Quick Take
- Top 40 C-Chain apps ranked by AVAX gas burns claim rewards from $40M pool.
- Multipliers boost scores for new projects and Build Games participants.
- Referrers earn up to $3,000 AVAX per funded project they nominate.
Avalanche Foundation started the C-Chain round of its Retro9000 program today, with a $40 million pool aimed at rewarding developers based on onchain activity measured through AVAX burned in gas fees. Projects climb a public leaderboard as user interactions with their apps generate these burns, and the top 40 at the round’s end share the grants, which encourages building products that drive genuine engagement from the start.
Program manager Mehmet Dogan explained that the model focuses on shipped applications and measurable usage, aligning incentives with network growth by tying rewards directly to transaction volumes.
Multipliers further enhance scores for emerging projects and those connected to ecosystem initiatives like the Build Games competition, which launched on January, and offers $1 million in prizes over six weeks for prototypes in gaming and other areas, along with ongoing support to foster quick development cycles.
Board director Nicolas Lemaitre added that emphasizing verifiable activity supports long-term expansion on Avalanche, as the structure has already distributed $1.25 million in earlier rounds for Layer 1s and tools.
The initiative also includes a referral system that allows community members to nominate teams, providing up to $3,000 AVAX per successful entry, which helps surface promising builders and broadens participation.
Developers can track progress and apply at retro9000.avax.network, where the emphasis on burns and multipliers could attract more live applications, particularly in gaming, potentially creating stronger user retention through integrated incentives.
