Ancient8 Opens Registration for OP Grant Program Season 1

<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/Ancient8_gg” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Old8 has opened registration for Season 1 of its Grants Program, allocating a total of 200,000 $OP tokens provided by <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/Optimism” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Optimism Foundation.

The program, which offers grants of up to $25,000 OP tokens per project, is designed to drive innovation and growth in the blockchain gaming sector. The initiative provides funding, mentorship and resources to support both established contributors within the Ancient8 ecosystem and newcomers with innovative ideas.

By focusing on both existing and potential projects, the grant program aims to improve tools, enhance user experiences, and strengthen the infrastructure essential for a robust blockchain gaming ecosystem.

What is Ancient8?

Ancient8 is a community-driven, gaming-focused ethereum Layer 2 solution designed to address the scalability and adoption challenges of web3 games and consumer dApps. Built on OP Stack and enhanced with Celestia's modular blockchain technology, Ancient8 combines speed, cost-effectiveness, and advanced tools to provide an infrastructure for on-chain game development.

Ancient8 has grown from a gaming guild to a comprehensive gaming infrastructure chain and seeks to empower the next 100 million citizens of the Metaverse. The platform is dedicated to driving mass adoption, democratizing access to games, and offering a modular blockchain that improves the on-chain experience for both players and developers.

Season 1 of the grant program is a significant step forward, fueled by a $500,000 OP grant from the Optimism Governance Fund. Ancient8 intends to use these funds to cultivate a dynamic ecosystem where creators and developers can collaborate, innovate, and scale their solutions.

How does the OP Ancient8 grant program work?

Season 1 of the Ancient8 grant program is powered by $200,000 OP tokens from the Optimism Foundation, which offers funding of up to $25,000 OP tokens per project. The program is designed to empower projects to innovate, scale and contribute to the growth of the Ancient8 and Optimism Superchain ecosystems.

The program focuses on two categories: existing projects and prospective projects, each with different timelines, eligibility criteria and processes. Funding and milestones are tailored to the complexity, vision and architectural category of each project, and all grants adhere to a one-year token lock-in period per Ancient8 and Optimism's Crowdfunding Policy.

Existing projects: This track is for individuals and teams who have already contributed to the Ancient8 ecosystem. Recognize their efforts and support their continued work to drive long-term sustainability and impact. This category is intended to reward and scale scalable, high-performing projects.

• • January 15 – February 28, 2025: Registration Phase
  • Mar 1 – Mar 15, 2025: Selection phase
  • March 16 – April 30, 2025: Performance review phase
  • May 1 – May 16, 2025: Decision making phase

Eligibility Criteria:

• • Active contributions to the Ancient8 ecosystem.
  • Demonstrated long-term commitment and measurable impact.
  • On-chain activity, such as wallet interactions and verified contracts.

Process:

• • Applicants register with details of their key contributions and achievements.
  • The Ancient8 Foundation Board conducts a performance review every two months.
  • Shortlisted projects move on to a community ranking and voting phase, where $A8 participants decide the final recipients of funding.
  • Projects receive milestone-based rewards as they achieve set goals.

Community participation:

• • $A8 participants participate in governance by voting on Snapshot during the decision-making phase (May 1-16, 2025).
  • Participating participants are incentivized with $A8 tokens, with details to be announced closer to the voting period.

Prospective projects: This track supports new projects that aim to be implemented or expanded within the Ancient8 ecosystem. Emphasizes incorporating innovative initiatives that improve gaming infrastructure, user experience, growth tools, and content creator networks. This category aims to provide funding, mentorship, and resources to ensure successful launches and integrations.

• • January 15 – February 15, 2025: Registration Phase
  • February 15 – February 28, 2025: Preliminary review phase
  • Mar 1 – Mar 15, 2025: Decision making phase

Eligibility Criteria:

• • Clear project objectives and budget allocation.
  • Strong alignment with Ancient8 ecosystem growth goals.
  • Demonstrated innovation and technical feasibility.

Process:

• • Applicants submit detailed proposals that describe their objectives, budget and expected results.
  • Proposals are subject to evaluation by the Ancient8 Grant Council, and approval requires at least 6 of 10 votes from council members.
  • Projects receive funding based on milestones linked to progress and execution, as defined during the evaluation phase.

The grant evaluation process is overseen by experienced web3 professionals, including members of A8 Governance Partners and the A8 Foundation Council. High-profile figures such as Trung Nguyen, co-founder of Axie Infinity, are among the board members, ensuring a rigorous and credible selection process.

Interested applicants are encouraged to visit the official website to learn more about the Ancient8 grant program.