Launching Aleo Deploy Incentives

Update July 2023 - Deadline Extended to August 21st

‍Last month we officially launched Deploy Incentives for Testnet 3 Phase III. Since then, we’ve seen many programs deployed to our on-chain program registry and many new applications emerge. However, we fully recognize that deploying programs on Aleo during this time has also been challenging. This is a direct result of the ongoing updates to our consensus algorithm, which has created small, periodic, unplanned network outages and instability. Although typical for any testnet, we don’t want these network outages and instability to hinder the development process for Deploy Incentives participants.

Therefore, we’ve decided to extend the deadline to submit an official application for Deploy Incentives to August 21st. This will give our community another month to submit the best applications possible on the Aleo network without dealing with these challenges. For more information on our mainnet launch roadmap and the current status of updating Aleo's consensus mechanism, please take a look at our official announcement on Discord.

The wait is finally over! Today, we are officially launching Deploy Incentives for Testnet 3 Phase III. On May 2nd, we announced our plans to incentivize developers with 5M Aleo Credits to deploy programs on our testnet. Since then, we’ve had the opportunity to interact with some amazing teams building on Aleo and gather feedback on their experience. This invaluable feedback allowed our core engineering team to significantly improve the Aleo network following the most recent network reset. With these updates, now is the perfect time to test the network’s core functionality.        

As previously announced, we will award credits to the TOP 10 programs deployed on Aleo as determined by a committee of Aleo ambassadors and core team members. Even if you don’t place in the TOP 10, don’t worry! If you build something of high quality, we’ll provide future opportunities and support, such as grants, bug bounties, and much more, so you can continue working on your project. 

Participating in Deploy Incentives is a great way to get recognized by the Aleo core team and become an early adopter of the Aleo network before mainnet launch. We plan to expand the scope of our developer grants program and will use the Deploy Incentives to identify potential grantees. With that, let’s take a deeper dive!

Program Scope

Deploy Incentives are open to applications of ALL types. Below we’ve provided five use case categories that we think would be ideal to build on Aleo. The examples provided are merely suggestions. You can submit any application you’d like, even if it is not listed.  

Gaming

1. Turn-based games (e.g., Battleship)

2. Table games (e.g., Poker)

3. Role Playing Games (e.g., Dark Forest)

Identity & Authentication

1. Decentralized identifiers (DIDs) & verifiable credentials (VCs)

2. Namespace resolvers (e.g., ENS)

3. KYC/AML 

Zero-Knowledge Decentralized Finance (ZeFi)

1. Dark pools and mixers

2. Decentralized exchanges (e.g., Uniswap, dYdX)

3. Lending protocols (e.g., Aave)

4. Stablecoins (e.g., USDC, DAI)

Zero-Knowledge Machine Learning (zkML)

1. Single/multi-layer neural networks

2. Computational integrity

3. ZK anomaly/fraud detection

Voting & Governance

1. Private on-chain voting (e.g., MACI)

2. Private DAO infrastructure  

Credit Distribution

The 5M Aleo Credits will be distributed across the TOP 10 programs deployed to our on-chain program registry. For the exact breakdown of this distribution, check out the image below. 

Submitting a Deployed Program  

To be considered for Deploy Incentives, you must submit your deployed program between June 21st and August 21st, meet all requirements, and follow the outlined instructions. If you deploy a program after the August 21st deadline, do not meet all submission requirements, or do not follow the instructions, you will NOT be considered.

Below, we’ve provided information on the requirements for your deployed program to be reviewed:

1. Write your program in Leo. To learn more about writing a program in Leo, check out the

   Leo developer documentation and experiment with the Leo playground. 

2. Deploy your program to Aleo’s on-chain program registry. For guidance on how to deploy a program, please check out our Testnet 3 developer documentation. To verify that your program is deployed, we’d suggest using the Aleo explorer or the one here.

   This is also where you can locate your deployed transaction ID.

3. Submit an official application by completing our Deploy Incentives

   Submission Form. This form contains details about what is required to submit your application and what to include in your project’s GitHub repo. You must include all information that we ask for.

If you deploy a program but do not complete our submission form, you will not qualify for rewards. This submission form prevents developers from spamming the network with overly simplistic programs that do not add real value to the Aleo ecosystem.‍

Selection Process

Judging of applications will occur between August 22nd and September 5th. Our committee will notify winners after September 5th and add them to our public leaderboard. All rewards will be paid using the Aleo wallet address provided in the official application submission. These rewards will not be distributed until after mainnet launch. To receive rewards, all winners must pass KYC/AML and complete OFAC screening.

Deploy Incentives will only be considered for programs deployed to our on-chain program registry and are submitted using the official submission form before the August 21st deadline. 

Committee Review

A committee of Aleo ambassadors and core team members will review and vote on all qualifying applications. Ambassador votes will account for 66.6% of the overall outcome, while the core team votes will account for 33.3%. 

The following criteria will be used for evaluating deployed programs and voting: 

1. Novelty

   - How unique is the application? Does it leverage the unique properties of Aleo?

2. Best User Experience

   - How easy can people use the application?

3. Best Engineering

   - How clean is the code? How efficiently does the program run?

4. Best Functionality

   - How composable and valuable is it?

5. Popularity

   - Is the application something that our ambassadors find valuable?

6. User Interface (Bonus)

   - Does the application have a front end that people can use?

Timeline & Recap

June 21st: Deploy Incentives Submission Form officially opens

August 21st: Deadline to submit deployed programs for consideration 

August 22nd to September 5th:

• Applications are reviewed by Aleo ambassadors and delineated

• The Aleo core team reviews applications and selects projects

After September 5th: Selected projects are announced

• Credits are distributed post-mainnet launch. We will provide more details about this as we get closer to mainnet.

We’re excited to see what you create during Testnet 3 Phase III Deploy Incentives! This is a prime opportunity to display your talents, ingenuity, and proficiency in zero knowledge. By taking part, you'll not only make a meaningful impact on the Aleo ecosystem, but you'll also have a shot at 5M Aleo Credits.

Claiming Testnet Rewards

For information about requirements and eligibility for claiming Aleo Credits, please read our Ecosystem Contributor Program Terms of Service.