The Avalanche Foundation announced a $40 million Retro9000 grant program to support developers building on the Avalanche testnet. This initiative is part of the Avalanche9000 upgrade, aimed at simplifying the development of layer-1 (L1) blockchains.

Supporting Builders on the Avalanche Network

The Retro9000 program provides financial support to developers testing and launching projects on Avalanche's testnet. This initiative is part of the broader Avalanche9000 upgrade, hailed as the most extensive upgrade to the network since its mainnet launch. The program lowers economic barriers for developers, offering grants based on community voting and enabling them to work on critical ecosystem components like developer tools and L1 blockchains.

What's New in Avalanche9000 Upgrade

Avalanche9000 promises a more developer-friendly environment with technical enhancements and economic incentives for blockchain projects. Key upgrades include the Avalanche Consensus Protocol (ACP-77), improving scalability and interoperability. New features include the 'Etna Upgrade' boosting network performance, simplified nomenclature for easier developer interaction, developer and community incentives, and the 'Core Browser Hub', a unified dashboard. The much-anticipated Avalanche Interchain Messaging (ICM) enables inter-chain communication on the network.

Avalanche's Vision for a Multi-Chain Future

Avalanche9000 is built around the idea of many L1s working together to enhance network scalability and growth. Unlike traditional networks with a single L1, Avalanche envisions a web of interconnected L1s. Each new chain added increases the network's capacity without compromising performance. Since 2020, Avalanche has been working towards this multi-chain vision, giving developers full control over staking, gas tokens, and validator sets.

The Retro9000 program and Avalanche9000 upgrade illustrate Avalanche's commitment to supporting developers and fostering a multi-chain world with interconnected and scalable blockchains.