Launching GoodBuilders: The First Initiative of the $250K GoodDollar Ecosystem Fund
📌 At a Glance:
The Good Labs Foundation is launching the GoodDollar Ecosystem Fund, a $250,000 fund designed to drive innovation and expand the GoodDollar ecosystem.
The GoodDollar Ecosystem Fund will be split into two key initiatives:
1️⃣ The GoodBuilders Program
A year-long initiative to support builders, developers, designers, product managers, marketers, and other skilled contributors driving innovation in the GoodDollar ecosystem on Celo by creating new dApps, G$ integrations and platform enhancements
✔️ $220,000 USD allocated across 3 rounds
✔️ Powered by Gitcoin: We’ve partnered with Gitcoin to launch three Quadratic Funding (QF) rounds as part of the 2025 Gitcoin Grants Strategy.
✅ Every program round, includes 3 ways to earn:
- 🔹Gitcoin QF Rewards— Earn funding based on community-driven QF rounds. (Matching pool + donations)
- 🧑🏫 Mentorship Support & Rewards — Expert guidance + mentor-backed funding.
- 🎉 Engagement Rewards — Incentives for real user adoption & ecosystem growth.
🔗 Learn More About GoodBuilders — Sign up now to start building! -Join Telegram and Discord
2️⃣ $30,000 for other Community Initiatives
In addition to GoodBuilders, we’re allocating funds for community-driven programs that will expand the GoodDollar ecosystem.
📢 Details coming soon — stay tuned!
Traditional financial systems were not designed for everyone. The structure of institutions, like banks, has created barriers that limit opportunities for people without access to those systems. But with blockchain technology, we can rewrite the rules and build a more inclusive decentralized economy that better serves everyone, everywhere.
GoodDollar stands as a living example of this vision in action. Designed to challenge traditional wealth distribution models, GoodDollar leverages decentralized finance (DeFI) to create and distribute Universal Basic Income (UBI) globally. Unlike conventional financial systems that concentrate resources, GoodDollar enables everyone to participate in the new digital economy.
📊 Since its launch in September 2020, GoodDollar has grown into the largest on-chain UBI project with:
✅ +900k unique users
✅ 77 million G$ claims
✅ 4 billion G$ distributed (see real-time data).
GoodDollar has proven that DeFI can expand financial access and create new ways for people to engage in more inclusive systems.
🌟 2025: A New Chapter for GoodDollar
The upcoming relaunch of the GoodDollar Reserve marks the start of a new chapter for decentralization and growth.
The aim is to shape the GoodDollar ecosystem into the hands of the Community by welcoming more builders, projects and contributors to expand what’s possible with GoodDollar.
The Good Labs Foundation is launching the GoodDollar Ecosystem Fund to bring this vision to life. With a total of $250,000 USD in funding available through 2025, this initiative is designed to accelerate the adoption and expand the utility of G$ on the Celo platform by backing innovative projects, integrations, and community-driven efforts.
At the heart of this new chapter is GoodDollar UBI Economy 2.0 — transitioning from simply distributing G$ to building a sustainable digital economy where G$ circulates through investments, grants, and real economic activity, ensuring lasting value creation.
💡 The GoodBuilders program: Build, Earn, Scale, Impact
The GoodBuilders Program is a year-long initiative under the GoodDollar Ecosystem Fund, with $220,000 in funding designed to support and empower builders, developers, designers, product managers, marketers, and other skilled contributors.
Participants will drive innovation by:
🛠️ Building and launching dApps on top of GoodDollar
🔗 Integrating G$ into existing platforms and applications
💻 Contributing to open-source GoodDollar development through code, research, and technical improvements.
We’ve teamed up with Gitcoin to launch 3 quadratic funding rounds during 2025, aligned with the Gitcoin Grants Strategy.
Unlike traditional grants, GoodBuilders follows a build-first, get-compensated-later model ensuring that funding is allocated to projects, teams and builders that demonstrate real progress, adoption, and impact.
Each funding period starts with a development phase, where builders receive mentorship and guidance before entering a Quadratic Funding (QF) round on Gitcoin. The GoodDollar community will decide how the matching pool is distributed by donating G$ to their favorite projects.
🛠️ How It Works?
⚙️ Development Phase: Build & Level Up!
- Get mentorship, technical support, and resources to refine your project.
- Participation is optional, but active builders have chances of earning extra mentor rewards!
🔹 Quadratic Funding (QF) Round
- Projects enter a Gitcoin Grants QF round, where the community decides how the funding of th the matching pool is distributed by donating G$ to their favorite projects. To learn more about quadratic funding, check out Gitcoin’s resources.
- Beyond matching, it’s a chance to raise direct donations, gain visibility, and grow within the ecosystem.
🧑🏫 Mentorship Rewards
- Web3 mentors will allocate additional funding to support engaged builders.
- Access workshops, office hours, support and mentorship
🎉 Engagement Rewards
- A performance-based incentive system to help builders drive real user adoption within the GoodDollar ecosystem.
- Access here: engagement-rewards.vercel.app
🤝 What can you Build?
The program fosters initiatives that further integrate GoodDollar into decentralized applications (dApps) by creating new applications and integrations, and enhancing the platform the to fuel the growth and utility of G$.
📱New Applications
- Develop dApps with G$ as a core feature
- Example: savings, lending, or rewards apps.
🔌 Ecosystem Integrations
- Expand G$ adoption by integrating it into existing applications.
- These projects should demonstrate how G$ enhances the user experience and adds value to both ecosystems through — payments, rewards, or identity solutions.
🛠️ Platform Enhancements
- Help improve GoodDollar’s core platforms by building new features, optimizing functionality, or expanding capabilities.
- Projects could enhance GoodDapp, GoodCollective, or other key tools to make them more powerful, user-friendly, and accessible.
- Contributors through the ScoutsGame are eligible!
⚙️ Infrastructure and Tools Development
- Strengthen GoodDollar’s technical foundation with better developer tools, SDKs, and ecosystem visibility tools.
Why Build with GoodDollar and join GoodBuilders?
More than just rewards — join a movement
GoodDollar isn’t just another blockchain protocol — it’s a thriving, highly engaged ecosystem that provides real opportunities for builders looking to scale their dApps and onboard users.
💰 Earn Rewards — A minimum of $50,000 is distributed per round, with ongoing funding opportunities.
🌱 Long-Term Support — Not just a hackathon — mentorship, funding & ecosystem integrations help projects thrive beyond launch.
📢 Access a Large User Base — Engage with 50K+ monthly active users ready to explore dApps.
🔧 Built-In Adoption Mechanisms — Leverage tools and incentives designed for user retention and engagement.
🔥 Low Barriers, High Potential — G$ is widely distributed, reducing risk and increasing adoption potential.
🌀 A Constant Flow of G$ Activity — GoodDollar UBI distribution & community initiatives create a dynamic ecosystem for projects to thrive.
🏆 Boost Your Reputation — Strengthen credibility for future funding, including Celo’s impact-driven grants.
🤝 Collaborate, Not Compete — Join a Web3 ecosystem that values partnership over competition.
❤️ Create Real Impact — Help shape the future of decentralized finance by expanding access to financial tools for all.
🙌 GoodBuilders Kickoff Round: Start Building now!
The first GoodBuilders round is officially live, offering over $55,000 USD worth of G$ in rewards.
📅 Key Dates to Remember
🟢 Now: The GoodBuilders program is live! Start building at any time!
📌 Early April: QF Applications open — Ensure your project meets the eligibility criteria!
🚀 End of April: Quadratic Funding (QF) Round begins.
(Exact dates to be announced soon)
🛠️ How to Get Started?
1️⃣ Join Now & Get Involved — Attend events, connect with teammates, and receive expert mentorship.
2️⃣ Start Building — Work at your own pace, but ensure your project meets the round eligibility criteria.
3️⃣ Stay Engaged — Get feedback, mentorship, and support to refine your project.
4️⃣ Submit Your Work — Once QF applications open, apply and showcase your progress!
🌐 Check out the GoodBuilders Program page for more information
✅ Start building anytime and submit your project when the QF Round opens!
The Development phase is an opportunity for teams and builders to learn, grow, and refine their projects with expert guidance and ongoing feedback. While participation is encouraged, it’s completely optional — builders have the freedom to develop independently and get ready for the QF Round at their own pace.
🎯 Round Eligibility Criteria
To qualify, your project must integrate G$ in at least ONE of the following ways:
✔️ Have a merged PR as part of the Scouts Game.
✔️Implement face verification flow + claim button
✔️Use the G$ Identity SDK (face verification) in a meaningful way
✔️Provide services or subscriptions using G$
✔️Leverage G$ supertoken capabilities
For new dApps:
✔️ Your dApp must be live and fully functional at the time of application submission.
✔️ DeFi investment apps must ensure money-out transactions are in G$. Example: If your dApp allows users to convert G$ to Celo for staking, withdrawals must convert Celo back to G$.
⚠️ Trivial integrations, such as simple G$ integrations without added functionality, will not qualify. Projects should demonstrate meaningful innovation and utility by contributing to the growth, adoption, or usability of G$ within the ecosystem.
💡 Successful projects align with GoodBuilders’ mission to expand G$ adoption, create new use cases, enhance platform functionality, and improve accessibility through innovative applications, integrations, or infrastructure development.
Let’s Start Building!
Are you inspired to start building for good with GoodDollar? :)
🚀 Sign up
🌐 Check out the GoodBuilders Program page for more information
👾 Have questions? Want to connect with peers? Join the GoodBuilders Program Discord channel
💬 Join the GoodBuilders Telegram Channel
⭐ Know someone who would love this opportunity? Share this blog and the GoodBuilders Program page!
In addition to GoodBuilders, we’re allocating funds for other community-driven initatives that will expand the GoodDollar ecosystem.
📢 Details coming soon — stay tuned!
