Building a sustainable ecosystem requires more than engineering. It requires a rigorous understanding of the economic principles that govern how decentralised networks function, accrue value, and secure themselves over time.

The Avalanche Foundation has been developing its own frameworks for evaluating tokenomics, validator economics, and on-chain economic activity, including ongoing research into value accrual mechanisms for proof-of-stake networks. The Call For Research Proposals program is an invitation for the broader academic community to contribute and advance that thinking.

As decentralized networks grow in scale and complexity, the need for rigorous, independent academic inquiry has never been clearer. Markets, protocols, and policymakers all stand to benefit from a stronger theoretical and empirical foundation. This program aims to help build it.

"Understanding the economics of decentralised networks is foundational to how we build sustainable ecosystems. The questions at the heart of this program, how cryptoassets accrue value and how validator incentives should be designed, are among the most consequential in our industry. We are committed to funding rigorous, independent research that advances the field and shapes how Avalanche continues to evolve." - Matias A., Chief Investment Officer, Avalanche Foundation.

What We Are Looking For

Selected proposals will receive grants of up to $50,000 USD to support original research across two interconnected areas.

Area 1: Cryptoasset Pricing and Valuation

Cryptoassets do not fit neatly into existing asset pricing frameworks. They exhibit characteristics of currencies, equity-like claims on network revenues, and access tokens to utility and services simultaneously, especially the native assets of Proof-of-stake blockchains. We are seeking research that develops and tests frameworks for understanding how value accrues in these systems, with particular attention to protocol-level design choices and their long-term implications.

Topics of interest include theoretical models of cryptoasset valuation, the role of monetary policy and token emission schedules in determining asset prices and expected returns, how network adoption and usage relate to fundamental value, and novel approaches to value accrual that extend beyond network usage alone.

Area 2: Validator Economics and Network Security

Proof-of-Stake networks depend on well-designed economic incentives to maintain security and consensus. Research in this area should examine how validator incentive systems are structured, measured, and optimised. We are particularly interested in work that explores optimal staking ratios, the economics of opportunity cost and required returns for validators, metrics for assessing validator set health and decentralisation, and non-inflation-based reward mechanisms that support sustainable long-term outcomes.

Who Should Apply

This call is open to researchers in economics, finance, computer science, engineering, and related disciplines. Both academic researchers and independent scholars are eligible. Proposals should address the economic questions outlined above and demonstrate a clear, rigorous methodology.

Proposals should be no longer than 10 pages (excluding references and CVs) and must include a clear statement of the research question, proposed methodology, expected contributions, a realistic timeline, budget justification, and researcher CVs.

Applications are open now. Apply here. 

Deadline: Monday June 1st, 2026

Grant Structure

Grants of up to $50,000 USD will be disbursed across three milestones over a 12-month period: 30% upon award, 30% at the six-month interim stage upon delivery of a progress report and preliminary findings, and 40% upon completion of a final working paper of publishable quality.

Grantees retain full intellectual property rights and are free to publish their work in academic journals. A six-month exclusivity period applies to each deliverable before public dissemination or journal submission. We ask that grant support be acknowledged in any resulting publications.

Selected grantees will also have the opportunity to present their research at the 3rd Crafting the Cryptoeconomy Conference (CtCe) at Columbia University this fall. CtCe brings together leading academics and practitioners working at the frontier of crypto-economics and decentralized network design. Details on past conferences can be found at .

Selection Committee

Proposals will be reviewed by an independent selection committee comprising members from Ava Labs, the Avalanche Foundation, and external academics with expertise in economics, finance, and decentralised network design. The committee brings together rigorous academic standards and deep ecosystem knowledge to ensure selected proposals are both intellectually sound and relevant to the practical challenges facing Avalanche and the broader industry.

Further details on the committee composition will be shared ahead of the review process.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be assessed by an independent review committee on five criteria: relevance to the research themes, methodological rigor, novelty of the proposed contribution, feasibility of scope and timeline, and the qualifications of the research team.

How to Submit

Proposals should be submitted via a form here. 

Applications are open now. Deadline: Monday June 1st, 2026

The Avalanche Foundation looks forward to supporting research that advances our collective understanding of decentralized network economics. If your work speaks to these questions, we encourage you to apply.