How it Works. Tor × FTC Quadratic Funding
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How it Works
How it Works
Quadratic funding democratizes allocation by rewarding projects that have broad community support.
The model
Collective Intelligence drives match funds
For example, four projects raise $400 each. QF allocates funding based on the quantity of donors, not the total amount of money.
$400 each, four donor patterns →
$4 × 100
+2×
$8 × 50
+1.5×
$40 × 10
+0.5×
$100 × 4
+0.25×
Donations
QF match
Verification
Cooperative transparency
Cooperative transparency
Every donation is verified. Public chains (Bitcoin, Ethereum) confirm on-chain. Private chains (Monero, shielded Zcash) are verified via view keys the projects share with the campaign. Donor identity stays private.
On-chain
BTC, ETH, transparent ZEC. Anyone can verify.
View-key
Monero, shielded ZEC. Campaign verifies; identity private.
Integrity
Sybil review
01
Automatic checks
Correlated addresses and dust bursts flagged during the round.
02
Committee review
Small trusted committee reviews flagged patterns before final distribution.
03
Flagged donations still reach the project
They just don’t count toward the match.
FAQ
What is quadratic funding, and how are matches calculated?
Quadratic funding distributes the match pool by how many people back a project, not just how much each gives. It uses the square root of each donation to weight support, so a project with 100 donors giving $10 earns a larger match than one with a single $1,000 donor. When the round closes, the pool is distributed proportionally across every participating project. The model rewards broad community support, while large contributions remain essential. Many of them fund the matching pool that makes this possible.
Why cryptocurrency only, and what about fiat or other coins?
A crypto-native campaign is lightweight to run, transparent to audit, and meets communities that already treat privacy and open infrastructure as shared work. For launch we've kept it to BTC, ETH, XMR, ZEC, and GLM so the system stays secure and reliable, with more currencies likely in later rounds. You can still give fiat (USD/CAD/EUR) directly through a project's own website, though only crypto contributions made through this campaign qualify for match funding.
Why do you need a view key for Monero and shielded Zcash?
View keys let us confirm a donation reached a project's address without revealing who sent it or giving us any way to move the funds. Public chains like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and transparent Zcash confirm on-chain, so anyone can verify them. Private chains stay private but remain verifiable through the view key. Donor identity is never exposed.
How do you prevent Sybil attacks?
Two layers of review. Automated checks flag correlated addresses and dust bursts while the round runs, then a small trusted committee reviews those patterns before the final distribution. Flagged donations still reach the project, but they don't count toward the match.
When does the round end, and what if I donate after?
Donations count toward the match only if they arrive between May 19 and June 19, 2026 (UTC). Anything later still reaches the project directly, just outside the matching window.
Where does the matching pool go? Is there any leftover?
None of it goes unspent. The full pool is distributed when the round closes, and if a project is disqualified its share redistributes to the rest. The pool opens at $115,000 from Cake Wallet, Zcash Community Grants, Logos, and Octant, and it can grow over the course of the campaign.
Why do Tor and Funding the Commons take a percentage?
15% of total donations covers the staff and infrastructure that build and run the campaign. It's kept as low as possible while still running a secure, privacy-preserving campaign.
Can I donate from Tor Browser?
Yes. Every page reads fine without JavaScript, and donating only takes a QR code or a copied address. No wallet connection, no third-party trackers, no cookie banners.
I have a question or trouble donating. Who do I contact?
Email giving(at)torproject.org and we'll help.
The Tor Project, Inc.
Trademark and licenses<br>.onion<br>Updated 2026-06-12 01:30 UTC