The TrustChain Open Call 4 ran from May 15 to July 17, 2024, and brought together a global community of developers and innovators to address multi-chain interoperability. With €1.989 million, the call aimed to create secure and scalable gateways for transferring data, knowledge, and digital assets across blockchain networks. The focus was on enabling seamless communication while ensuring privacy, legal compliance, and sustainability. Projects were encouraged to explore cross-chain NFT transfers, open standards for data interoperability, and secure digital identity solutions, with an emphasis on scalability, energy efficiency, and adherence to European standards.
A Global Response: The Stats
The TrustChain Open Call 4 received 59 applications. The applicants were from a wide range of countries, with the highest number of submissions coming from Germany, Spain, and Italy. Other countries represented included France, Portugal, and Slovenia.
Figure 1. Number of applicants per country in submitted applications under TrustChain Open Call #4.
The applications were primarily submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which accounted for 34 of the total submissions, showcasing the significant role that SMEs play in driving innovation in the blockchain sector. Other entities included nonprofit organizations, foundations, and academic institutions. In terms of team structure, the majority of submissions came from single organizations, though there was also a strong presence of consortiums and collaborative teams.
Figure 2. Distribution of entity applicants involved in submitted applications under TrustChain Open Call #4
Figure 3. Distribution of submitted applications per type of team under TrustChain Open Call #4.
The Winning Projects
After evaluation, fifteen projects were selected for funding and support. These winning projects come from a diverse range of countries, including Spain, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, with each country contributing several winning proposals. The winning projects span various industries, including finance, legal services, education, cybersecurity, video & media, and social enterprise, reflecting the broad applicability of multi-chain interoperability solutions across different sectors.
For instance, the finance sector saw the highest number of selected projects, with three winners focusing on enhancing blockchain technologies for financial applications. Likewise, sectors such as legal services, software, and data & analytics also had three winning projects each. There were also notable projects in emerging areas such as AI, cryptography, and digital identity, with each contributing to the overall aim of making blockchain technologies more interoperable and user-friendly.
Figure 4. Number of applicants per country in applications selected for funding under TrustChain Open Call #2.
The diversity of the winning entities is another highlight, with 13 SMEs, one nonprofit organization, and 2 academic institutions making up the majority of the selected projects.
Figure 5. Distribution of entity applicants selected under TrustChain Open Call #4
Figure 6. Distribution of selected projects per type of team under TrustChain Open Call #4.
Here are the details of the selected projects in alphabetical order:
- Baseline Protocol Interoperability Project: Enhances blockchain interoperability by developing secure and private data synchronization frameworks.
- BondConnect: Aims to improve SME credit access through blockchain interoperability for bond issuance and trading.
- CHECK: Aims to enhance e-commerce trust by providing verifiable data using blockchain and Self-Sovereign Identity technologies.
- Ms3: Offers a modular suite for multi-chain blockchain integration, enabling easy adoption without technical expertise.
- MultiPass: Facilitates the storage of verifiable data across multiple ledgers, improving data portability and preventing provider lock-in.
- NeWG: Addresses urban logistics in food distribution by integrating sustainable infrastructure in wholesale markets.
- nXCC: Provides a secure and user-friendly cross-chain solution for transferring data and assets, leveraging TEEs.
- Secure Decentralized Video Communication Infrastructure: Builds a secure video infrastructure for communication and content distribution.
- SSITIZENS: Empowers citizens in Spain with digital identity management systems to access public services securely.
- TokEngine: A token exchange platform for interoperability within the Next Generation Internet (NGI) ecosystem.
- TRUEGov: Enhances cross-chain interoperability for e-governance applications, including e-voting and digital public services.
- WLDC: Developing a multi-chain token bridge for cryptocurrencies and NFTs, utilizing Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) for security.
- WB3C: A cross-chain messaging protocol that enables secure transfer of NFTs and verified credentials across blockchains.
- ZONIA-MC: Develops a decentralized oracle system for IoT applications, ensuring trust and fairness across data sources.
- ZeroBridge: Proposes a scalable, privacy-preserving protocol for interoperability between permissioned blockchains.
The selected projects will enter a 9-month development phase, with mentorship, and technical resources from the TrustChain consortium. They will also collaborate with innovators from previous Open Calls, building on prior initiatives. Focused on security, privacy, interoperability, and scalability, the projects will contribute to the broader TrustChain ecosystem and participate in future knowledge-sharing events.
Open Call 5 Now Open!
As Open Call 4 projects gain momentum, we’re excited to announce TrustChain’s fifth and final Open Call, “Green, Scalable, and Sustainable DLTs.” This call will fund up to 17 projects with €1.989 million in grants, offering mentorship and technical resources to selected projects.
Open Call 5 focuses on advancing Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) with an emphasis on energy efficiency, scalability, and trustworthiness, exploring areas like energy-saving consensus mechanisms and cross-chain interoperability.
Open to SMEs, developers, researchers, and innovators, the deadline for applications is January 15, 2025, at 17:00 CET. For more details and to apply, visit the TrustChain Open Call #5 page. We look forward to your innovative proposals!
