What to Build

Track 1: Awesome ICP 

Build an awesome dapp on the IC. We are looking for projects that leverage the unique features of the ICP to build the next-generation web 3 apps.

What are we looking for:

• SocialFi applications - Social interactions on chains means that users own their data. On ICP you can host websites and interact with smart canisters directly from the browser. On top of this, ICP has the smoothest user onboarding experience. No wallet necessary.

• DAO tooling - ICP has the capability of hosting the entire governance process for DAOs on-chain. Show us what you can build to make DAOs thrive. 

• Privacy focused applications - Blockchains in general are not the best for privacy of data. vetKeys on ICP help you build dapps in which users can preserve their privacy. 

• RWA DeFi protocols - With https outcalls, ICP canisters can bring in real world data streams on chain. We are looking for projects that tokenize new assets and bring them on chain.

• Multichain infrastructure and dapps   - Canisters can sign transactions targeting other blockchains using Chain-key signatures, and fetch data from RPC nodes using HTTPS outcalls. 

• Decentralized AI - ICP allows for the creation of fully decentralized AI models that function entirely on the blockchain. 

• Anything you can imagine that leverages the capabilities of the Internet Computer in solving a real world problem.

Track 2: BUIDL Bitcoin

Build your Layer 2 Bitcoin dapp bringing ICP’s functionality to the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Attention all developers, designers, and crypto enthusiasts! Are you ready to take Bitcoin to the next level?

Bitcoin is the king of crypto, but it's been held back by limited programming capabilities, low speed, and high fees. That's where the Internet Computer (IC) comes in. With the native Bitcoin integration, you can unleash the full potential of Bitcoin and build innovative DeFi solutions without the need for custodians. Plus, with ckBTC, a smart contract controlled 1:1 Bitcoin-backed IC-native token, you can create low-latency payment solutions with fees of only a fraction of a cent and plug into a growing ecosystem IC native tools and services.

The IC provides the Layer 2 functionality for Bitcoin you’ve been waiting for. Unleash the power of Bitcoin’s liquidity with the Internet Computer's superpowers:

• Host websites and interact with canister smart contracts directly from your browser 

• Smooth user onboarding with the reverse-gas model - no wallet necessary 

• Secure login with a security key or biometrics 

• Leverage enormous computational power and storage at low cost

• Call APIs directly from a canister -  no oracles required

• Flex your programming muscles with familiar languages like TypeScript, Python, and Rust, or master Motoko, the tailor-made language designed to streamline development on the Internet Computer

• Canister smart contracts are upgradeable and can be community governed. Allowing you to turn your app into a DAO or autonomous open internet service whenever you are ready.

But hold onto your hats, because there's more! The Internet Computer cannot only integrate with Bitcoin, but it has the ability to interact with many other chains. So, if you’re an Etherean or a Multicoiner, you'll also have the golden opportunity to explore and build on the first phase of the IC’s Ethereum integration.

For those of you working on your GameFi projects, BOOM DAO has a game-changing offer. With BOOM DAO, you'll be able to streamline your development process, thanks to its pre-built features that include:

• Wallet integrations compatible with popular gaming engines
• In-game economy infrastructure for essential functions like minting, crafting, and burning
• Seamlessly integrated database systems

The sky's the limit!

Join us to revolutionize the world of DeFi and commerce and unlock the untamed power of Bitcoin!

• New kinds of non-custodial Bitcoin wallets with simplified multi-sig processes, advanced policies, or social recovery functionality

• Payment solutions for physical and virtual commerce

• Non-custodial Ordinal marketplaces

• Bitcoin-backed Stablecoins, lending protocols, or other DeFi integrations

• Lightning Network integrations, Watchtowers hosted on the IC, UTXO watching.

Track 3: GameFi

Next gen web3 gaming is here and can be built on ICP. Show us how the future of decentralized gaming looks like.

ICP’s core features make it the ideal host for the next generation of decentralized web3 gaming applications. Those are enabled by:

• Data storage capabilities
  Canister smart contracts on ICP bundle computation and storage. Unlike other blockchains, where limitations in blocksize means that data cannot be actually stored on chain, on ICP data is stored on-chain. This means that fully on-chain gaming is finally possible. 

• Low latency

While on other blockchains transactions may take a long time to be finalized, on ICP 11,500 transactions can be executed per second with 1 second finality. This is ideal for a smooth on-chain gaming experience

• Reverse gas model

On ICP users don’t pay gas for the transactions that they execute. Less friction, less bottlenecks, just gaming.

What are we looking for:

• Wallet integrations with popular gaming engines

• In-game economy infrastructure for minting, crafting, burning etc.

• Database integrations

• Fun games like battle royale, tower defense, etc.

**Check out the Internet Computer Ecosystem for your inspiration

What to Submit

1. Project description

2. Project deployed to Mainnet

3. Open-source Project repository (Suggested license: Apache 2.0 or MIT license)

4. Canister ID

5. README (here is a good example)

6. Video (around 5 minutes)

   1. Should include an overview of project and features
   2. Must include a demonstration of working application

** The grant prizes will be disbursed progressively as you achieve the milestones outlined in your grant proposal, and successively for the multiple grant prizes, per the DFINITY developer grant terms and conditions.

Find more about the DFINITY Developer Grant program.