When we introduced DAOIP-5, our goal was simple: create a shared language for grant programs across Web3. A metadata schema that makes funding data more transparent, interoperable and effective at serving the ecosystem.

Since then, the project has grown in ways we didn’t fully anticipate. DAOIP-5 is still the backbone of our work, but the scope has widened. We’re not just defining a standard anymore. We’re building the open source Web3 grants data stack.

And we’ve given it a new name: OpenGrants.

Built by DAOstar, OpenGrants is data infrastructure powered by structured metadata from DAOIP-5, the leading open data schema for Web3 grants, and supported by a robust data lake hosted by Open Source Observer. OpenGrants helps grant programs unlock real-time analytics, streamline reporting, and reduce risk, while improving decision making and coordination across the broader funding ecosystem.

Why the Shift?

DAOIP-5 started as a standard – a shared metadata schema to help grant programs interoperate. It solves a critical, technical problem. OpenGrants doesn’t abandon this work. Rather, OpenGrants both clarifies and expands upon DAOIP-5’s true value proposition: building an ecosystem-wide composable data layer. DAOIP-5 remains the connective tissue, supporting the lower levels of the Web3 grants data stack. But OpenGrants is the full picture: the standard, plus the infrastructure, plus the tools and services that make it valuable.

The value proposition is built on three pillars:

• Unified, Verifiable Data - Common metadata fields across leading platforms, creating structured, interoperable records that can be trusted and consumed anywhere.

• Accessibility and Composability - A continually updated, open source data warehouse of grant activity across Web3, and a gateway API that offers access to this aggregated data to researchers, funders, and builders alike.

• Analytics & Reporting - Dashboards, benchmarks, and that reveal funding patterns, flag potential risks, and highlight impact across the ecosystem.

OpenGrants is how DAOIP-5 comes to life. Turning a behind-the-scenes standard into a public resource that helps the entire funding ecosystem see itself clearly and act with better information – an intelligence layer for Web3 grants. If you want to get in touch about how your grant program can be a part of OpenGrants, send an inquiry to sam@daostar.org and join the Telegram group.

What’s New in OpenGrants

Funding & Support

• DAOstart received a grant from Stellar Community Fund’s new Public Goods Awards to continue building out the standard, expand integrations, and launch an ecosystem funding dashboard.

Technical Updates

• Released the OpenGrants gateway API for accessing structured, cross-program funding data

• Published the DAOIP-5 extensions field specification update to add forward-compatible metadata fields, enabling flexibility without breaking uniformity

• Worked with OSO to clarify supported ingestion formats (JSON, CSV, API) for easier onboarding of new data sources

• Worked with OSO to ingest GraphQL API data and create a real-time pipeline for Giveth data

Data Sources

• Giveth and Octant comply with the DAOIP-5 standard as a Type 1 Integration, where their data is fetched and transformed via a direct API connection in real-time. (API)

• The Stellar Community Fund, Celo Public Goods, Optimism, and Arbitrum comply with the DAOIP-5 standard as a Type 2 Integration, where their shared data is translated from static files like CSV/JSON into the standard format. (API)

• Questbook complies with the DAOIP-5 standard as a Type 3 Integration, where its own pre-built, compliant API endpoint is monitored.

• Refer to Introducing OpenGrants for more details regarding our approach to data integration

Ecosystem Engagement

• Connected with multiple DAOs and grant programs to test DAOIP-5-compliant services and gather feedback on schema and API usability.

What We’ve Learned

The “standards-only” approach was too narrow for the realities of a rapidly evolving ecosystem. DAOs and grant programs want both interoperability and actionable insights. Who’s funding what? Which projects are getting support from multiple sources? How much is going to public goods?

By providing not just the schema, but also the tools and datasets, we can answer those questions and accelerate adoption at the same time.

What’s Next

We’ve only just begun and are now focused on:

• Expanding API capabilities for deeper analytics

• Onboarding more data sources into the OpenGrants data lake.

• Building public dashboards for cross-program funding flows and ecosystem-wide analysis

• Constructing and implementing performance data metrics for measuring and reporting impact

• Integrating across grants platforms to promote interoperability and unlock efficiencies in application, reporting, and review processes

• Researching more privacy preserving technologies for grants systems that want selective disclosure

Get Involved

Building an intelligence layer for Web3 grants takes a collective effort. It’s time to move beyond spray-and-pray experimentation – towards more impactful funding driven by data and more structured innovation informed by experience.

If you run a grant program, manage a DAO treasury, or research public goods, we’d love to collaborate. Here are the ways you can get involved:

🌎Integrate your funding data within our open source data lake

⚙️Play around with the OpenGrants Gateway API

👀Keep a lookout for our first ecosystem funding dashboard (soon™)

If interested in helping shape the next generation of grant analytics for Web3, please reach out to sam@daostar.org (TG: @samccarthy27) and join the Telegram group.