Filecoin Foundation and Electric Coin Co. (ECC) have opened a joint grants program to incubate projects that drive utility to Filecoin and Zcash ecosystems. Specifically, the organizations are interested in receiving proposals that leverage both FIL and ZEC chains in unique ways. Even more than just capital, grants are a great way to leverage additional resources and get access to other teams and technologies. Check out a list of all available crypto grants here. 

Filecoin is a decentralized storage network powered by a native cryptocurrency FIL. Since the mainnet launch in October 2020, the Filecoin ecosystem has grown substantially, and Messari recently recognized the Filecoin project as one the largest projects by market share in terms of used storage and network capacity. The network boasts 17.917 EiB network total storage power and over 4,000 storage providers.

From NYC Open Data sets to the USC Shoah Foundation genocide surivivor testimony archives, there are hundreds of datasets stored on Filecoin. With the ease of adding data to the network,  over 1,670 new projects have entered the ecosystem, close to 400 organizations have begun building on the network, and there are currently more than 9,700 contributors on GitHub.

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The Mission of the Filecoin Foundation

Marta Belcher, President and Chair of the Filecoin Foundation, shares that the overarching mission of the Filecoin Foundation is to create a decentralized, efficient and robust foundation for humanity’s information. The Foundation coordinates and supports the creation and improvement of open-source software and open protocols for decentralized data storage and retrieval networks. This includes support for the many stakeholders in the Filecoin community – from developers, storage clients, storage providers, researchers, token holders, and more.

Filecoin Foundation also has a sister organization, Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW), a 501(c)(3) non-profit. The mission of FFDW is to ensure the permanent preservation of humanity’s most important information by stewarding the development of open-source software and open protocols for decentralized data storage and retrieval networks.

How to Apply for the Filecoin Foundation and Electric Coin Co. Grants

The Filecoin Foundation is looking to incubate projects that help grow the Filecoin network and advance the greater Web3 ecosystem. Together with Electric Coin Co. (ECC), the Filecoin Foundation is “working to empower the Filecoin, Zcash, and greater Web3 ecosystems through a new grants pool that funds Filecoin and Zcash projects.” 

Proposals can be submitted through GitHub; grant applications and requirements for submission are being accepted by the Filecoin Foundation and Electric Coin Co. on a rolling basis through December 31st, 2023. 

Grants in this program will be funded by a pool of more than 300,000 FIL, provided by the Filecoin Foundation.

To learn more about projects the Filecoin Foundation is looking to incubate, the website details project qualities in consideration.

You can also learn about the Filecoin Roadmap on growth in its network and ecosystem here.

FIL integration on the Filecoin Network

As Messari notes, “The Filecoin ecosystem is large and rapidly expanding, positioning itself to become the backbone of the decentralized web.” Numerous use cases have emerged including NFTs, Web3, gaming, metaverse, audio, and video projects. Let’s take a look at some standout examples:  

Starling Lab

Starling Lab, a project of Stanford and USC, uses the Filecoin network to preserve important historical records, including the USC Shoah Foundation’s archive of 55,000 video testimonies of genocide survivors.

Beyond storing historical records, Starling Lab is using the Filecoin network to document and preserve cryptographic evidence of ongoing war crimes in Ukraine.

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin and Filecoin Foundation are working together to develop a program to deploy the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) in space. As the space economy and space-based services continue to emerge, this partnership will create important communications infrastructure that will transform how we share and access data in space.

Internet Archive

Internet Archive, one of the largest libraries in the world and a key defender of information and accessibility, is exploring how the Filecoin network can be used to protect and preserve humanity’s most valuable information.

Storage Providers

Seal Storage has worked in close collaboration with Filecoin Foundation and Protocol Labs to drive network adoption. Most recently, Seal announced a partnership with UC Berkeley Underground Physics Group to store neutrino research data on the decentralized web.

Dcent, a storage provider located near Amsterdam, currently has a capacity of 30PiB of raw storage on the Filecoin network and expects to grow that to 100 PiB by the end of 2022. Additionally, Dcent announced a partnership with Filecoin Green to use their monitoring and reporting tools to verify solar production and hardware electricity consumption.

Environmental Impact

Filecoin Green aims to measure the environmental impact of Filecoin and verifiably drive them below zero, building infrastructure along the way that allows anyone to make transparent and substantive environmental claims by leveraging blockchain technology.

Apply Today

If you have an idea for a compelling project utilizing FIL and ZEC, please submit a proposal through GitHub or contact the team for more information. Teams with deep knowledge and experience on blockchain infrastructure and high technical skills will be prioritized.

Looking for more crypto grants?

100s of applicants have been matched with grants programs through Identity Review. Looking for crypto grant funding? Apply here and tell us more about your project, team and mission.

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