Launching the Zama Developer Program to support developers interested in building the next blockchain primitive with FHE.

Introducing the Zama Developer Program: Monthly rewards, certification paths, and startup acceleration for developers building the next blockchain primitive.

Too early is on time

The best builders have terrible timing. They showed up to Bitcoin when it was “magic internet money.”. They coded smart contracts when gas was cheap because no one cared. They studied ZK when everyone said it was too complex.

They were all too early.

Until they weren't.

Blockchain faces a critical limitation: radical transparency is the default. Every balance, transaction, vote, and often the identities behind them lie bare on an immutable public ledger, accessible to anyone willing to trace the breadcrumbs.

The Zama Protocol leverages Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) to transform blockchain's transparency problem, making confidentiality ubiquitous onchain. Years of research and careful abstraction have brought us here, where FHE is finally developer-friendly, and ready for production.

We're convinced the next breakthrough applications will require confidentiality at their core. Without it, blockchain's design space remains fundamentally limited.

Now we need developers and builders to help write blockchain's next chapter, with confidentiality built-in.

The Zama Developer Program: A clear path to building the future of confidential onchain apps

The Zama Developer Program is designed to give developers a clear path to master the Zama Protocol, while providing support, recognition, rewards, and fast-tracking for builders who choose primitives over trends.

Each month, we’re allocating $20,000 in rewards to the developers who push FHE forward, from their first FHE smart contract to fully confidential dApps that redefine what’s possible onchain.

The builder track ($10,000 in rewards each month).

Rewarding the 5 best demo apps submitted each month.

Submit a functioning demo using the Zama Protocol (smart contract + frontend).
Provide clear documentation explaining the project.
Each month, the top 5 projects are selected, each awarded $2,000.

The Bounty Track ($10,000 in rewards each month).

Rewarding the 3 best submissions contributing to FHE and/or the Zama Protocol.

A new bounty is published every month.
The top 3 submissions are respectively awarded $5,000, $3,000, $2,000 respectively.

You can check out the previous winning projects of both tracks here to see what’s possible.‍

From zero to one

But what happens after winning the builder and/or bounty track?

The Builder and Bounty tracks are just the beginning. For developers ready to turn their FHE expertise into a career or company, we've built two paths that transform early builders into ecosystem leaders.

Become a Certified Zama Developer.

Certified developers gain exclusive access to paid contractor opportunities with Zama, our partners, and enterprise customers building confidential applications.

Think of it as joining an elite guild of FHE experts. Our partners don't just want developers; they specifically request certified developers. The certification process includes a rigorous interview to ensure you're not just technically capable, but ready to work on production-grade confidential systems.

What certification unlocks:

Paid contractor opportunities directly with Zama
Priority access to partner and enterprise projects
Direct requests from customers needing FHE expertise
Membership in an exclusive developer network

Launch with the Zama Startup Program.

Have an idea that could become the next blockchain unicorn? The Zama Startup Program transforms builders into founders.

This isn't just an accelerator, it's an unfair advantage. Selected startups receive everything needed to win in the confidential computing space:

Free premium support from the Zama team for a full year
Direct introductions to VCs actively investing in privacy tech and customers ready to adopt
1:1 mentoring with Rand Hindi, CEO at Zama and other senior leadership who've built and scaled deep tech companies
Strategy and pitch deck reviews to refine your vision and story
First-year subsidies covering Zama protocol fees so you can focus on building
Priority access to new features, tools, and partnership opportunities

Start as a builder, become certified to validate your expertise, then launch your startup with the credibility and network you've already built.

Every valid submission to the Developer Program is your first step toward certification and potentially founding the next breakthrough confidential application.