Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about the Glow program
This comprehensive FAQ section addresses common questions about the Glow program, covering all aspects from eligibility to disbursement.
General Questions
What is the Glow program? Glow is an experimental funding program designed and run by XRPL Commons which aims to reward participants in the XRPL ecosystem retroactively. It recognizes and rewards valuable contributions to the XRPL ecosystem that have already been completed and demonstrated value.
Why is it called "retroactive" funding? Glow is retroactive because it rewards work that has already been completed, rather than funding future work. This ensures the community has already received value from the contribution before funding is provided.
How is Glow different from other funding programs? Unlike traditional grants or accelerator programs that fund future work, Glow specifically rewards past contributions. It complements existing funding offerings in the XRPL ecosystem, such as the Grants and Aquarium programs, by focusing on work that has already provided value to the community.
What types of projects are eligible for Glow funding? Eligible projects include any product, tool, documentation, or initiative that delivers meaningful, accessible value to the XRPL community. This includes fully open-source projects and freemium projects where a substantive, genuinely useful tier is available to the community at no cost. Ineligible: paywalled products, token-centric projects with no immediate utility, and anything that delivers minimal real value.
How often is funding distributed? Glow runs in recurring rounds called Waves. The timing of each Wave is announced for that round.
Roles & Participation
What are the different roles in the Glow program? There are four primary roles:
Scouts: Community members who identify and nominate potential contributors
Community Voters: XRPL wallet holders who can vote on submissions
Judges: Individuals who evaluate submissions and determine shirt sizes
Recipients: Contributors who receive funding after being approved
How do I become a Scout? Scouts are remarkable individuals in the community who are typically visible and well known, and who see many projects in the course of their day-to-day. Existing Scouts occasionally have the ability to elect new Scouts. You can view current Scouts on the public Scouts page for each Wave.
How do I become a Judge? Initially, Judges are members of the XRPL Commons team. Over time, they may be sourced from existing Scouts, with limits on consecutive Wave participation to ensure fairness and diversity.
Can I apply directly? Yes. You can submit your own project directly through the Glow platform, or you can be nominated by a Scout. Both paths follow the same process and are evaluated against the same criteria.
Eligibility
Who is eligible to receive Glow funding? Funding is made to individual contributors, not companies or institutions (though a contribution may originate from a project of any business model). To be eligible:
You must be over 18 years old
You must not be located in a restricted region or on any sanctions list
You should not serve as a Scout or Judge in the Wave for which you are submitted
Your contribution must have been made within the last 6 months
You can receive only one reward per Wave
Your contribution must be to an eligible project, and must not have been previously funded through Glow or another program
Can I participate if I work for an organization in the XRPL ecosystem? Yes. Glow is open to contributors regardless of where they work. Glow funds independent work — contributions made outside the scope of your employment — and is not intended to compensate anyone for work performed as part of their day job. When submitting, you'll be asked whether the contribution is independent of your employment; if it overlaps, you describe the overlap, and that disclosure is shown to Voters (marked with an information badge) so they can weigh the context. Disclosing an overlap does not disqualify your contribution.
Can Scouts or Judges receive funding? Judges cannot receive funding in Waves where they serve as Judges. Anyone currently serving as a Scout or Judge should declare this status during the application process.
Are projects that received other funding eligible? Contributions that have already been funded through Glow or another program are not eligible, since Glow rewards work that hasn't been separately funded.
Can I be nominated for multiple contributions? Yes. A contributor can be submitted or nominated multiple times, which may increase the chance of a higher shirt size. However, you can receive only one reward per Wave.
Submission & Nomination
How does the process work? Contributors can submit their own project directly, or a Scout can nominate a contribution. Projects and contributors are added to the Glow platform if they don't exist yet. For each submission, details about the contribution and when it was completed are provided. Once submitted, community voting is enabled for that contribution.
What information is needed?
For projects: name, description, GitHub repo, X handle, and website URL
For contributors: name, email, GitHub, X handle, and active dates
For the contribution: a description, the date it was completed, and whether the work is independent of your employment
Can I nominate myself? You don't need to — you can submit your own project directly. Scout nomination is an additional path, not the only one.
Voting
How does voting work? XRPL wallet holders can vote on submissions. To participate, wallet holders first prove their wallet is active by signing a minimal one-drop transaction. Once verified, they can cast votes on all submissions in current and future Waves.
What types of votes can be cast? Three types: yay (+1), nay (-1), or null (0). A single wallet can cast only one vote per submission.
How do votes affect the decision? Votes inform the Judges' evaluation. Submissions with more community support are prioritized for review.
Shirt Sizes
What are the different sizes? Rewards come in three sizes, often called "shirt sizes":
Small: For initial contributions, to encourage further engagement, or to say thank you.
Medium: For recurring contributions and/or those with significant impact on the XRPL ecosystem.
Large: For extensive contributions that demonstrate sustained, high-impact work.
How is the shirt size determined? Judges determine shirt sizes based on the level of community and Scout support, community votes, GitHub activity, and the overall impact of the contribution. Each submission is typically evaluated by at least 3 Judges, and the combined assessment determines the final shirt size.
Application Process
What happens after I submit or am nominated? If you submitted directly, you continue to the application steps. If you were nominated by a Scout, you'll receive an email invitation to apply through the Glow platform. You'll complete several forms to proceed.
What forms do I need to complete?
Terms and conditions acceptance
Code of conduct acceptance
Self-eligibility declaration
Application form completion
Do I need to complete all forms every time? For your first application, you complete all forms. For subsequent submissions, only validation of the application form is required.
KYC and Disbursement
What is KYC and why is it required? KYC ("Know Your Customer") verifies the identity of recipients. KYC, along with KYT (Know Your Transaction) and KYW (Know Your Wallet) checks, helps ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Who conducts the KYC process? Kudos conducts KYC verification for Glow recipients.
How are rewards disbursed? Rewards are paid in XRP. Once KYC is validated, funds are disbursed to your specified XRPL wallet address.
What happens if I don't pass KYC? If you don't pass KYC verification, you won't be able to receive the reward, and the funds will be reallocated to the next Wave.
How long does disbursement take? Disbursement occurs upon successful KYC validation. Timelines may vary, but the goal is to process efficiently.
Technical Issues and Support
What if I encounter issues with the Glow platform? For technical issues, reach out to the support team via the contact information on the Glow website.
How do I connect my XRPL wallet? The platform provides a "Connect Wallet" option that guides you through connecting your XRPL wallet for voting or receiving funds.
What if I made an error in my wallet address? Double-check your wallet address when providing it. As stated in the terms, the recipient is responsible for errors in the wallet address, and payments sent to incorrect addresses due to user error are still considered complete.
Transparency and Governance
What information about the program is public? For each Wave, the identities of Scouts and Judges are public, as are all submissions and their final assessment. To preserve the independence of Scouts and Judges, their specific actions are not disclosed — only aggregate results are released.
How is the program governed? The Glow program is designed and run by XRPL Commons, with designated Scouts and Judges operating according to established principles of transparency and fairness.
Can I provide feedback on the program?
Yes, feedback on the Glow program is welcomed and can help improve future Waves. Please reach out through the official channels provided on the Glow website.
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