Brink grant program for Bitcoin protocol developers

The Brink grant program pays established Bitcoin protocol developers to work full time on open source Bitcoin projects for a year. Brink is a Bitcoin research and development centre that says its grant program is central to its mission.

The main focus is the security and stability of the Bitcoin base protocol. Brink also funds research and development on extending the functionality, scalability and usability of Bitcoin and related projects, including Lightning and other layer two technologies. The page does not publish grant amounts.

The program is open to developers anywhere in the world. Applicants must have a track record of high quality, security first contributions to Bitcoin or related projects. Grantees must commit publicly to project deliverables, give regular public updates, work well on their own, work constructively with other open source contributors and help grow the developer community.

Applications go through a Google form linked from the Brink programs page. There is no deadline.

The program is active. In July 2026 Brink announced a new grant to Bitcoin Core contributor Martin Zumsande, and its current grantees published work updates on the Brink blog in August and September 2026.

Quick answers

What kind of work does Brink fund?

The main focus is the security and stability of the Bitcoin base protocol. Brink also funds work on functionality, scalability and usability, including Lightning and other layer two technologies.

Will I have a manager?

No. Grantees work independently day to day in a no management setting, and give regular public updates on their progress.

Is there an option for developers who are new to Bitcoin?

Brink also runs a separate one year paid fellowship in its London office for software engineers moving into Bitcoin protocol work. It has its own application form on the same page.