Spark Program

Every big idea starts with a spark.

What Is Spark?

Spark is Ink's builder grant track for live projects that can create measurable ecosystem progress.

It is designed as an on-ramp for builders who are already shipping, proving demand, and looking for a focused push to deepen their impact on Ink. Spark remains a broad entry point for tools, bots, mini dApps, infrastructure, public goods, consumer experiments, and other useful products, but funding is selective and alignment-driven.

The strongest Spark applications show a working product, a clear reason to build on Ink, and a credible path to more users, liquidity, transactions, integrations, or builder leverage.

Spark can also be a stepping stone into Ink's next-stage builder support. Teams that prove meaningful traction through Spark may be better positioned for deeper ecosystem support later.

No pitch decks. Low-lift application. Clear expectations.

Low-lift does not mean low-evidence. Spark applicants should be ready to provide verifiable data that can be reviewed and cross-checked. If you claim users, traction, revenue, transactions, volume, TVL, or protocol activity, include the onchain data, contract addresses, dashboards, analytics, or other evidence that supports it.

What Gets Funded

Spark is open to strong builders across the ecosystem, but we are especially interested in projects that advance Ink's highest-priority growth areas.

Tydro Integrations

Tydro is Ink's lending market. We look closely at projects that make Tydro more useful, accessible, or active, including:

• Lending and borrowing strategy tools
• Looping, yield, vault, or capital efficiency products
• Risk dashboards, portfolio tools, and user education layers
• Automation that helps users manage positions responsibly
• Interfaces or integrations that route meaningful activity to Tydro

Nado Integrations

Nado is Ink's CLOB perps DEX. We look closely at projects that build on top of Nado, make the protocol more accessible, or create new user experiences around its core infrastructure, including:

• New interfaces, UX abstractions, or account experiences
• Strategy tools, dashboards, alerts, and analytics
• AI-assisted or automated protocol interaction workflows
• Onboarding, education, and portfolio tools that help users understand Nado
• Integrations that create useful, measurable activity around Nado

Tydro + Nado Combinations

Projects that connect both protocols in smart, useful ways are especially interesting. This could include products that combine lending, collateral, yield, portfolio management, market data, or risk tooling into one coherent user flow.

RWA Infrastructure

We are also focused on real-world asset infrastructure native to Ink. Projects that help bring credible RWA activity, tooling, rails, data, compliance-aware workflows, or user-facing RWA products to Ink are strong Spark candidates.

AI and Agent Infrastructure

We want Ink to be a simple, robust, and verifiable place for agents to transact. Spark is a strong fit for teams building infrastructure that helps AI agents build, trade, send and receive payments, manage wallets, interact with protocols, or make autonomous onchain decisions on Ink.

Strong examples include agent payment rails, trading agents, wallet/action frameworks, verifiable agent workflows, automation tools, and agent-facing integrations with Ink-native protocols.

Other Strong Outliers

Spark is not limited to the categories above. Games, NFTs, onchain trading tools, payments, consumer apps, public goods, developer tools, community products, and experimental ideas can still be funded if they are live, useful, and make a clear contribution to Ink.

Outlier projects should be especially clear about why Ink is the right home and how the project will create measurable ecosystem value.

Who Should Apply

Spark is a strong fit if you are:

• An indie builder or small team with a live product, working integration, or usable feature
• A team building around our core products, RWA infrastructure, AI agents, or another clear priority
• A project that can show verifiable usage, transactions, volume, integrations, community demand, or other proof that people want what you are building
• A builder with a specific plan to grow activity, improve UX, increase liquidity, support users, or help other teams build on Ink
• A promising team that is not yet ready for larger-scale support, but can use Spark to prove stronger traction

Spark is not a fit for deck-first ideas, marketing-only proposals, or projects that cannot explain what value they create for Ink and how that value will be measured.

What Is Less Likely To Get Funded

Spark is meant to accelerate useful work that already shows proof. It is not designed to fund every early idea or cover ordinary operating costs.

Projects are less likely to be funded if they are:

• Only an idea, mockup, or early R&D concept with no working product
• Testnet-only without a clear path to mainnet usage
• Requesting funds primarily for generic hosting, routine infrastructure, or basic deployment costs
• Asking for a grant to cover salaries, runway, or general team expenses
• Seeking capital to test private trading strategies or subsidize user trading
• Mostly meme, NFT, or marketing activity without clear utility or durable ecosystem value
• Not meaningfully connected to Ink beyond deploying a contract or adding a chain option
• Unable to back user, traction, revenue, or activity claims with data reviewers can verify

Prototypes, screenshots, testnet deployments, and design work can help explain what you are building, but they are usually not enough on their own. The best Spark applications point to something live, usable, and ready to grow.

How It Works

1) Submit

Builders share a short application with:

• What they are building and why it matters for Ink
• Proof that the product works, such as a live app, repo, demo, mainnet contract, Loom, dashboard, or other usable artifact
• The grant amount requested and how the funds would help the project scale or deepen impact
• Verifiable traction signals, such as users, transactions, volume, TVL, integrations, retention, waitlists, community demand, revenue, or partner interest, with onchain data or supporting evidence where applicable
• Any relevant Tydro, Nado, RWA, AI/agent, or other Ink ecosystem alignment

2) Review

We evaluate every submission on six criteria:

• Ink Ecosystem Alignment

  Does the project clearly support Ink's users, builders, liquidity, protocol activity, or strategic growth areas?

• Proof of Live Utility

  Is there a working product, integration, deployment, or user-facing feature that reviewers can actually inspect?

• Measurable Traction

  Can the team show usage, transactions, volume, TVL, integrations, retained users, developer adoption, revenue, or another meaningful signal with data reviewers can verify?

• Priority Fit

  Does the project build around Tydro, Nado, RWA infrastructure, AI/agent infrastructure, or another high-value Ink opportunity?

• Responsible Use of Funds

  Would the grant help the team ship, grow, integrate, or scale something users already want, rather than cover ordinary costs or early experimentation?

• Builder Credibility

  Can the builder ship, communicate clearly, respond reliably, and own the next phase of execution?

3) Decision + Grant

Outcomes:

• Approved (grant size confirmed)
• Revise & resubmit (scope, proof, or alignment needs tightening)
• Not a fit (does not match Spark's current funding priorities)

What You Receive

Spark Grants

• 500-20,000 USDC per project
• Non-dilutive, simple terms
• Grant size depends on traction, maturity, scope, and expected ecosystem impact
• Typically paid after approval and confirmation of a working build or live deployment, subject to program operations and compliance

Visibility and Ecosystem Support

Standout Spark projects may receive:

• Social amplification and ecosystem highlights
• Introductions to relevant ecosystem teams and partners
• Product, integration, or go-to-market feedback
• A clearer path to level up into deeper support when traction is proven

How To Join Spark

• Submit your project -> Spark Application Form
• Get reviewed -> The team reviews applications in rolling batches and follows up with decisions or questions
• Ship and prove -> Spark rewards builders who deliver measurable value, not just announcements