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Eighth Wave of Bitcoin Grants
OpenSats is proud to announce its eighth wave of Bitcoin grants, dedicated to supporting innovative open-source projects that enhance the growth and resilience of the Bitcoin ecosystem.
We remain committed to empowering developers worldwide who are building groundbreaking tools, improving user experience, and strengthening the overall security of Bitcoin and its users.
This wave awards grants to four outstanding projects, each playing a vital role in advancing various aspects of the Bitcoin network. In no particular order, the recipients are:
These grants are sourced from our General Fund, which directly supports open-source projects. Sustained by donors who share our vision for a thriving, decentralized future, 100% of General Fund donations go to Bitcoin-related projects, not operational costs. To support these projects and help Bitcoin flourish, please consider donating to the General Fund:
Let's take a closer look at these projects to discover their purpose, impact, and the value they bring to the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Citadel-Tech
Citadel-Tech is dedicated to advancing privacy within the Bitcoin ecosystem through the development of an atomic swap protocol first proposed by Greg Maxwell in 2013. By implementing the Maxwell-Belcher protocol, the project enables truly private ownership transfers of Bitcoin UTXOs between participants. With a focus on providing "passive privacy," even for non-users, this project ensures that swaps are indistinguishable from standard Taproot transactions today.
Repository: citadel-tech
License: Apache-2.0 & MIT
Lampo
Lampo is an open-source project that aims to build a modular and customizable Lightning node implementation for the Bitcoin ecosystem. Designed to integrate with the Lightning Development Kit (LDK) and the LNprototest test suite, Lampo offers flexibility and innovation through features like a swappable API, wallet, on-chain data source, and a plugin system similar to Core Lightning. Lampo is positioned as a fully open-source alternative to company-driven Lightning implementations, promoting greater interoperability, customization, and experimentation within the Bitcoin and Lightning communities.
With the support of this grant, Lampo will focus on developing key features, including a proof of concept (PoC) for the VLS signer, integration of LDK with LNprototest, and the eventual implementation of BOLT12. The project will prioritize bug fixes, improve Lampo's documentation, and introduce new tutorials to foster greater accessibility and collaboration. By creating a truly open-source Lightning node, Lampo supports the decentralization of financial infrastructure and drives innovation in Lightning technology.
Repository: vincenzopalazzo/lampo.rs
License: BSD-3-Clause
Cashu Nutshell
Cashu Nutshell is an open-source Chaumian ecash system focused on enhancing privacy for users of custodial Bitcoin applications. The system enables users to make anonymous transactions without revealing their identity, balance, or transaction history. Leveraging Cashu mints allows for private ecash exchanges, preventing censorship and blocking of specific users. The project also integrates with decentralized platforms like nostr, introducing features such as private ecash receipts and Proof of Liabilities schemes, which allow users to confirm transactions and monitor mint operations without compromising privacy.
With the support of this grant, Cashu Nutshell will implement synthetic USD e-cash backed by LNMarkets, providing a privacy-focused alternative to Tether for users in regions with unstable fiat currencies. Key milestones include the development of Discreet Log Contracts for ecash, and the introduction of private ecash receipts using nostr.
Repository: cashubtc/nutshell
License: MIT
PickhardtPayments Plugin
PickhardtPayments, originally developed by Rene Pickhardt and Stefan Richter, is a payment routing strategy aimed at improving the reliability and efficiency of payments on the Lightning Network. This plugin project focuses on implementing the Pickhardt-Richter model into Core Lightning via the renepay plugin. The model uses advanced Bayesian analysis and (Minimum Cost Flow) algorithms to calculate optimal Multi-Path Payments, reducing payment failures due to liquidity shortages, particularly for smaller and less connected nodes in the network.
With the support of this grant, the project will further develop and split the payment process into two plugins—askrene for route computation and renepay for payment management—improving modularity and flexibility. Future milestones include adding support for BOLT12 invoices and solving non-linear cost problems in payment routing. This ongoing work will enhance the Lightning Network's payment layer, offering faster and more reliable payment experiences for users.
Repository: Lagrang3/lightning
License: BSD-MIT
With this eighth wave of grants, as with previous waves, we evaluated applications based on carefully defined criteria and put forth our best efforts to select the most impactful and promising proposals for the Bitcoin ecosystem. If you are a developer working on a project aligned with our mission, we encourage you to apply for funding.
Please consider donating to support open-source projects and developers in the Bitcoin ecosystem: