The Foundation actively seeks to foster new partnerships, all with the goal of growing the Avalanche ecosystem and supporting the Avalanche community.

The Foundation’s grant programs play a key role in supporting new projects on the Avalanche network. Initiatives such as Avalanche Rush and Avalanche Multiverse have allocated millions in funding to developers, enabling the creation of decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, gaming ecosystems, and other innovative applications on Avalanche. The Icebreaker program seeks to address challenges faced by early-stage projects building on Avalanche, providing them with the financial support and guidance necessary to grow within the Avalanche ecosystem. The Foundation also supports infrastructure projects through the infraBUIDL() program to fund critical tools and public-good infrastructure like wallets, oracles, and bridges to enhance the network’s usability.

The Foundation’s marketing and events strategy has been crucial to the growth of the Avalanche ecosystem. The Foundation hosts global and regional events to bring together developers, businesses, and the broader Web3 community. These events help showcase Avalanche’s technology and how it is used in various industries, from DeFi to the tokenization of real-world assets. Social media campaigns and partnerships with major brands and large financial institutions have significantly increased Avalanche’s visibility.

One of the most notable applications of Avalanche in 2024 involved the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which launched its own layer 1 (L1) blockchain on Avalanche. This initiative aims to modernize its vehicle recordkeeping system, benefiting over 39 million California residents. This application demonstrates Avalanche’s potential to bring blockchain technology into real-world, large-scale public services.

The AvalancheGo Etna Upgrade is a significant upcoming improvement to the Avalanche network. It introduces several key changes that make launching and managing L1s on Avalanche easier and cheaper. One major advancement is the removal of the requirement to stake 2,000 AVAX to become a validator of a L1. In addition, the upgrade allows each L1 to have its own staking token, giving developers much more flexibility and also making Avalanche more accessible, scalable, and cost-effective.

Avalanche9000 is a key initiative aimed at accelerating the adoption of L1s on the network. It features an incentivized testnet called Retro9000, where developers compete to build the best L1 solutions. Winning projects that are upvoted by the community receive retrospective grants after bringing their innovations to the Avalanche Mainnet. The Avalanche9000 program also provides credits to developers to cover infrastructure costs, making it easier for new L1s to launch on Avalanche.

In summary, the Avalanche Foundation remains dedicated to promoting the growth and development of the Avalanche network and ecosystem through supporting major upgrades, strategic partnerships, and community-building events.