Uniswap Grants — ZHC Institute

Description

The Uniswap Foundation Grants Program funds projects that enhance the Uniswap ecosystem - from developer tooling and v4 hooks to DeFi applications on Unichain. With ongoing commitment to ecosystem growth, the Foundation provides grants from $7,500 to $1M+ for protocol innovation, developer support, governance, research, and security initiatives.

For ZHC builders creating automated trading systems, liquidity management tools, or DeFi infrastructure, Uniswap provides non-dilutive funding alongside access to the deepest liquidity in decentralized finance. The Foundation's 2025-2026 focus includes v4 hooks development, Unichain ecosystem growth, and governance tooling - with programs like Hook Design Lab, Unichain Retro Grants, and the Hook Incubator providing comprehensive support beyond just funding.

Eligibility

Program Categories

Protocol Innovation Grants ($50K-$1M+)

v4 hook development and tooling
Unichain infrastructure and integrations
Cross-chain liquidity solutions
Institutional DeFi infrastructure
Novel AMM mechanisms
LP position management tools

Developer Grants ($7.5K-$100K)

Hackathon sponsorships and prizes
Open-source tooling and libraries
Security audits for community projects
Documentation and educational content
Developer experience improvements

Unichain Retro Grants (Up to $7.5K)

Monthly awards for launched projects with traction
Content creators producing high-impact Unichain content
Analysts providing public insights on metrics
Must be integrated with Unichain mainnet

Governance Grants ($100K-$500K)

Smart contract infrastructure
Governance tooling and interfaces
Security audits and monitoring
Legal and compliance frameworks
Proposal simulation tools

Research Grants ($85K-$500K)

Academic research on DEX mechanisms
LP profitability and risk analysis
Novel cryptoeconomic designs
Market structure analysis
Fellowship and conference support

Security Grants ($18K-$1.7M)

Security audits for ecosystem projects
Governance security reviews
Audit marketplace operations
Security tooling and monitoring

Key Focus Areas (2025-2026)

High Priority:

Uniswap v4 hooks and integrations
Unichain DeFi applications
LP management and optimization
Cross-chain liquidity solutions
Institutional DeFi infrastructure
MEV protection and optimization
Developer tooling and SDKs
Governance infrastructure

Specialized Programs:

Hook Design Lab: 360-degree support for v4 teams (technical mentorship, GTM, incentives, routing)
Hook Incubator: Intensive program with 400+ graduates, producing 341+ hooks
Security Fund: Subsidized audits through vetted provider pool
Conditional Funding Markets: Futarchy-based grant allocation

Project Requirements

✅ Strong Fit:

Enhances Uniswap or Unichain ecosystem
Open-source components or learnings
Clear technical roadmap with milestones
Experienced team with relevant background
Sustainable beyond grant funding
Novel approach or fills ecosystem gap

❌ Poor Fit:

Competing DEX projects
Pure marketing without technical substance
No technical team or implementation plan
Closed-source with no community benefit
Projects unrelated to Uniswap/Unichain

ZHC-Specific Fit

Excellent for:

Automated market making strategies
Liquidity management agents and bots
MEV protection/optimization tools
v4 hook automation and smart contracts
Cross-chain liquidity aggregation
DeFi protocol integrations
Trading infrastructure and analytics
LP position optimization systems

Consider alternatives if:

Building a competing DEX
No Uniswap/Unichain integration needed
Pure non-DeFi use case
Lacks technical innovation

Application Process

Step	Timeline	Details
Preparation	1-2 weeks	Research focus areas, prepare materials
Application	—	Submit via grants portal or specific program
Initial review	2-4 weeks	Foundation team evaluation
Due diligence	2-4 weeks	Technical review, team assessment
Decision	4-6 weeks total	Approval notification or feedback
Agreement	1-2 weeks	Legal documentation and terms
Milestone execution	Project-based	Funding released upon milestone completion

Application Requirements

Standard Grant Application Must Include:

Project Overview
- Clear problem statement
- Proposed solution
- Target users and impact
Technical Specification
- Architecture and design
- Implementation approach
- Technology stack
- Integration details
Team Background
- Relevant experience
- Past projects and achievements
- GitHub profiles or portfolio
- Advisor/partner relationships
Timeline and Milestones
- Specific, measurable deliverables
- Realistic timeline per milestone
- Success criteria
Budget Breakdown
- Detailed cost allocation
- Justification for requested amount
- Funding per milestone
Open-Source Plan
- What will be open-sourced
- Licensing approach
- Community benefit
Uniswap/Unichain Integration
- How project leverages Uniswap
- Specific protocol features used
- Value added to ecosystem
Sustainability
- Plan beyond grant period
- Potential revenue model
- Long-term maintenance strategy

Evaluation Criteria

Factor	Weight	Assessment
Ecosystem impact	30%	Benefits Uniswap/Unichain users and builders
Technical quality	25%	Sound implementation and architecture
Innovation	20%	Novel approach or fills critical gap
Team capability	15%	Can execute on proposed plan
Sustainability	10%	Long-term viability and maintenance

Specialized Program Applications

Hook Design Lab

Apply for 360-degree support package
Includes technical mentorship, GTM strategy
Incentive design and routing integration
Cohort-based with intensive support

Unichain Retro Grants

Monthly committee voting
Must have launched project with traction
Weekly application review
Quick turnaround for winners

Hook Incubator

Intensive introduction to v4 development
300+ developers per cohort
Self-paced course option available
Product accelerator track for founders

Security Fund

Apply through UFSF open marketplace
Access to 25+ vetted security providers
Subsidized or no-cost audits
Monthly cohort activations

Grant Sizes by Category

Program	Range	Best For
Unichain Retro	Up to $7.5K	Launched projects with traction
Developer Grants	$7.5K-$100K	Tools, hackathons, education
Hook Development	$50K-$660K	v4 hook teams and cohorts
Protocol Innovation	$235K-$1M+	Major infrastructure projects
Research	$85K-$500K	Academic research, fellowships
Governance	$100K-$500K	DAO tooling, legal infrastructure
Security	$18K-$1.7M	Audits, security marketplace
Multi-year Strategic	$2M-$12M	Long-term ecosystem partnerships

Recent Grant Examples (2025)

Hook Design Lab: $660K for 5 cohort teams (Aegis, Angstrom, Bunni, Dynamo DEX, EulerSwap)
Unichain Integrations: $12M multi-year for 180+ integrations
Hook Incubator: $1.97M for developer onboarding (400+ builders)
Security Fund: $1.72M for subsidized audits (22 teams)
Morpho Incentives: $250K for Unichain lending campaign

Success Factors

Clear alignment with Uniswap/Unichain ecosystem
Strong technical team with proven experience
Well-defined milestones and deliverables
Open-source commitment with community benefit
Novel innovation or critical ecosystem need
Sustainable business model beyond grant
Active engagement with Foundation and community

Contact

Official Foundation Resources

Specialized Programs

Developer Resources

Unichain Resources

Community & Support

Discord (Main community, developer support)
Governance Forum
X/Twitter
Developer Newsletter

Governance

Research & Analytics

Learning Resources

Recent Achievements (2025)

v4 Volume: $190B+ cumulative
Unichain Volume: $62B+ DEX volume
Hooks Initialized: 5,000+ v4 hooks
Developers Onboarded: 700+ through UF programs
Security Audits: 22 teams subsidized
Total Grants Committed: $18.8M in 2025 YTD