FellowFund: Leveraging Prediction Markets for Transparent Grant Funding

Hi, I’m Carol, Developer Program Manager at Rootstock! Over the past few months, I’ve been catching up with some of the teams that built incredible projects on Rootstock during hackathons. It’s always inspiring to hear how ideas come to life in such a short time and the different ways developers approach real-world challenges.

One of the teams I recently spoke with is the one behind FellowFund, a project born at the ETH Global Hackathon in Bangkok 2024. Guil Sperb Machado (X | LinkedIn), Fabian Ferno (X | LinkedIn), Michael Bucher (X | LinkedIn), Daniel Mark (X | LinkedIn), and Leo Franklin (X | LinkedIn) set out to rethink how grants are allocated, using prediction markets to create a more transparent and efficient funding system. We talked about their experience, why they chose Rootstock, and what advice they have for future hackathon participants. Here’s their story!

FellowFund, an on-chain fellowship platform aimed at revolutionizing grant allocation, uses prediction markets to fund individuals, aligning incentives and reducing the traditional overhead of grant evaluation. “We wanted to create a system that works autonomously, where community members can stake on measurable outcomes, making grant management more efficient and transparent,” Fabian explained.

The project leverages multiple epochs in which bettors can predict the success of grant applicants based on quantifiable KPIs. Bettors who stake on successful outcomes are rewarded, while grant applicants with strong support receive funding. The system ensures accountability and minimizes manual oversight, creating a self-balancing cycle that benefits all stakeholders—grantors, grantees, and the broader community.

Rootstock stood out as the perfect platform for FellowFund due to its exposure to the Bitcoin ecosystem and EVM compatibility. “We were excited about the opportunity to deploy smart contracts while also being part of the Bitcoin network,” Guilherme shared. The team praised the high level of engagement from Rootstock’s team. “They gave us valuable feedback and helped us improve key aspects of our project. That level of support truly set Rootstock apart,” Fabian said, reflecting on his experience of participating in more than 50 hackathons.

For aspiring hackathon participants, Guilherme and Fabian stress the importance of preparation and team alignment. “Spend the first hours clarifying your idea and aligning with your team. The clearer your roadmap, the easier the execution,” Guilherme advised. Fabian added, “Find a niche problem to solve and go all-in. You’ll stand out if you focus on something small but significant”.

Curious about FellowFund? Check out their GitHub repository for more details on the project.

Ready to start building on Rootstock? Here’s how you can get involved today:

📖 Explore the Docs – Get started with Rootstock development.

🏆 Check out the Hacker Hub – Learn about past hackathons and upcoming opportunities.

💰 Contribute and Earn with Hacktivator – Build or create content and earn up to $1,000 per contribution.

💬 Join the Community – Connect with other builders on Discord.