open-source, Proof of Concept application built to demonstrate how to use Midnight’s technology in practice. It is not meant to be a polished product or a company. Instead, its value lies in:

• Clarity: showing other developers how to implement a specific pattern (selective disclosure, privacy in finance, governance flows).

• Reusability: providing code that others can fork, remix, or extend.

• Education: acting as a practical example alongside documentation and tutorials.

• Demonstration: proving out Midnight’s unique features with Compact contracts and a simple demo UI.

A good reference DApp should be small in scope but technically complete. Enough that another developer could run it locally, see it working, and adapt the code for their own project.

Core Eligibility: Who Can Apply?

This category is for the builders. To be eligible, you and your project must meet the following criteria:

• Technical Focus: You must be proposing a functional software prototype with code as the primary outcome. Non-technical projects (marketing, content-only, community ops) are not eligible.

• Verifiable Identity & Experience: Anonymous or unverifiable teams are not eligible. The proposal must include verifiable identity and references (e.g., comprehensive LinkedIn profiles, GitHub profiles, project portfolios) that clearly demonstrate each key team member's specific experience and suitability for their role. Simply listing names/aliases is insufficient.

• Direct Builders Only: Proposals must be submitted by the builders who will perform the core work. Outsourcing the primary development to a third party agency is not permitted.

Proposal Requirements

All proposals must provide the following information:

• Demonstrate Novelty & Privacy Rationale: Propose a unique, novel project (not a minor tweak of an existing Midnight reference dApp). If inspired by other ecosystems, clearly explain what’s different and why it matters here. Explain why privacy improves this DApp; show you’ve thought through selective disclosure/programmable privacy. Don’t treat Compact like TypeScript. They are distinct; proposals must use Compact for ZKPs.

• Define Target Audience: Clearly describe both the target end-user of the DApp and the developer personas who will learn from your code repository.

• Provide Verifiable Team Credentials: Link to GitHub profiles, past projects, or code samples that prove your team has the technical ability to deliver the project.

Self-Assessment Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your proposal meets all foundational and content requirements before submission.

You may submit your proposal in this category via during .

Overview

This category focuses on building the creative capacity of our passionate global community. It will fund non-technical initiatives that drive grassroots ecosystem growth, education, research and community engagement to broaden Cardano’s reach and on chain adoption. The goal is to support local and global campaigns that bring awareness and attention to Cardano from the hearts and minds of the community collective.

Budget & Constraints

• Total Budget: $ADA 2,500,000

• Proposal Range: From $ADA15,000 to $ADA 60,000

Areas of Interest

Proposals may focus on non-technical initiatives, such as:

• Cardano Community Hubs: Creating or maintaining a local Cardano presence in cities or regions worldwide.

• Community Events: Organizing community hackathons or builder outreach events.

• Content Creation: Producing educational videos, articles, or tutorials on Cardano’s features.

• Mentorship & Skill-Sharing: Organizing workshops or programs that connect experienced community members with newcomers to share skills in marketing, content creation, or project management within the Cardano ecosystem.

Core Eligibility: Who Can Apply?

This category is for the community builders: educators, marketers, content creators, and event organizers. To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

• Non-Technical Focus: You must be proposing a non-technical project. If your proposal focuses on software or hardware development, please apply to a different category. You may not allocate more than 20% of your budget towards supporting technical development work needed to execute your proposal. For clarity, 'technical development work' refers to activities like software programming, smart contract creation, or hardware engineering. It does not typically include routine project-support activities such as building a basic informational website, graphic design, or video production for your content.

• Demonstrate Relevant Experience: You must provide verifiable proof of the skills needed to deliver the project. Simply listing names and roles is not enough. Evidence must be provided in the proposal (e.g., a portfolio of past campaigns, links to created content, or reports from previous events).

• Maintain Good Standing with Catalyst: The lead proposer and all named team members must be in full compliance with commitments for any previously funded Catalyst projects. Proposers can verify their compliance status by reviewing their reporting dashboard on the Project Catalyst platform. All milestone reports for previously funded projects must be submitted and approved on time prior to this fund's submission.

Proposal Requirements

All proposals must adhere to the following standards for community-focused initiatives.

• Define Clear Goals & KPIs: You must clearly articulate your goals and how you will measure success using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Strong proposals will focus on action-oriented metrics (e.g., 'number of articles published,' 'new active members in a community hub,' or 'attendees who complete a workshop') over passive metrics (e.g., 'social media impressions').

• Demonstrate Community Value: The proposal must explain how the initiative will grow Cardano’s ecosystem, expand its global footprint, or onboard new users. Proposals without clear demonstration of value will be deemed ineligible.

• Demonstrate Pathway to Adoption: Applicants must articulate a credible and logical pathway showing how their non-technical initiative encourages and enables future on-chain activity. Instead of requiring direct, immediate attribution for transactions, this should explain how the project moves participants or consumers of the content through the adoption funnel - from awareness and education to direct engagement with the Cardano ecosystem.

Self-Assessment Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your proposal meets all foundational and content requirements before submission.

You may submit your proposal in this category via during .

Overview

Cardano Partners: Tier-1 Enterprise Integrations is designed to forge strategic alliances between the Cardano ecosystem and the world's leading organizations. This specialized funding category will support ambitious proposals that implement and pilot Cardano-based solutions to solve real-world challenges for industry giants.

In this category, a “demonstrator pilot” means a time limited project testing the feasibility of an industrial use-case in close collaboration with a Tier 1 enterprise partner.

Unlike other categories, this category is exclusively for established businesses and collaborations with large-scale organizations prepared to integrate Cardano's utility into their operations. The goal is to generate high-value, high-visibility use cases that demonstrate the power of Cardano at an enterprise level and accelerate mainstream adoption.

Budget & Constraints

• Total Budget: $ADA 10,000,000

Last updated: July 16, 2024

Your privacy is important to Catalyst FC (together with our subsidiaries and affiliates, “CFC”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected through this website and all of CFC’s related websites, mobile apps, products, programs including Project Catalyst, services, sales, marketing or events, including our plug-ins and browser extensions (collectively, the "Products").

We are committed to protecting your personal information. When you access or use our Products, you trust us with your personal information. In this Privacy Policy, we describe how we collect, use, store and share your personal information and what rights you have in relation to it. If there are any terms in this Privacy Policy that you do not agree with, please discontinue access and use of our Products.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully as it will help you make informed decisions about sharing your personal information with us.

1. Collection of Data

CFC collects several types of information for various purposes to provide and improve the Products for your use.

Types of Data Collected

• Personal Data

While using the Products, CFC may ask you to provide certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you ("Personal Data"), which may include, but is not limited to:

• Email address

• First name and last name

• Phone number

• Address, state, province, ZIP/postal code, city

Your Personal Data may be used to contact you with newsletters, marketing or promotional materials and other information that may be of interest to you. You may opt out of receiving any, or all, of these communications by following the unsubscribe link or instructions provided in any email sent to you by CFC.

• Usage Information

Usage Information refers to information collected from Products such as what action has been applied to Products such as clicking logs, your registration details or how you may be using Products.

• IP Address

When you use Products, we may automatically log your IP address (the unique address which identifies your computer on the internet) which is automatically recognized by our server.

2. Use of Data

Specifically, CFC uses your information for the purpose for which you provided it to us such as:

• To enable us to provide the Products to you,

• To notify you about changes to Products

• To allow you to participate in interactive features of Products when you choose to do so

• To provide customer support

Where and as permitted under applicable law, CFC may process your contact information for direct marketing purposes (e.g., event invitations, newsletters) and to carry out customer satisfaction surveys, in each case also by email. You may object to the processing of your contact data for these purposes at any time by writing to [email protected] or by using the opt-out mechanism provided in the respective communication you received.

3. Legal Basis under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

For a citizen or resident of a member country of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), the legal basis for collecting and using Personal Data described in this Privacy Policy depends on the Personal Data being collected and the specific context in which it is collected as described below:

CFC may process your Personal Data because:

• CFC needs to perform a contract with you

• You have given us permission to do so

• The processing derives from CFC's legitimate interests

• CFC has to comply with applicable law

The legal basis for CFC processing data about you is that it is necessary for the purposes of:

• CFC exercising its rights and performing its obligations in connection with any contract we make with you (Article 6(1)(b), General Data Protection Regulation),

• Compliance with CFC’s legal obligations (Article 6(1)(c), General Data Protection Regulation), and/or

• Legitimate interests pursued by CFC (Article 6(1)(f), General Data Protection Regulation).

Generally, the legitimate interest pursued by CFC in relation to our use of your personal data is the efficient performance or management of our business relationship with you.

In some cases, we may ask if you consent to the relevant use of your personal data. In such cases, the legal basis for CFC processing that data about you may (in addition or instead) be that you have consented (Article 6(1)(a), General Data Protection Regulation).

4. Retention of Data

CFC will retain your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. CFC will retain and use your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if CFC is required to retain your Personal Data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes and enforce legal agreements and policies.

CFC will also retain Usage Information for internal analysis purposes. Usage Information is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Products, or CFC is legally obligated to retain such data for longer time periods.

5. Transfer of Data

Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those from your jurisdiction.

Your use of Products followed by your submission of your personal information constitutes your unreserved agreement to this Privacy Policy in general and the transfer of data under this policy in particular.

CFC will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information.

6. Disclosure of Data

Legal Requirements

CFC may disclose your Personal Data in good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to:

• To comply with a legal obligation

• To protect and defend the rights or property of CFC

• To prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with Products

• To protect the personal safety of users of Products or the public

Disclosure of Personal Information Within The EU

Insofar as we employ the services of service providers to implement or fulfill any tasks on our behalf, the contractual relations will be regulated in writing according to the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (new BDSG).

Disclosure of Personal Information Outside of The EU

Insofar as you have selected and consented to this in the form, your data will be disclosed to our offices within the network of affiliated companies outside of the European economic area for the processing of your enquiry. These offices are legally obligated to abide by the EU-GDPR. Furthermore, between the legally autonomous companies in the network of affiliated companies written agreements exist for the processing of data on commission, based on standardized contract stipulations.

7. Security Of Data

We use reasonable technical and organizational methods to safeguard your information, for example, by password protecting (via usernames and passwords unique to you) certain parts of the Products and by using SSL encryption and firewalls to protect against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. However, please note that this is not a guarantee that such information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed by breach of such firewalls and secure server software.

Whilst we will use all reasonable efforts to safeguard your information, you acknowledge that data transmissions over the internet cannot be guaranteed to be 100% secure and for this reason we cannot guarantee the security or integrity of any personal information that is transferred from you or to you via the internet and as such, any information you transfer to CFC is done at your own risk.

Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access certain parts of our site, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share a password with anyone.

If we learn of a security systems breach we may attempt to notify you electronically so that you can take appropriate protective steps. By using Products or providing personal information to us, you agree that we can communicate with you electronically regarding security, privacy and administrative issues relating to your use of Products. We may post a notice on Products if a security breach occurs. We may also send an email to you at the email address you have provided to us in these circumstances. Depending on where you live, you may have a legal right to receive notice of a security breach in writing.

8. Rights Under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

If you are a citizen or resident of a member country of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain data protection rights. CFC aims to take reasonable steps to allow you to correct, amend, delete or limit the use of your Personal Data.

If you wish to be informed what Personal Data CFC holds about you and if you want it to be removed from our systems, please contact us [email protected].

In certain circumstances, you have the following data protection rights:

• The right to access. You have the right to request information concerning the personal information we hold that relates to you.

• The right of rectification. You have the right to have your information rectified if that information is inaccurate or incomplete.

• The right to object. You have the right to object to your personal information being used for a particular purpose and you can exercise these rights, for example, via an unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email.

Please note that CFC may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests.

You have the right to complain to a Data Protection Authority about our collection and use of your Personal Data. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority in the EU or EEA.

9. California Residents

If you are a California resident, you have certain rights with respect to your personal information pursuant to the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”). This section applies to you.

We are required to inform you of: (i) what categories of information we collect about you, including during the preceding 12 months, (ii) the purposes for which we use your personal data, including during the preceding 12 months, and (iii) the purposes for which we share your personal data, including during the preceding 12 months.

You have the right to: (i) request a copy of the personal information that we have about you; (ii) request that we delete your personal information; and (iii) opt-out of the sale of your personal information. You can limit the use of tracking technologies, such as cookies, by following instructions in the “Your choices” section. These rights are subject to limitations as described in the CCPA.

We will not discriminate against any consumer for exercising their CCPA rights.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at

10. Service Providers, Plugins and Tools

CFC may employ third party companies and data processors to provide services related to the Products ("Service Providers"). We may share your personal data with these Service Providers only to perform those tasks that we have engaged them to provide on our behalf such as due diligence checks.

Social Media

CFC may use social media plugins to enable a better user experience with the use of Products.

Youtube

CFC uses the YouTube video platform operated by YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Ave. San Bruno, CA 94066 USA. YouTube is a platform that enables playback of audio and video files. If you visit one of our pages featuring a YouTube plugin, a connection to the YouTube servers is established. Here the YouTube server is informed about which of our pages you have visited. If you’re logged in to your YouTube account, YouTube allows you to associate your browsing behavior directly with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account. YouTube is used to help make our website appealing. For information about the scope and purpose of data collection, the further processing and use of the data by YouTube and your rights and the settings you can configure to protect your privacy, please refer to the YouTube Privacy Guidelines.

Analytics

CFC may use Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of Products.

Newsletter

If you would like to receive any newsletters that we may make available, we require a valid email address as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the specified email address and that you agree to receive the newsletter. No additional data is collected or is only collected on a voluntary basis. We only use this data to send the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.

We will, therefore, process any data you enter onto the contact form only with your consent per (Article 6(1)(a), General Data Protection Regulation). You can revoke consent to the storage and use of your data and email address for sending the newsletter at any time, e.g., through the "unsubscribe" link in the newsletter. The data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.

The data provided when registering for the newsletter will be used to distribute the newsletter until you cancel your subscription when said data will be deleted. Data we have stored for other purposes (e.g., email addresses for members areas) remain unaffected.

Newsletter Tracking

Newsletter tracking (also referred to as Web beacons or tracking pixels) is used if users have given their explicit prior consent. When the newsletter is dispatched, the external server can then record certain data related to the recipient, such as the time and date the newsletter is retrieved, the IP address or details regarding the email program (client) used. The name of the image file is personalized for every email recipient by a unique ID being appended to it. The sender of the email notes which ID belongs to which email address and is thus able to determine which newsletter recipient has just opened the email when the image is called.

You may revoke your consent at any time by unsubscribing to the newsletter. This can be done by sending an email request to unsubscribe to [email protected]. You may also remove yourself from the mailing list using the unsubscribe link in the newsletter.

11. Links To Other Products

Products may contain links to other products that are not operated by CFC. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. You’re advised to review the privacy policy of each non-CFC site you decide to visit.

CFC has no control over and assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third-party product or service.

12. Changes to the Privacy Policy

CFC may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Such changes will be posted on this page. The effective date of such changes will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on the Product, with an update the "effective date" at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

13. Data Privacy Contact

You can reach our data protection officer at [email protected].

14. Contact by E-mail or Contact Form

When you contact us by e-mail or through a contact form, we store the data you provide (your email address, possibly your name and telephone number) so we can answer your questions. Insofar as we use our contact form to request entries that are not required for contacting you, we have marked these as optional. This information serves to substantiate your inquiry and improve the handling of your request. Your message may be linked to various actions taken by you on the CFC website. Information collected will be solely used to provide you with support relating to your inquiry and better understand your feedback. A statement of this information is expressly provided on a voluntary basis and with your consent. As far as this concerns information about communication channels (such as e-mail address or telephone number), you also agree that we may, where appropriate, contact you via this communication channel to answer your request. You may of course revoke this consent for the future at any time.

We delete the data that arises in this context after saving is no longer required, or limit processing if there are statutory retention requirements.

Last updated: November 3, 2025

Background

1. Project Catalyst is one of the world’s largest decentralized innovation engines for solving real-world challenges within the Cardano blockchain (“Cardano”) ecosystem and for fostering Cardano’s governance and development, by incentivizing Cardano community members to submit ideas that positively impact the Cardano ecosystem and to potentially receive funding (“Project Catalyst”).

2. Project Catalyst has funding rounds every few months where the Cardano community submits proposals for technical, business, creative and community projects (“proposals” or “projects”). The holders of ada cryptocurrency evaluate and vote on which projects receive may funding in the form of ada that is issued from the Cardano treasury (“funding

Last updated: November 3, 2025

Background

1. Project Catalyst is one of the world’s largest decentralized innovation engines for solving real-world challenges within the Cardano blockchain (“Cardano”) ecosystem and for fostering Cardano’s governance and development, by incentivizing Cardano community members to submit ideas that positively impact the Cardano ecosystem and to potentially receive funding (“Project Catalyst”).

2. Project Catalyst has funding rounds every few months where the Cardano community submits proposals for technical, business, creative and community projects (“proposals” or “projects”). The holders of ada cryptocurrency evaluate and vote on which projects may receive funding (“funding