Are you ready to create exciting decentralized applications, leveraging zero knowledge to revolutionize the way we interact with our data? zkIgnite, Cohort 1 is a three-month program designed to help developers and entrepreneurs turn their innovative ideas into real-world applications and build successful businesses on Mina Protocol. Up to $500k USDC and 500k MINA are available as part of this community-allocated grants program, to fund zkApp businesses and key developer tooling that will ultimately push the Mina ecosystem forward.
Each week, the program will focus on a specific theme to guide participants through the process of creating, deploying, and scaling their zkApps. And the best part? Anyone who is passionate about building zkApps can join, not just developers – this program is open to all and is driven by a passionate community. You can participate in the program in a variety of ways; whether you’re a developer, founder, designer, marketer, or just someone interested in building tooling for other developers, there’s a place for you in zkIgnite.
Sign up to register your interest here.
Program Details
During the 12 week program, participants will engage in a series of weekly gatherings and challenges, including:
- Generating innovative ideas
- Drafting high quality proposals
- Team formation
- Funding
- Budgeting and planning
- Technical support throughout building
- Introduction to VC and Impact Funds for further funding
zkIgnite is community-driven at every stage, which is why we’re also introducing Mina’s Innovation Platform, a new space for zkIgnite participants to collaborate. You can form teams on the platform and submit proposals for funding, as well as vote on which projects to fund. Participants will also have the opportunity to work together via weekly gatherings as well as dedicated Telegram and Discord channels.
Choose your pathway
zkApp Challenges
Participants in Cohort 1 will form teams around zkApp ideas designed to solve real world problems. Teams are not limited to any particular structure but we do encourage each team having at least 1-2 technical developers. Everyone is welcome to participate in Cohort 1, including non-technical builders and community members. Below we’ve listed roles of potential participants in the zkApp Challenges:
- Web3 and ZK developers
- Founders
- Designers and marketers
Dev4Dev Challenge
Developers who want to create tooling that will make building in the Mina ecosystem easier and more efficient for other developers.
- Tooling to be built in Dev4Dev Challenge will be crowdsourced from Cohort 1 participants.
Cohort 1 requires a 12-week commitment and will include weekly workshops and gatherings. However, the time commitment is flexible, and you can dedicate as much or as little time as you see fit. If you’re passionate and dedicated about building a successful zkApp business, this is the perfect opportunity to dive in as there will be ample opportunities and grants to reward you.
Proposal Feedback – in addition to submitting proposals for the zkApp and Dev4Dev challenge we invite the Mina community to join Cohort 1 to provide feedback throughout the proposal development process. You don’t have to be associated with a team to join and share your thoughts!
Funding
Successful projects will be eligible to receive funding from the Mina Foundation grant pool to help continue the development of their zkApp.
Mina Foundation is excited to share that there is $500k USDC and 500k MINA available to allocate across Cohort 1 for zkApp and Dev4Dev Challenges as well as various participation rewards.
Funding allocation decisions will be made by ‘electors’, a select group of experienced builders and community members within the Mina ecosystem.
Next Steps
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to unleash your potential and shape the future of zero knowledge technology with zkIgnite. Register your interest for Cohort 1 today and stay tuned for further updates on how to join.
Program participants will be invited to a special community call on Wednesday, February 15th, with insights and guidance from Mina co-founder Evan Shapiro and other Mina ecosystem partners.
Register for zkIgnite, Cohort 1:
About Mina Protocol
Mina is the world’s lightest blockchain, powered by participants. Rather than apply brute computing force, Mina uses advanced cryptography and recursive zk-SNARKs to design an entire blockchain that is about 22kb, the size of a couple of tweets. It is the first layer-1 to enable efficient implementation and easy programmability of zero knowledge smart contracts (zkApps). With its unique privacy features and ability to connect to any website, Mina is building a private gateway between the real world and crypto—and the secure, democratic future we all deserve.
