Funding Open-Source Mining
Two programs fund open-source Bitcoin mining: the Core Projects Program for work we scope, and the General Grant Program for work you scope.
Grant Programs
Core Projects Program
Recruitment for the four core projects that make our open mining stack: Ember One, Libre Board, Mujina & Hydrapool.
Funded with priority, under renewable funding terms, to keep the development kit's work moving.
General Grant Program
Apply with an idea for your own project, or your own scope of work on one of ours.
So long as it advances the open-source Bitcoin mining ecosystem, it's eligible.
Apply for a Grant →- →Open-source Bitcoin mining hardware designs (OSHWA-compliant)
- →Mining firmware and software (OSI-compliant open source)
- →Mining pool software and infrastructure
- →Education and documentation resources
- →Tools and libraries that advance the open-source mining ecosystem
- →Other projects aligned with the open-source Bitcoin mining mission
- ×Closed-source or proprietary projects
- ×Projects unrelated to Bitcoin mining or freedom technology
- ×Duplicate efforts without meaningful differentiation or improvement
- ×Projects that restrict others from using, modifying, or distributing the work
How a grant runs
Submit Your Application
Send us a scoped proposal: the gap, the project, the person, the license, and why it's genuinely open source, plus milestones, how you'll report progress, and an honest account of the current state.
Foundation Review
The board reviews applications as they come in, against written criteria. If it's a good idea and funding is available, we'll ask for more detail.
Scope & Agreement
We finalize scope, term, and milestones with you, and the board approves every grant. Funding runs under a written grant agreement: the work stays open-source, and IP never transfers to the Foundation.
Build in Public
Work is paid monthly, and developed in public under the project's open-source license, with milestones from the scope document. We may feature it on the website and our channels.
Funding announcements
Every grant we've funded, newest first. See the full grant log → or see more updates on our newsroom →
After a funding pause, the Foundation reactivates Libre Board's 2026 term for four months, financing the final validation so that anyone can build the open reference design with confidence.
The 256 Foundation's first grant funds an open-source Bitcoin mining hashboard, built from the chip up and published for anyone to build.
Tell us what you want to build.
If you can't tell which program fits, or you want to discuss a larger or longer commitment, get in touch. We'll help you find the right door.