Update payment options

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 - [x] The [application template](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/applications/application-template.md) has been copied and aptly renamed (`project_name.md`).
 - [ ] I have read the [application guidelines](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/docs/Support%20Docs/grant_guidelines_per_category.md).
-- [ ] Payment details have been provided (bank details via email _or_ BTC, Ethereum (USDC/DAI), or Polkadot (USDT) address in the application).
+- [ ] Payment details have been provided (bank details via email _or_ Polkadot (USDC & USDT) or BTC address in the application).
 - [ ] The software delivered for this grant will be released under an open-source license specified in the application.
 - [ ] The initial PR contains only one commit (squash and force-push if needed).
 - [ ] The grant will only be announced once the first milestone [has been accepted](https://github.com/w3f/Grant-Milestone-Delivery#process) (see the [announcement guidelines](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/docs/Support%20Docs/announcement-guidelines.md)).

README.md

@@ -147,7 +147,13 @@ The W3F Grants Program offers different grant levels to help you best, depending
 
 ## :pencil: Process
 
-> **:loudspeaker:** The process below is independent of the [level](#level_slider-levels). Payment is made in fiat, Bitcoin, USDT (on the [Polkadot Asset Hub](https://support.polkadot.network/support/solutions/articles/65000181800-what-is-statemint-and-statemine-and-how-do-i-use-them-)) or USDC/DAI (Ethereum). If you want to apply in **private**, you can apply [:arrow_right: here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMfjiRmDQDRk-4OhNASM6BAKii7rz_B1jWtbCPkUh6N7M2ww/viewform). Note that this is generally a slower process and imposes stricter requirements on applicants.
+:::tip
+If you want to apply in **private**, you can do so [:arrow_right: here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMfjiRmDQDRk-4OhNASM6BAKii7rz_B1jWtbCPkUh6N7M2ww/viewform). Note that this is generally a slower process and imposes stricter requirements on applicants.
+:::
+
+:::info
+Payments can be made in USDT and USDC on the Polkadot [AssetHub](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/learn-assets), Bitcoin and fiat (USD, EUR, CHF). Please indicate your preference in the application [as outlined in our application template](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/applications/application-template.md?plain=1#L7).
+:::
 
 ### 1. Application
 
@@ -222,7 +228,7 @@ Please note that:
 
 We give away 500 USD to each referral of a successful grant application by _anyone having previously worked on a Web3 Foundation grant_ or _a [Polkadot Ambassador](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/ambassadors)_. Web3 Foundation and Parity employees do not qualify for the program, even if they previously worked on a grant.
 
-In order to be eligible for the referral bonus, the application itself must contain the name of the [Polkadot Ambassador](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/ambassadors) or the GitHub account of the grantee as well as the payment address for the referral bonus (see the [application template](applications/application-template.md)). Payment is made in Bitcoin, USDT (on Polkadot), or USDC/DAI (Ethereum).
+In order to be eligible for the referral bonus, the application itself must contain the name of the [Polkadot Ambassador](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/ambassadors) or the GitHub account of the grantee as well as the payment address for the referral bonus (see the [application template](applications/application-template.md)). Payment is made in Bitcoin or USDT/USDC on Polkadot AssetHub.
 
 ## :bulb: Help
 
@@ -318,7 +324,7 @@ The best way to find out about upcoming hackathons is by following Polkadot on v
 Below is a list of other grant and bounty programs in the Polkadot/Substrate ecosystem:
 
 - [Acala Grants Program](https://acala.network/ecosystem-program)
-- [Aleph Zero Funding Program](https://alephzero.org/ecosystem-funding-program) 
+- [Aleph Zero Funding Program](https://alephzero.org/ecosystem-funding-program)
 - [Astar / Shiden Network Builders Program](https://github.com/PlasmNetwork/Builders-Program)
 - [Crust Grants Program](https://github.com/crustio/Crust-Grants-Program)
 - [Darwinia Grants Program](https://github.com/darwinia-network/collaboration/blob/master/grant/README.md#grant-program)

applications/application-template-research.md

@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 # Name of your Research Project1
 
-> This document will be part of the terms and conditions of your agreement and therefore needs to contain all the required information about the project. Don't remove any of the mandatory parts presented in bold letters or as headlines (except for the title)! Lines starting with a `>` (such as this one) should be removed. Please use markdown instead of HTML (e.g. `![](image.png)` instead of `<img>`). 
+> This document will be part of the terms and conditions of your agreement and therefore needs to contain all the required information about the project. Don't remove any of the mandatory parts presented in bold letters or as headlines (except for the title)! Lines starting with a `>` (such as this one) should be removed. Please use markdown instead of HTML (e.g. `![](image.png)` instead of `<img>`).
 >
 > See the [Grants Program Process](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/#pencil-process) on how to submit a proposal.
-- **Team Name:** Legal name of your team (e.g. Duo)
-- **Payment Address:** In the case of fiat payment, please share your bank account privately with [email protected] via your contact email (see below) and enter the date when you shared the information with us (e.g. Fiat 24.12.1971, 11:59) here. Otherwise, provide the BTC, Ethereum (USDC/DAI) or Polkadot/Kusama (USDT) payment address. Please also specify the currency. (e.g. 0x8920... (DAI))
+
+- **Team Name:** Legal name of your team (e.g. JsonCorp)
+- **Payment Address:** In the case of fiat payment, please share your bank account privately with [email protected] via your contact email (see below) and enter the date when you shared the information with us (e.g. Fiat 24.12.1971, 11:59) here. Otherwise, provide the Polkadot ( for USDC & USDT) or Bitcoin payment address. Please also specify the currency. (e.g. 0x8920... (USDC))
 - **[Level](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/tree/master#level_slider-levels):** 1, 2 or 3
 
 > :exclamation: *The combination of your GitHub account submitting the application and the payment address above will be your unique identifier during the program. Please keep them safe.*
+>
 ## Project Overview :page_facing_up:
 
 If this application is in response to an RFP, please indicate this on the first line of this section.
@@ -22,24 +24,25 @@ Please provide the following:
 - A brief description of your project.
 - An indication of how your project relates to / integrates into Substrate / Polkadot / Kusama.
 - An indication of why your team is interested in creating this project.
-- An indication if your project is academic research, i.e., intended to be published in an academic peer-reviewed venue, or a technical one, to be published as a technical report on the internet. 
+- An indication if your project is academic research, i.e., intended to be published in an academic peer-reviewed venue, or a technical one, to be published as a technical report on the internet.
 
 ### Project Details
 
 We expect the teams to already have a solid idea about your project's expected final state. Therefore, we ask the teams to submit (where relevant):
 
-- The problem(s) that you want to investigate, and why these are important. 
+- The problem(s) that you want to investigate, and why these are important.
 - Research questions/hypothesis.
-- The methodology that will be applied. 
+- The methodology that will be applied.
 - The data collection and analysis procedures.
 - The expected results and how they would be double-checked by the grants team (reproducibility of the data analysis).
 - Relevant related work.
-- Intended venue for results publication and the timeline for publication. 
-- What your project is _not_ or will _not_ provide or implement
+- Intended venue for results publication and the timeline for publication.
+- What your project is *not* or will *not* provide or implement
   - This is a place for you to manage expectations and clarify any limitations that might not be obvious
 
 Things that shouldn’t be part of the application (see also our [FAQ](../docs/faq.md)):
-- The (future) tokenomics of your project 
+
+- The (future) tokenomics of your project
 - Business-oriented activities (marketing, business planning), events or outreach
 
 ### Ecosystem Fit
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ Please also provide the GitHub accounts of all team members. If they contain no
 - https://www.linkedin.com/<person_2>
 
 ### Google Scholar Profiles (Or other research indexer profile, ex. Researchgate)
+
 - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=<person_1>
 - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=<person_2>
 
@@ -107,11 +111,11 @@ If you've already started working on your project or it is part of a larger proj
 
 ## Development Roadmap :nut_and_bolt:
 
-This section should break the research development roadmap down into milestones and deliverables. To assist you in defining it, we have created a document with examples for some grant categories, including research [here](../docs/Support%20Docs/grant_guidelines_per_category.md). Since these will be part of the agreement, it helps to describe _the deliverable we should expect in as much detail as possible_, plus how we can verify that deliverable. Whenever milestones are delivered, we refer to this document to ensure that everything has been delivered as expected.
+This section should break the research development roadmap down into milestones and deliverables. To assist you in defining it, we have created a document with examples for some grant categories, including research [here](../docs/Support%20Docs/grant_guidelines_per_category.md). Since these will be part of the agreement, it helps to describe *the deliverable we should expect in as much detail as possible*, plus how we can verify that deliverable. Whenever milestones are delivered, we refer to this document to ensure that everything has been delivered as expected.
 
-Below we provide an **example roadmap**. In the descriptions, it should be clear how your project is related to Substrate, Kusama or Polkadot. We _recommend_ that teams structure their roadmap as 1 milestone ≈ 1 month.
+Below we provide an **example roadmap**. In the descriptions, it should be clear how your project is related to Substrate, Kusama or Polkadot. We *recommend* that teams structure their roadmap as 1 milestone ≈ 1 month.
 
-> :exclamation: If any of your deliverables is based on somebody else's work, make sure you cite it. If your research contains software artifacts in the same situation, make sure you work and publish _under the terms of the license_ of the respective project and that you **highlight this fact in your milestone documentation** and in the source code if applicable! **Teams that submit others' work without attributing it will be immediately terminated.**
+> :exclamation: If any of your deliverables is based on somebody else's work, make sure you cite it. If your research contains software artifacts in the same situation, make sure you work and publish *under the terms of the license* of the respective project and that you **highlight this fact in your milestone documentation** and in the source code if applicable! **Teams that submit others' work without attributing it will be immediately terminated.**
 
 ### Overview
 
@@ -155,9 +159,10 @@ Please include here
 - how you intend to use, enhance, promote and support your project in the short term, and
 - the team's long-term plans and intentions in relation to it.
 
-## Referral Program (optional) :moneybag: 
+## Referral Program (optional) :moneybag:
 
 You can find more information about the program [here](../README.md#moneybag-referral-program).
+
 - **Referrer:** Name of the Polkadot Ambassador or GitHub account of the Web3 Foundation grantee
 - **Payment Address:** BTC, Ethereum (USDC/DAI) or Polkadot/Kusama (USDT) payment address. Please also specify the currency. (e.g. 0x8920... (DAI))
 

applications/application-template.md

@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 # Name of your Project
 
-> This document will be part of the terms and conditions of your agreement and therefore needs to contain all the required information about the project. Don't remove any of the mandatory parts presented in bold letters or as headlines (except for the title)! Lines starting with a `>` (such as this one) should be removed. Please use markdown instead of HTML (e.g. `![](image.png)` instead of `<img>`). 
+> This document will be part of the terms and conditions of your agreement and therefore needs to contain all the required information about the project. Don't remove any of the mandatory parts presented in bold letters or as headlines (except for the title)! Lines starting with a `>` (such as this one) should be removed. Please use markdown instead of HTML (e.g. `![](image.png)` instead of `<img>`).
 >
 > See the [Grants Program Process](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/#pencil-process) on how to submit a proposal.
-- **Team Name:** Legal name of your team (e.g. Duo)
-- **Payment Address:** In the case of fiat payment, please share your bank account privately with [email protected] via your contact email (see below) and enter the date when you shared the information with us (e.g. Fiat 24.12.1971, 11:59) here. Otherwise, provide the BTC, Ethereum (USDC/DAI) or Polkadot/Kusama (USDT) payment address. Please also specify the currency. (e.g. 0x8920... (DAI))
+
+- **Team Name:** Legal name of your team (e.g. JsonCorp)
+- **Payment Address:** In the case of fiat payment, please share your bank account privately with [email protected] via your contact email (see below) and enter the date when you shared the information with us (e.g. Fiat 24.12.1971, 11:59) here. Otherwise, provide the Polkadot (for USDC & USDT) or Bitcoin payment address. Please also specify the currency. (e.g. 0x8920... (USDC))
 - **[Level](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/tree/master#level_slider-levels):** 1, 2 or 3
 
 > :exclamation: *The combination of your GitHub account submitting the application and the payment address above will be your unique identifier during the program. Please keep them safe.*
+
 ## Project Overview :page_facing_up:
 
 If this application is in response to an RFP, please indicate this on the first line of this section.
@@ -32,12 +34,13 @@ We expect the teams to already have a solid idea about your project's expected f
 - An overview of the technology stack to be used
 - Documentation of core components, protocols, architecture, etc. to be deployed
 - PoC/MVP or other relevant prior work or research on the topic
-- What your project is _not_ or will _not_ provide or implement
+- What your project is *not* or will *not* provide or implement
   - This is a place for you to manage expectations and to clarify any limitations that might not be obvious
 
 
 Things that shouldn’t be part of the application (see also our [FAQ](../docs/faq.md)):
-- The (future) tokenomics of your project 
+
+- The (future) tokenomics of your project
 - For non-infrastructure projects—deployment and hosting costs, maintenance or audits
 - Business-oriented activities (marketing, business planning), events or outreach
 
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ Help us locate your project in the Polkadot/Substrate/Kusama landscape and what
 
 ### Team's experience
 
-Please describe the team's relevant experience. If your project involves development work, we would appreciate it if you singled out a few interesting projects or contributions made by team members in the past. 
+Please describe the team's relevant experience. If your project involves development work, we would appreciate it if you singled out a few interesting projects or contributions made by team members in the past.
 
 If anyone on your team has applied for a grant at the Web3 Foundation previously, please list the name of the project and legal entity here.
 
@@ -104,11 +107,11 @@ If you've already started implementing your project or it is part of a larger re
 
 ## Development Roadmap :nut_and_bolt:
 
-This section should break the development roadmap down into milestones and deliverables. To assist you in defining it, we have created a document with examples for some grant categories [here](../docs/Support%20Docs/grant_guidelines_per_category.md). Since these will be part of the agreement, it helps to describe _the functionality we should expect in as much detail as possible_, plus how we can verify and test that functionality. Whenever milestones are delivered, we refer to this document to ensure that everything has been delivered as expected.
+This section should break the development roadmap down into milestones and deliverables. To assist you in defining it, we have created a document with examples for some grant categories [here](../docs/Support%20Docs/grant_guidelines_per_category.md). Since these will be part of the agreement, it helps to describe *the functionality we should expect in as much detail as possible*, plus how we can verify and test that functionality. Whenever milestones are delivered, we refer to this document to ensure that everything has been delivered as expected.
 
-Below we provide an **example roadmap**. In the descriptions, it should be clear how your project is related to Substrate, Kusama or Polkadot. We _recommend_ that teams structure their roadmap as 1 milestone ≈ 1 month.
+Below we provide an **example roadmap**. In the descriptions, it should be clear how your project is related to Substrate, Kusama or Polkadot. We *recommend* that teams structure their roadmap as 1 milestone ≈ 1 month.
 
-> :exclamation: If any of your deliverables is based on somebody else's work, make sure you work and publish _under the terms of the license_ of the respective project and that you **highlight this fact in your milestone documentation** and in the source code if applicable! **Projects that submit other people's work without proper attribution will be immediately terminated.**
+> :exclamation: If any of your deliverables is based on somebody else's work, make sure you work and publish *under the terms of the license* of the respective project and that you **highlight this fact in your milestone documentation** and in the source code if applicable! **Projects that submit other people's work without proper attribution will be immediately terminated.**
 
 ### Overview
 
@@ -122,7 +125,7 @@ Below we provide an **example roadmap**. In the descriptions, it should be clear
 - **FTE:**  1,5
 - **Costs:** 8,000 USD
 
-> :exclamation: **The default deliverables 0a-0d below are mandatory for all milestones**, and deliverable 0e at least for the last one. 
+> :exclamation: **The default deliverables 0a-0d below are mandatory for all milestones**, and deliverable 0e at least for the last one.
 
 | Number | Deliverable | Specification |
 | -----: | ----------- | ------------- |
@@ -155,9 +158,10 @@ Please include here
 - how you intend to use, enhance, promote and support your project in the short term, and
 - the team's long-term plans and intentions in relation to it.
 
-## Referral Program (optional) :moneybag: 
+## Referral Program (optional) :moneybag:
 
 You can find more information about the program [here](../README.md#moneybag-referral-program).
+
 - **Referrer:** Name of the Polkadot Ambassador or GitHub account of the Web3 Foundation grantee
 - **Payment Address:** BTC, Ethereum (USDC/DAI) or Polkadot/Kusama (USDT) payment address. Please also specify the currency. (e.g. 0x8920... (DAI))