KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Avalanche Foundation has announced the second cohort of Retro9000 grantees, awarding over $250,000 to eight projects for their contributions to the Avalanche ecosystem.
- Retro9000 is a $40 million retroactive grant program aimed at rewarding impactful projects already deployed on the Avalanche platform.
- Projects are evaluated based on development progress, ecosystem relevance, and community engagement, with a focus on permissionless L1s and open-source tooling.
- The program includes a referral component, distributing over $15,000 in AVAX to community referrers in the latest round.
The Avalanche Foundation has announced the second cohort of Retro9000 grantees, selected from a competitive pool of developers innovating within the Avalanche ecosystem. Retro9000 is a retroactive grant program backed by a $40 million fund, designed to reward projects that are already delivering impact on the Avalanche platform.
This initiative aims to recognize developers who have successfully deployed Avalanche Layer 1s (L1s) and foundational infrastructure on the mainnet. The first round of Retro9000 focuses on ‘Avalanche L1s and Infrastructure Tooling,’ encouraging experimentation and deployment from testnet to mainnet.
Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria
To qualify for the Retro9000 program, projects must build innovative L1s leveraging Avalanche’s composability and interoperability. While permissioned L1s are eligible for funding upon mainnet deployment, the majority of funding is allocated to permissionless L1s. Tooling projects must support Avalanche L1 builders and be open-source, publicly usable, and well-documented.
Projects are evaluated based on development progress, ecosystem relevance, technical merit, and community engagement. On-chain mainnet metrics, such as total transactions and active addresses, are also considered. Previous support from the Avalanche Foundation, such as through the infraBUIDL programs, is taken into account when determining grant awards and sizes.
Second Cohort and Future Opportunities
The second cohort of Retro9000 grantees includes eight projects: Artery Chain, CodeNekt, Tixbase, zeroone, NUMINE, Letsbuyhealthcare, Bango, and Quboid. These projects have been collectively awarded over $250,000 in retroactive funding for their impactful contributions to the Avalanche ecosystem. Grant distributions are contingent upon the completion of Know Your Business (KYB) and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes.
Retro9000 is designed to continually support projects that demonstrate significant progress. Cohort 1 grantees, such as Artery Chain and CodeNekt, have shown measurable development since receiving their initial grants. Artery Chain has expanded its ecosystem and introduced new features, while CodeNekt has advanced its blockchain for vehicle identity management.
The program also includes a referral component, rewarding community members who refer successful projects. In the most recent round, over $15,000 in AVAX was distributed among 40 community referrers. The next Retro9000 snapshot is scheduled for October 14, 2025, providing ongoing opportunities for community participation and project funding.
For more details, visit the official announcement here.
Why This Matters: Impact, Industry Trends & Expert Insights
The Avalanche Foundation has announced the second cohort of Retro9000 grantees, which includes eight projects that have been awarded over $250,000 in funding for their contributions to the Avalanche ecosystem.
Recent industry reports indicate that August 2025 blockchain grant programs focus on practical, scalable blockchain innovations, with a strong interest in decentralized finance, tokenization, ecosystem tooling, and privacy technologies. This aligns with the Retro9000 initiative, which aims to support projects that demonstrate significant progress in these areas.
As per insights from CoinDesk, the Retro9000 program is seen as pivotal to Avalanche’s strategy to boost on-chain activity and developer innovation. This supports the impact of the Retro9000 initiative in fostering ecosystem growth and enhancing the competitive position of Avalanche in the blockchain space.
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