Retro9000 C-Chain Round 2 Is Now Live

The Avalanche Foundation has officially activated Round 2 of its Retro9000 C-Chain grant program, bringing a revised scoring system and new incentives for developers building on Avalanche's Contract Chain. Applications opened March 30 and close April 16, with on-chain activity tracking running through April 30.

The program ranks projects on a public leaderboard, with points based on AVAX burned through their smart contracts. At the end of each round, the top 40 projects become eligible for rewards. This model marks a clear departure from earlier Retro9000 rounds, where wallet-based community voting determined project rankings.

The update is significant for any team already building on Avalanche or considering a launch. The C-Chain round of Retro9000 has a referral program through which referrers can earn up to $3,000 in AVAX per project, per round. The program rewards both builders and community members who boost high-quality projects.

How the Leaderboard Works

The core mechanics of Retro9000 C-Chain are straightforward. Every transaction on the Avalanche C-Chain burns AVAX, creating a transparent, onchain signal of real usage. Competing projects are ranked on a public leaderboard by AVAX burned through transaction fees. More usage leads to more transactions, more AVAX burned, and a higher ranking.

The top 40-ranked projects at the end of each round become eligible for retroactive grant consideration from the program's $40 million pool. This design encourages teams to focus on shipping, improving user experience, and retaining activity. It also aligns incentives across builders, users, and the Avalanche Foundation by directing funding toward products that demonstrate real traction rather than just hype. 

To maintain a fair distribution of funds, the Foundation has established several financial boundaries for all participating teams. No project can receive a grant larger than 90% of the total AVAX it burned during that month. A single project is limited to 25% of the total monthly prize pool. There is a $200,000 lifetime cap per project across all participating rounds. Projects must earn a share worth at least $500 in AVAX to qualify for a reward. 

New Multipliers Change the Competitive Landscape

Round 2 introduces two leaderboard multipliers that could reshape how teams rank against each other. Projects that reached Stage 2 MVP status in the Build Games program receive a 10x leaderboard ranking boost, a substantial edge for teams already embedded in the ecosystem. New projects deploying on C-Chain for the first time get a 5x multiplier, lowering the barrier for fresh entrants. 

All projects that participated in Round 1 are automatically entered into Round 2 without needing to reapply.

Additional multipliers may appear throughout the round to highlight emerging categories such as gaming, SocialFi, payments, or infrastructure. This structure opens the door for early-stage builders while maintaining a merit-based system tied to usage. 

The referral system adds another layer. To claim a referral link, participants go to the Retro9000 portal, connect their wallet, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click "Get My Referral Code." Community members can earn up to $3,000 in AVAX per project and per round if the referred team receives funding. This mechanism turns ecosystem participants into active contributors and extends the program's reach beyond Avalanche's existing network. 

Since its launch in November 2024, Retro9000 has granted over $1.25 million to projects building Avalanche Layer 1s and infrastructure tools. Round 2 signals the Foundation's intent to expand that funding aggressively into live consumer products and onchain games.

Nicolas Lemaitre, Board Director at the Avalanche Foundation, stated: "The Retro9000 C-Chain Round is designed to reward what matters most: real usage. By focusing on AVAX burned through onchain activity, we're supporting builders who are already live, shipping, and contributing meaningfully to the Avalanche ecosystem. This round reflects our belief that sustainable ecosystems are built through execution. By rewarding projects based on measurable onchain activity, we align incentives with long-term growth on Avalanche." 

Build Games: The Pipeline Behind the Multipliers

The 10x multiplier for Build Games graduates is not arbitrary. It reflects a structured pipeline the Avalanche Foundation has built to move projects from concept to live product.

Build Games is a six-week global online builder competition created to get more crypto-native builders experimenting, shipping, and launching new products on Avalanche. The program provides structure, deadlines, mentorship, and visibility so builders have the best chance at success. 

The $1 million prize pool is shared across several levels. The top winner receives $100,000, second place takes $75,000, and third place earns $50,000. Payouts are tied to milestones, so teams receive funds as they hit specific development targets. Beyond the top three, a wide range of category prizes between $5,000 and $40,000 are awarded on a case-by-case basis.

Build Games graduates entering Retro9000 will have advantages on the leaderboard through the C-Chain Round's multipliers for new projects, helping early-stage projects compete against more established applications. Top Build Games teams also gain access to Avalanche programs like Codebase, additional grants, and ecosystem partnerships, creating multiple pathways for continued growth beyond both programs.

The categories covered by both programs span gaming, SocialFi, sports, consumer apps, infrastructure, payments, AI, DeFi, and institutional products. This breadth means onchain games, play-to-earn titles, and blockchain-native applications of any genre are eligible to compete.

The launch of Build Games coincided with record network activity of 1.71 million daily active addresses and 4.2 million average daily transactions. The Avalanche C-Chain now processes over 2.5 million daily transactions, driven largely by institutional real-world asset adoption.

Mehmet Dogan, Program Manager at the Avalanche Foundation, put the philosophy plainly: “The next phase of growth on Avalanche will be driven by builders who execute, ship live products, and generate real usage from day one. That's how resilient networks are built, and how builders win on Avalanche.”

Community members can also participate through a referral program. Individuals who refer a project that successfully receives funding can earn up to $3,000 in AVAX. As with all Foundation initiatives, final funding decisions remain at the sole discretion of the Avalanche Foundation, and participation in the program does not guarantee a grant.