VERY REAL
The money at stake (millions of ada) is real. So is the work being done: Real projects, real products, real marketing, and real careers being built on a fully decentralized blockchain platform.
VERY MERCURIAL
It’s an ongoing experiment, and it shows! Things change with every round; some things work and some things don’t. People get testy. This is not any kind of traditional funding institution. It’s not the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who might agree to fund your educational initiative. It’s not Greylock Partners who might invest in your tech startup. It’s something new and different, so bring your tough skin, your rose colored glasses, some work gloves, and an entrepreneurial spirit!
It’s an experiment
Project Catalyst is something that has never been done before, and the path is being found and forged, round after round. Every round brings something new. The announcement of Fund 14 going live was particularly exciting, because for the first time, it was approved and launched via on-chain governance, instead of by the chain’s founding entities. The protracted launch of on-chain governance meant that there has been a long pause since Fund 13, but at long last – it’s back!
If you have participated in Catalyst before but are just wandering back around, I think Fund 14 is something you WILL want to be a part of. If you are new to the game, It is not too late. In fact, I think Fund 14 is looking like an ideal time to join the experiment.
What’s new
The biggest new feature so far in Fund 14 is the Catalyst web app. This replaces the Ideascale platform that was previously used to host Proposals and Reviewer feedback for each round. In the past, the whole Catalyst process was a little hard to navigate, because there was the Ideascale platform for Proposals and initial reviews, other systems were leveraged for level 2 reviews. A mobile app was used for voting, and other places on the web hosted the rules and other documentation. (All of these bits changed over time, too)
At long last Project Catalyst has its own home for proposers, reviewers, voting, and everything: https://app.projectcatalyst.io/
What you need to know
First of all, let me say that the new app is beautiful! The design and interface are great. It’s going to be a great new home for Project Catalyst. With that said, there are a few speedbumps for new users. Let me smooth the way for you.
1: Use a computer
The new app is not mobile ready. The first time I tried it on mobile, I just got a loading screen with no buttons. Now I see that they have added a helpful message for mobile users, instructing you to try it on a desktop instead. That’s nice!
2: Let it load
The first screen you will see looks like this. It is a loading screen, and the first time you visit, it might stay on this screen for kind of a long time before the page content loads. (Note to Catalyst devs: if the logo pulsed or something, it would let users know its WORKING, and not just frozen/blank.) Be patient, it’s coming!
####3: Back up a second So once the site loads and everything, the next thing you will want to do is click the Get Started button, which will allow you to create an account to fully participate in Catalyst.
(There is a Visitor button, but as far as I can tell it doesn’t do anything yet. You can scroll around the site and learn more about Catalyst without logging in…but trust me you are going to want to participate!)
Part of the registration process is connecting to your Cardano Wallet. Your connected wallet is how you will vote, and how you will receive rewards for voting! If you register to be a reviewer, it’s how you will get paid for doing that. You cannot create a participant account without a connected Cardano wallet.
While there are several wallets that are technically “on the list” of wallets that will work for this, that doesn’t mean they will all actually work. I struggled with my Eternl wallet for about an hour before getting the hot tip that - for this round at least - Lace wallet is being recommended as the one that will work most seamlessly with the Project Catalyst App.
I recommend installing the Lace wallet in your browser BEFORE you start the Project Catalyst app registration process.
Once I had the Lace app installed in my browser, with one of my seed phrases loaded in before starting the registration process, it went very smoothly.
4:Follow the instructions
Once you have the right wallet ready, the registration process is simple. The screen path is lovely, and it includes concise & helpful information for newcomers.
####5: Start Participating
#####Proposers
The Proposal Submission window is open NOW through August 18, 2025. During that time you can:
- Submit a proposal. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, I suggest do not wait until the last minute. Filling out ALL the required information for a proposal submission can take some time and planning, and if you are trying to get it in at the last minute you might not be prepared! Also, getting it in sooner allows you to receive comments and feedback, and the opportunity to update your proposal in response to good feedback before the deadline.
- Leave some comments: Even if you are not submitting your own proposal, you can participate now by reading and commenting on the new ideas as they come in. As a proposer myself, I can confirm that every comment is valuable, whether it is just an encouragement, or a constructive criticism.
Reviewers
You can also participate in Fund 14 as a proposal reviewer. Once the submission window has closed, the review phase will open up. Even if you have never done it before, you can be a reviewer in Fund 14 and earn ada for the work of submitting star-ratings and comments for proposals. You will need to be registered in the new Project Catalyst web app BEFORE you can register to be a reviewer. If you have been a reviewer before, you MUST register again using the new application and sign up. After you have registered for the main app, head to https://reviews.projectcatalyst.io/ to register to be a reviewer in Fund 14.
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