Funding the Future of Smart Accounts
The Safe Ecosystem Foundation supports builders, researchers, and communities advancing the adoption and security of smart account infrastructure.
Active programs
*/ What We Fund
The Safe Ecosystem Foundation funds work that strengthens the Safe smart account ecosystem. We look for projects that expand the utility, security, and adoption of Safe accounts — whether that means core protocol improvements, new tooling, applied research, or community growth.These programs are governed by SafeDAO and powered by the SAFE token, which distributes ownership across builders, users, and contributors.
Protocol & Infrastructure
Core smart account improvements, module development, standards work (e.g., ERC-4337), and interoperability.
Security
Audits, formal verification, vulnerability research, and defensive tooling that hardens the Safe stack.
Developer Tooling & SDKs
Libraries, SDKs, APIs, and integrations that make it easier to build on Safe.
Research
Academic and applied research on account abstraction, governance, key management, and related topics.
Ecosystem Growth
Educational content, documentation, community events, and adoption campaigns.
Applications
Products and services built on Safe that demonstrate novel use cases for smart accounts.
*/ Active Programs
Requests for Proposals
The Foundation funds specific pieces of work through open calls which are published on the Safe forum and open to any team.
How a call works
- A call goes up on the Safe forum, with the scope, the compensation and how to apply.
- Applicants describe themselves and the solution they would build and operate.
- Applications are evaluated against the requirements in the call.
- Grants are paid against milestones agreed with each selected team.
Bug Bounty
The Safe smart account bug bounty program rewards security researchers who identify vulnerabilities in Safe's core smart contracts. Rewards of up to $1,000,000 are available depending on severity.
Severity & Rewards
| Severity | Example | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| High | Direct fund theft, permanent lockups | Up to $1,000,000 |
| Medium | Unexpected behavior causing fund loss | Up to $50,000 |
| Low | Fee avoidance, UX degradation | Up to $10,000 |
Rules
- Vulnerabilities must not have been previously reported or already known.
- Public disclosure before resolution disqualifies the report.
*/ All Initiatives
Since its founding, the Safe Ecosystem Foundation — alongside SafeDAO — has supported the ecosystem through a variety of funding mechanisms. These initiatives demonstrate the breadth of our commitment to ecosystem growth.
SafeDAO Grants Program — Wave 1
ConcludedConcluded (Aug 2023 – Jan 2024)
The first wave of the SafeDAO Grants Program funded 21 teams across four categories: Build, Growth, Research, and Govern. From 120 applications, the Grants Council selected projects ranging from smart account SDKs to wallet recovery infrastructure.
120 applications · 21 grants awarded · ~$500K deployed
SafeDAO OBRA
PausedTemporarily paused
OBRA introduced an outcomes-based funding model for the Safe ecosystem. Rather than funding proposals upfront, OBRA allocated resources — approximately $1.3M in stablecoins — to teams based on measurable outcomes aligned with SafeDAO's strategic priorities.
~$1.3M allocated · Outcomes-based model · Governed by SafeDAO
Bug Bounty Payouts
OngoingOngoing
Since launch, Safe's bug bounty program has paid out rewards to security researchers who identified vulnerabilities in Safe smart contracts. The program has been a critical part of Safe's security posture and continues today.
Up to $1M up for grabs · 6 bounties worth $41,500 paid out
Hackathons
OngoingOngoing
The Foundation sponsors prizes and mentorship at major Ethereum hackathons including ETHGlobal events, and runs its own online hackathons to encourage developers to build on Safe smart accounts. Hackathons have helped onboard new builders and led to several projects that later received full grants.
100+ winner teams · $250K prizes distributed
Safe{Core} Gas Station
ConcludedConcluded
The Safe{Core} Gas Station provided developers with free gas credits across Polygon and Gnosis Chain to sponsor user transaction fees through ERC-4337 paymasters, reducing barriers for early-stage developers building gasless applications.
$250K gas credits available
Open Calls
OngoingOngoing
Open calls fund specific pieces of work and are published on the Safe forum, open to any team. The call for independent Safenet staking interfaces is one example.
Grant outcomes and ecosystem deployments are reported each quarter in the Foundation Reports.
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Looking to contribute to the Safe ecosystem?
The Foundation funds work through open calls which are published on the Safe forum.
Go to the Safe forum