Canonical: https://builtonarc.app/guides/circle-developer-grants-arc # How Circle's Developer Grants program works Updated 2026-09-02. How Circle's Developer Grants program for Arc works — application process, milestone-based USDC funding, focus areas, and eligibility. > Circle's Developer Grants program funds teams building on Arc through milestone-based USDC disbursements, applied for through a public portal at circle.com/grant. It relaunched 14 May 2026 with a five-step review process and six priority use-case areas. This page describes the program's mechanics as published; it does not speculate about funding amounts, which Circle does not disclose. ## How to apply Applications go through Circle's grants portal at [circle.com/grant](https://www.circle.com/grant), where teams submit business details, integration plans, and proposed milestones. From there, Circle describes a multi-stage process: an initial review by the Grants team for platform alignment, a technical review involving Circle Ventures, Product, and Business Development teams, acceptance with a tailored milestone design specific to the applicant, and disbursement as each milestone is met. Circle's own materials note applicants can track their application and message the grants team directly through the portal, and that teams whose funding is exhausted can reapply after completing their final milestones. There is no separate submission channel outside the portal, and no indication in Circle's published materials that grants are awarded outside this process. ## How funding works The program is explicitly milestone-based: Circle describes "tiered USDC funding tied to meaningful integrations and ecosystem impact," with funds released as milestones are completed and approved rather than disbursed as a lump sum up front. Circle has not published specific dollar amounts, funding ranges, or a maximum grant size anywhere in its public materials as of 2 September 2026 — any number attached to "Circle Developer Grant" funding beyond what an individual recipient discloses about itself should be treated as unconfirmed. Beyond capital, Circle states recipients get co-marketing support (blog features, social amplification, event participation), hands-on technical guidance from Circle teams on integration and architecture, and introductions to Circle's ecosystem partners. ## Who Circle is looking for Circle's eligibility language centers on platform alignment: applicants should have Arc "core to your flow of value, liquidity, or settlement," with Circle products such as USDC, Circle Wallets, CCTP, or Gateway as meaningful building blocks rather than incidental. Circle states it prioritizes "founders and teams with proven shipping ability" who can show usage, pilots, partnerships, revenue, or a credible path toward one of those. ## The six priority focus areas Circle names six priority use cases for the program: agentic economic activity, stablecoin FX products, peer-to-peer payments, treasury management, prediction markets, and lending and borrowing. Note that the last two — prediction markets and lending and borrowing — overlap with yield and trading intent that Built on Arc does not cover editorially; grant recipients building in those areas are more likely to be covered by [ArcYield](https://arcyield.app/?utm_source=builtonarc&utm_medium=guide&utm_campaign=arc) once live. ## What Circle hasn't disclosed Circle has not published a full list of grant recipients, an aggregate cohort size, a total program budget, or specific grant amounts. What's publicly known about the program's recipients comes almost entirely from the recipients' own announcements and from press coverage, not from a Circle-published list — see [Circle's Arc grant recipients, confirmed](/guides/circle-arc-grant-recipients-2026) for that separate accounting, including where reported figures on cohort size actively conflict with each other. Sources: - [Circle Developer Grants](https://www.circle.com/grant) - [The Circle Developer Grants Program is Relaunching](https://community.arc.io/public/blogs/circle-developer-grants-program-relaunches-2026-05-14) ## Questions **Where do I apply for a Circle Developer Grant?** Through the portal at circle.com/grant. There is no other application channel described in Circle's public materials. **How much funding does a grant provide?** Not disclosed. Circle describes the funding as milestone-based and tiered but has not published specific dollar amounts or ranges. **What kinds of projects does Circle prioritize?** Six areas: agentic economic activity, stablecoin FX, peer-to-peer payments, treasury management, prediction markets, and lending and borrowing, with strong Arc and Circle-product alignment as a baseline requirement. **Is funding paid up front or over time?** Milestone-based — funds release as milestones defined during the application process are met and approved, not as a single up-front payment. **Has Circle published a list of who received grants?** No. Reported recipients come from secondary sources and the recipients' own disclosures; see the companion guide on confirmed 2026 recipients for the full, sourced accounting. **When did the current version of the program launch?** Circle announced the program's relaunch on 14 May 2026.