Zama Developer Program Mainnet Season 1: Building For The Long Game

The infrastructure is live, now it's time to build

On December 31, 2025, Zama Protocol went live on mainnet.

The first application, Zama Auction, launched on Janurary 21, 2026 with real value at stake, on mainnet. Zama distributed its utility token $ZAMA using its own technology: a sealed-bid auction running entirely on FHE.

This is FHE in production.

For the first time, FHE has entered the mainstream. And this could have not happened without the community effort: the developer community that tested limits, built tools, and pushed boundaries across the past seasons of the developer program. The testing phase is over. Now we build real-world applications.

Build the future of blockchain applications

Remember the internet in the '90s? Data was shared publicly. There were no actual use cases besides email and static websites. Then HTTPS changed everything.

With encryption as infrastructure, entire industries became possible. E-commerce emerged. Banking went digital. SaaS platforms scaled globally. Telemedicine launched. All impossible before encryption became the default.

This is the HTTPS moment for blockchain. And Zama Protocol is that foundational layer.

With FHE, entire categories of applications are possible for the first time onchain. Trading without revealing positions. Voting without exposing choices. Identity without sacrificing privacy. The list goes on.

The technology is ready. Mainnet is live.

Now: What are the killer apps for confidential blockchain?

Zama Developer Program

Developer programs are designed to support builders at every stage, from experimentation to production-ready projects.

Builder track.

‍Build real-world use cases with the Zama Protocol.

This is for developers ready to push technical boundaries and create applications that showcase what's possible with FHE.

Monthly program with grants of up to $5,000.

Bounty track.

Create templates and resources for the developer ecosystem.

Strengthen the foundation with tooling, documentation, integrations, and educational content that makes FHE more accessible.

Monthly program with grants of up to $5,000.

Startup track.

‍Support for early-stage projects and startups building on Zama.

This is for teams ready to build actual businesses using onchain confidentiality. Go beyond hackathon projects to viable products with real users and revenue potential. Applications are open on a rolling basis.

Special bounty track.

A dedicated track focused on a real-world use case.

This track challenges developers to solve a problem in today’s onchain finance ecosystem: Building a confidential onchain payroll system using the Zama Protocol.

The best project will receive a $5,000 reward.

Ready to build?

Apply now ↗