Gitcoin Grants 23 (GG23) was Gitcoin's first multi-mechanism Open Source Software (OSS) Program, running quadratic funding and retroactive funding in parallel to support builders at different stages of project maturity. The round distributed approximately $1.3M in matching funds — including $1.2M allocated to the OSS Program and $130K to Community Rounds — alongside $95,278 in crowdfunded contributions.
GG23 represented a structural shift in Gitcoin's capital allocation model. Previous rounds relied exclusively on quadratic funding, which excels at surfacing early-stage projects through community signal but provides limited support for mature builders with demonstrated impact. By introducing a dedicated retroactive funding track — designed in collaboration with Open Source Observer using a metrics-based evaluation framework — GG23 created parallel funding pathways: quadratic funding for grassroots discovery and retroactive funding for proven contributors. Projects selected for the retroactive track were excluded from QF eligibility, preserving QF's role as an early-stage discovery mechanism.
The round also introduced several operational experiments. Grant Ships served as the governance platform for proposing, selecting, and managing community rounds. GTC staking enabled token holders to signal support for projects, with $18K in USDC distributed based on stake share and project performance. Connection-Oriented Cluster Matching (COCM) and Passport model-based sybil detection provided layered integrity measures for QF rounds. Community-led onboarding, operated by Let's GROW DAO, supported first-time applicants throughout the application and participation process.
How It Works
GG23 operated across three concurrent tracks — OSS Quadratic Funding, OSS Retroactive Funding, and Community Rounds — each with distinct participation and evaluation processes.
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Application and curation: OSS projects applied between March 17–31. QF applicants were reviewed against category-specific eligibility criteria across three tracks: Web3 Infrastructure, Developer Tooling & Libraries, and dApps & Apps. Retroactive funding participants were curated by Gitcoin and Open Source Observer based on historical Gitcoin participation, Elo rating (a performance score derived from historical Gitcoin Grants outcomes), and recent ecosystem activity, with the top 30 mature builders invited directly.
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QF contribution window: From April 2–16, community members donated to QF-eligible projects. Donations functioned as weighted preference signals under the quadratic funding formula, with matching funds allocated to projects attracting broad contributor support.
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Retroactive funding evaluation: From April 9–23, 61 badgeholders — including domain experts, donors, and GTC holders — voted on predefined impact metrics rather than directly scoring individual projects. Metrics included developer retention, fundraising history, GMV growth, and community participation, with Open Source Observer supplying the underlying data framework.
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Sybil review and adjustment: COCM applied social-graph-based adjustments to reduce the influence of coordinated clusters, while Gitcoin Passport model-based detection identified likely sybil accounts through onchain analysis without introducing additional friction for legitimate donors.
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Fund distribution: QF matching and crowdfunded donations were distributed to 235 projects across the three QF categories. Retroactive funds were allocated across 30 projects, each receiving a guaranteed minimum of $10K, with the remaining $300K distributed based on badgeholder voting outcomes.
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Community Rounds: Six community-led rounds ran alongside the OSS Program, supported by a combined $130K in Gitcoin matching. Community rounds used a range of mechanisms — including quadratic funding, conviction voting, ImpactQF, and EasyRetroPGF — and were governed through the Grant Ships platform.
GTC staking operated as a parallel signaling layer throughout the round, with 357,086 GTC staked across participating projects.
Eligibility
Eligibility criteria in GG23 varied by track, reflecting different goals and evaluation models across the OSS Program and Community Rounds. Baseline ethical and open-source standards applied across all rounds.
OSS Quadratic Funding
OSS Quadratic Funding focused on early-stage, open-source project discovery.
Projects were required to be open source and align with one of three categories: Web3 Infrastructure, Developer Tooling & Libraries, or dApps & Apps.
Projects selected for the retroactive funding track were not eligible for QF, preserving QF's role as a grassroots discovery mechanism. Invited retroactive funding participants could opt out and apply to QF instead.
QF donors were required to complete Gitcoin Passport verification. COCM and model-based sybil detection were applied to reduce coordinated or inauthentic participation.
OSS Retroactive Funding
OSS Retroactive Funding targeted mature builders with demonstrated ecosystem impact and operated through invitation rather than open application.
Thirty projects were curated by Gitcoin and Open Source Observer based on historical Gitcoin Grants participation, Elo rating (a performance score derived from prior Gitcoin Grants outcomes), and recent ecosystem activity.
Community Rounds
Community Round eligibility centered on operator capacity, governance selection, and alignment with Gitcoin's stated intents.
Round operators were required to include at least one experienced Grants Stack operator (or complete Gitcoin-provided training), raise a minimum $5K matching pool, and submit a clear execution and marketing plan.
Round proposals were submitted and voted on through the Grant Ships governance platform. The Community Council selected six rounds and allocated $130K in total Gitcoin matching.
Results
Funding outcomes
- Projects funded: 265 OSS Program projects (235 via Quadratic Funding and 30 via Retroactive Funding), plus additional grantees across Community Rounds
- Total funding distributed: $1.4M across the OSS Program and Community Rounds, including $1.3M in matching funds and $95,278 in crowdfunded contributions
Participation
- Crowdfunded contributions: $95,278 raised through OSS Quadratic Funding
- Unique donors: 9,991 participants in OSS Quadratic Funding rounds
Governance & signaling
- GTC staked: 357,086 GTC used for signaling during the round
- Badgeholder voters: 61 participants in the retroactive funding round
Highlights
The QF rounds distributed $600K in matching across three categories ($200K each for Web3 Infrastructure, Developer Tooling & Libraries, and dApps & Apps). Allocations were more evenly distributed than in the retroactive track, with the top 10% of QF grantees receiving approximately 45% of total matching—reflecting broader contributor consensus rather than concentrated support.
In the retroactive round, GMV growth emerged as the strongest predictor of funding allocation, with top grants reaching $39,895 per project. Expert badgeholders exhibited greater variance in metric weighting than general voters, an insight that directly informed evaluation design in subsequent rounds.
Six community rounds operated alongside the OSS Program, using mechanisms ranging from quadratic funding to conviction voting (in partnership with 1Hive) and EasyRetroPGF. GG23 received the highest volume of community round applications in Gitcoin Grants history.
What Changed
GG23 established multi-mechanism funding as the default structural model for future Gitcoin Grants rounds, directly shaping the design of GG24. Changes informed by GG23 included clearer metric guidance and more refined evaluation processes for subsequent retroactive funding rounds.
Following the conclusion of GG23, Grants Stack and Gitcoin Labs were sunset by May 27, 2025, with responsibility for future infrastructure selection delegated to governance processes.