What is Gitcoin (GTC)?

Deep Dive

1. Purpose & Value Proposition

Gitcoin addresses the chronic underfunding of public goods (like open-source software) in crypto by leveraging quadratic funding—a democratic model where smaller donations receive proportionally larger matching pools. This mechanism has directed $63M+ to 3,715 projects since 2017, including critical Ethereum infrastructure and climate initiatives.

2. Technology & Ecosystem

The platform operates through three core tools:
- Grants Stack: Manages end-to-end funding rounds, enabling communities to launch campaigns.
- Allo Protocol: A modular system for allocating capital transparently onchain.
- Gitcoin Passport: A decentralized identity tool where users stake GTC to prove they’re human, with 500K+ GTC staked to date.

Recent upgrades (Gitcoin 3.0) prioritize “network-first funding,” using community input to identify high-impact areas rather than chasing trends.

3. Tokenomics & Governance

GTC serves as Gitcoin’s governance token, allowing holders to vote on treasury allocations, grant rounds, and protocol upgrades. The token has no supply cap, with 96.3M circulating (96% of total supply). Governance decisions aim to decentralize control, exemplified by partnerships like Gitcoin x Giveth, which splits responsibilities for quadratic funding rounds.

Conclusion

Gitcoin is a coordination layer for Ethereum’s regenerative economy, blending community-driven funding with anti-Sybil tools to prioritize meaningful impact. As Gitcoin 3.0 evolves, can its decentralized governance model sustain alignment among developers, donors, and token holders?