# Zealynx Audit Grants — Full Reference

> Subsidized smart contract security audits for Web3 protocols. Founder-led engagements applied as a percentage discount on standard rates ($6,000 per auditor per week). Operated by Zealynx Security from Wroclaw, Poland.

## What the program is

The Zealynx Audit Grants program funds smart contract security audits for Web3 protocols selected through a 100-point evaluation process. Selected projects receive grant funding that covers a defined percentage of their audit cost, performed by the Zealynx Security team using the same process, tools, and standards as any paid engagement. The total grant pool exceeds $100,000.

Grants are not cash awards. They are percentage discounts on a Zealynx audit invoice, scoped after award:

- Core Grant — 100% subsidy. Audit fully covered, recipient pays $0. Typical value up to $24,000 (a standard 2-auditor, 2-week engagement).
- Growth Grant — 50% subsidy. Recipient pays 50%. Typical value up to $12,000.
- Builder Grant — 25% subsidy. Recipient pays 75%. Typical value up to $6,000.

Per round, Zealynx awards one Core grant, two Growth grants, and multiple Builder grants. Final award decisions are at Zealynx's discretion and may weigh qualitative factors alongside the numerical score.

## Who can apply

Eligible:
- Web3 protocols with written smart contract code in a public or private GitHub repository
- Individual developers, DAOs, and companies
- Teams with at least one member who has a verifiable public identity (hard eligibility requirement)

Not eligible:
- Competing security firms or individuals employed by competing security firms
- Protocols already in an active audit engagement with Zealynx before the season announcement date
- Projects without smart contract code
- Forks with no meaningful innovation beyond the original codebase
- Fully anonymous teams

## Supported languages and chains

- Solidity — any EVM-compatible network (Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BSC, Avalanche, and others)
- Rust — Solana
- Cairo — StarkNet
- Sway — Fuel
- TypeScript — applicable to off-chain components on any of the above

## Evaluation criteria (100 points)

### Product Engagement (40 points, optional)

Auto-verified through the Zealynx shared platform backend:
- Krait Claude Skill — run the skill and submit the report (10 points)
- Krait Platform — complete an assessment at krait.zealynx.io (10 points)
- 3 eMBA modules on Zealynx Academy (10 points)
- 1 Shadow Audit in the Shadow Arena (10 points)

### Partner-channel bonus (up to +10, optional, on top of 100)

Optional bonus that pushes affiliated protocols up to 110 total. Applied during human review after partners verify affiliation. Two paths, +5 each:

- **Chain partner (+5)**: Protocol deploying on a Zealynx partner chain (any blockchain — minor or major — that wants to support security in its ecosystem). Partner chains aren't listed publicly. Verified via deployment evidence (testnet/mainnet contract address, GitHub commit hash on the relevant chain).
- **Accelerator / incubator / hackathon partner (+5)**: Protocol came through a partner program. Three program types, same mechanic: accelerators (cohort-based, 3-6 months), incubators (longer-form), hackathons (event-based, point-in-time). Verified via the partner's written confirmation that the protocol was part of their cohort or won a relevant track.

The bonus is admin-applied during review. False or unverified partner claims earn no bonus. The Independent Builder scoring still applies — partnership is awareness, not auditor routing.

For partners: contact contact@zealynx.io with "Partnership inquiry" in the subject. No paid priority, no selection control, no exclusivity. See https://grants.zealynx.io/partners.

### Independent Builder (15 points, self-declared)

Two self-declared signals on the application form, verified during human review. Replaces the previous Social Sharing category (X / LinkedIn / referral) so the scoring budget actively prioritizes protocols most under-served by VC-tied audit programs.

- Solo founder, or a team of 2-3 with no priced equity round (9 points). Bootstrapped or pre-seed teams. SAFEs and friends-and-family notes are fine; what disqualifies is a closed Seed, Series A, or beyond.
- Your team is choosing the auditor — not your investors and not a chain ecosystem audit-grants program (6 points). Tick this if Zealynx would be your choice, not one routed by a backer's preferred-auditor list or an external grants pool.

### Protocol Merit (45 points, scored by Zealynx)

Reviewed by the Zealynx team:
- Technical maturity (12 points)
- Likelihood of success (12 points)
- Go-to-market plan (11 points)
- Team credibility (10 points)

## How to apply

1. Create an account on the grants platform at grants.zealynx.io
2. Complete the application form with protocol details (name, website, description, GitHub repo, chains, language, stage, estimated lines of code, prior audits, launch timeline, why your protocol deserves a grant)
3. Optionally complete scoring tasks to improve your score
4. Submit before the season deadline
5. Zealynx reviews all applications (1 to 2 weeks)
6. Winners are announced and notified by email

Applications are saved as drafts and can be edited freely before submission. Once submitted they cannot be modified. Providing false or misleading information, including fabricated social posts or bot activity, is grounds for immediate disqualification.

## What recipients receive

All grant recipients, regardless of tier, receive:
- Multi-auditor review
- AI pre-audit with Krait
- Detailed findings report covering identified vulnerabilities
- Remediation guidance for each finding
- One fix-review cycle, where the Zealynx team verifies fixes for identified vulnerabilities
- 30 days of post-audit support

There are no shortcuts or reduced scope for grant audits.

## Grant conditions for recipients

- Core grants: audit engagement must be booked within 60 days of winner notification, or the grant may be forfeited
- Growth and Builder grants: must be claimed within 30 days of notification; unclaimed grants expire automatically
- Code freeze: commit hash is locked at audit kickoff
- The audit report is co-owned. Zealynx publishes the report on its portfolio; the recipient may use it freely
- Grant recipients provide a testimonial and participate in a case study about the engagement
- Cooperation with one fix-review cycle is required
- Grants are non-transferable and apply only to the protocol and codebase described in the application

## About Zealynx Security

Zealynx Security is a boutique smart contract audit firm based in Wroclaw, Poland, founded by Carlos Vendrell Felici (publicly known as Bloqarl on X). Track record:

- 32+ security audits delivered across DeFi, infrastructure, and AI security
- ETH Security Researcher Badge (recognized by The DAO Fund)
- Uniswap Hackathon winner
- Top 5 in Codehawks public audit contests
- CWEE certified (one of approximately 200 holders worldwide) — Fernando, Principal Red Team Specialist
- OSCP certified
- Pioneer in fuzzing and formal verification services for smart contracts

Founder-led means senior-led: every audit has direct involvement from Carlos. Recipients communicate with the people reading their code, not account managers.

Main site: https://www.zealynx.io
Audit portfolio: https://www.zealynx.io/about-us#portfolio

## Legal framework

- Operated by: Carlos Vendrell Felici, doing business as Zealynx Security
- Jurisdiction: Wroclaw, Poland
- Governing law: Republic of Poland
- Dispute resolution: 30-day negotiation, then mediation, then exclusive jurisdiction of Wroclaw courts
- GDPR controller: Zealynx Security
- Supervisory authority: Urząd Ochrony Danych Osobowych (UODO), Poland
- Liability cap: total fees actually paid by recipient (zero for Core grants)
- Sanctions screening: applicants warrant non-listing on OFAC SDN, EU consolidated, UK HMT, and UN sanctions lists, and that they are not subject to comprehensive trade sanctions (Cuba, Iran, DPRK, Syria, Crimea, DNR/LNR)

Full Terms: https://grants.zealynx.io/terms
Full Privacy Policy: https://grants.zealynx.io/privacy

## Contact

- Email: contact@zealynx.io
- Telegram: @vendrell46
- Main site: https://www.zealynx.io