The Avalanche Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting the development of the Avalanche blockchain, has announced the launch of a $40 million grant program aimed at attracting developers to create new protocols and decentralized applications (dApps) within the blockchain ecosystem.
In an interview with CoinDesk, Ava Labs COO Luigi D’Onorio DeMeo revealed details about the initiative:
“Typically, you launch updates in a testnet, and once everything works smoothly, you roll it out to the mainnet. We decided to do things differently—extend the network testing process and create incentives for active ecosystem participants.”
Developers are required to register on the Retro9000 platform to confirm their participation in the program. They will then earn special points based on their activity within the blockchain, which can be redeemed for rewards.
“Retro9000 encourages developers to build projects publicly, receive community support, and test their applications to earn rewards,” the official release noted.
Additionally, the Avalanche team announced that the upcoming Avalanche9000 upgrade will eliminate the need for validating the primary network, significantly reducing the costs associated with deploying and maintaining an L1 blockchain. This upgrade is expected to be the largest since the mainnet’s launch in 2020.
The exact date for the Avalanche9000 mainnet release is yet to be determined, but the testnet is scheduled to go live in October 2024, according to DeMeo.
Last year, the Avalanche Foundation invested in several memecoins through its Culture Drive initiative. It was also reported that the California Department of Motor Vehicles migrated 42 million documents to the Avalanche blockchain, marking one of the most significant blockchain adoptions in the public sector.