The third report of Ink!ubator V2

Ecosystem
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Hello Polkadot community!

It’s time for another update from Ink!ubator 2.0 – we’re excited to share what has happened since our June 30 report.

We remain committed to making Ink!ubator transparent and community‑first, and we always welcome your feedback to help shape the future of ink! smart contracts on Polkadot.

:white_check_mark: Application progress

Since the last update, we’ve received 36 new applications.

Breakdown by source:

These additions bring the total pipeline to 100 applications. Since July we accepted two additional projects, bringing the total number of accepted projects to seven. With seven projects already funded and resources fully allocated, the application intake is currently closed while we focus on supporting our active grantees. We plan to reopen once these commitments are fulfilled.

Accepted projects to date:

  • :toolbox: ink!athon v2

    • complete setup for developing full-stack dApps on Polkadot with ink!

  • :brain: Using Verifiable Offchain Computing in ink! smart contracts

    • provides verifiable off-chain computing capabilities to ink! contracts

  • :test_tube: Dedot & Typink

    • ink! support in the dedot Javascript client + typink type-safe React hooks library

  • :video_game: Ink! Step-Debugger

    • IDE-integrated step-debugger using the Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP), supported by VSCode & co

  • :receipt: Treasury Flow

    • treasury management dApp: supports vested, recurring, and instant payments with multi-signature attestation and payment categories

  • :receipt: InkCtf

    • Interactive Capture-The-Flag style web game designed to teach developers about common vulnerabilities in ink! contracts

  • :video_game: Monster’s Ink

    • interactive learning platform that teaches ink! smart‑contract development through gamified tutorials

Milestone progress:

Three projects have completed milestone deliverables:

The other two grantees (Treasury Flow InkCTF) continue development. All progress reports and invoices are recorded on‑chain and linked from the milestone repository.

Hackathon: Blockspace Synergy at the Web3 Summit

Description:

Ink! Alliance and ink!ubator sponsored and organised a dedicated ink! track at The Blockspace Synergy hackathon, a three‑day chain‑agnostic event held 16 - 18 July 2025 at the historic Funkhaus Berlin venue during the Web3 Summit. Hosted by WebZero with support from the Web3 Foundation, the hackathon welcomed builders of all skill levels and offered a total prize pool of US $96 784 across various tracks and partner bounties.

The ink! track provided $10 000 in prizes, funded jointly by the ink! Alliance and ink! ubator, to encourage developers to experiment with the ink! smart‑contract language and PolkaVM.

Its mission was to put ink! into developers’ hands, gather feedback on tooling and documentation, and create a pre‑grant funnel for the incubator.

Format: Like the main track, the ink! track used a two‑milestone structure: teams built their prototype during the hackathon (Milestone 1) and then had 30 days to complete Milestone 2 to unlock the second half of their prize. This design encouraged participants to continue iterating beyond the event and demonstrated their ability to deliver against milestones.

ink! Track prize winners:

Nine teams earned prizes from the ink! track’s $10 000 pool. Each winner’s payment link will be added once disbursements are complete:

This hackathon served as a hands‑on introduction to ink! and provided a pipeline of vetted teams for future grants. It underscored ink! ubator’s commitment to funding early prototypes and demonstrated the breadth of ideas emerging from the developer community.

Links:

https://lu.ma/blockspacesynergy

https://r0gue.medium.com/ink-at-the-web3summit-hackathon-8e9fd6ee0f79

:briefcase: Curator and facilitator payments

As part of our transparency pledge, curator stipends and facilitator remuneration are publicly recorded:

Payment summary and transparency

Ink!ubator 2.0 is funded via the Wasm smart contracts bounty (#19) on the Polkadot treasury. In keeping with our commitment to openness, all transactions are processed through the treasury and are publicly viewable on Subsquare. Below is a high‑level summary of the program’s finances as of October 2025:

  • Curator fees: Approximately 9 966 DOT has been disbursed to the curatorial panel as base stipends and performance bonuses.

  • Facilitator fees: The facilitator has received 4 881 DOT for a six‑month retainer and a 180‑hour engagement.

  • Grant commitments: 7 projects have been accepted with total allocated funding of US $309 000. As of October 2025, 24 801 DOT has been paid out for completed milestones, which equals about US $98 000. Hackathon prizes amount to 1 436 DOT, or roughly US $5 000.

  • Current balance: While the current balance of 100,865 DOT (≈ US $308,646) remains in the treasury, the majority of these funds are already committed to ongoing projects and milestones under execution. The remaining unallocated portion serves as a buffer to cover potential fluctuations in DOT price and ensure smooth execution of approved initiatives. This approach helps maintain financial transparency and program stability while continuing to support active development within the ink!ubator.

:raising_hands: Thank you

This report is provided to maintain transparency around our decisions, partners, applications and accepted work. We appreciate the community’s continued support and look forward to reopening applications once our current commitments are fulfilled.

Links

  1. 2.0 Report #1: https://forum.polkadot.network/t/the-first-report-of-ink-ubator-v2/12566

  2. 2.0 Report #2: https://forum.polkadot.network/t/the-second-report-of-ink-ubator-v2/13670

  3. Bounty: https://polkadot.subsquare.io/treasury/bounties/19

  4. GitHub: https://github.com/use-inkubator/Ecosystem-Grants

  5. Website: https://use.ink/inkubator

  6. Payments: https://polkadot.subsquare.io/treasury/child-bounties?parentBountyId=19

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