Wormhole Foundation Awards First Core Developer Grant to xLabs

At the Wormhole Foundation, our goal is to build the web of Web3, but doing so is a big task, and we can’t do it alone. In that vein, we’re thrilled to announce that the Wormhole Foundation has awarded a grant to xLabs to become an official core contributor to Wormhole.

While the xLabs team has already contributed to Wormhole in the past, formalizing this relationship will help accelerate Wormhole’s development, add even more functional expertise, and build a more decentralized protocol.

Who is xLabs?

xLabs is a collective of exceptional engineers hailing from regions where the transformative power of cryptocurrency is not just a concept, but a daily reality.  They are relentlessly committed to empowering builders of the decentralized web by building, running, and maintaining core infrastructure for the internet of value. The xLabs team has a wealth of experience contributing to infrastructure and DeFi projects in Ethereum, Solana, and Algorand and is led by Gabriel Zimmermann.

What is in-scope for xLabs?

The xLabs team brings together a wealth of experience in building blockchain technology that spans building core infrastructure to running nodes, smart contracts, and web applications. The grant will help ramp up their contributions to a few key areas: relayer operations, core development of infrastructure products, and improving the developer experience.

The team has already made numerous contributions to Wormhole, including building WormholeScan - an explorer where users and developers can find deep-dive their Wormhole-related transaction data, contributing to the Portal Token Bridge front-end, providing development work for Wormhole Connect, and designing and operating numerous relayers including the CCTP Relayer that enables users to transfer native USDC across Ethereum, Avalanche, Arbitrum, and Optimism.

How does xLabs fit into the larger vision?

We believe the future of Web3 is collaborative. The Wormhole Foundation is already collaborating with several external organizations like xLabs, and will be welcoming them soon as core contributors. These contributing teams will be introduced to the world over the coming months. If your organization aligns with our vision, we encourage you to reach out to join our collective of contributing teams. Connect with us by dropping an email at [email protected].

About xLabs

xLabs is a collective of exceptional engineers hailing from regions where the transformative power of cryptocurrency is not just a concept but a daily reality. We are a community of crypto natives living and breathing the very solutions that this technology offers, and our mission is to empower builders to craft inspiring experiences that facilitate access to a universal, open, and sovereign financial system. If you want to help build the future with us, consider applying for any of our open roles or follow us on Twitter or GitHub.

About Wormhole Foundation

The Wormhole Foundation is the steward of Wormhole - the world’s first generalized messaging protocol. Our mission is to empower passionate people in the research and development of blockchain interoperability technologies. Through grants, research, and ecosystem programs, we seek to enable teams to build secure, open-source, and decentralized products within the Wormhole ecosystem. If you’re interested in helping achieve our mission, follow us on Twitter or contact us at [email protected].