Post-launch funding plan

Captured 2026-06-16. Mainnet launches on schedule with full audit deferred. This doc tracks how the $150-200k audit budget + ongoing operating costs get funded over the first 90 days post-launch.

Why no presale

Decided against a presale even though $125-150k would have covered the audit. Three reasons:

1. Tokenomics says "No VC allocation, ever." A presale is a VC round with a different name. Crypto Twitter spots that in 5 minutes; reputation cost is permanent.
2. Regulatory risk in India / EU / US / UK isn't worth $150k. Tokens sold with implicit price appreciation = unregistered securities in most major jurisdictions.
3. HYPE-style credibility moat is what differentiates this chain pre-product-revenue. A presale undercuts it before launch.

What the budget needs to cover

Item	Estimated cost	Timeline
Full audit (ShieldedPool + HonkVerifier + DEX + Bridge + .snct)	$150-200k	6-8 weeks engagement
Marketing — paid posts, KOL outreach, content production	$20-40k	Launch month + first 90d
Operator-side legal review (mainnet tokenomics, audit disclaimer wording, regulatory positioning)	$10-30k	Pre-launch + ongoing
Bug-bounty fund (recommended on Immunefi-style program once audit lands)	$25-50k	Post-audit, evergreen
Total target	$200-300k	First 90 days

Funding stack (in priority order)

1. Aztec grants — APPLY IMMEDIATELY

You're shipping Aztec's stack to production (Plonk universal SRS, Noir circuits, Barretenberg backend). This is exactly the kind of work their grants program funds.

• Where to apply: https://aztec.network/grants
• Realistic ask: $50-100k
• Why this is the strongest fit: you're not asking them to spec a circuit — you've already built one, shipped it, and a real chain depends on it. Audit funding for sanect's privacy module = audit funding for Aztec's stack in production. Aligned interests.
• Timeline: 4-6 weeks application → approval → wire

2. Ethereum Foundation Privacy & Scaling Explorations (PSE)

PSE funds zkSNARK research and applications. Sanect's shielded pool is both — applied privacy with Plonk on a new chain that bridges to Ethereum.

• Where: https://pse.dev/grants
• Realistic ask: $30-75k
• Timeline: 6-8 weeks

3. Cosmos Hub Community Pool grant

Cosmos Hub has a community pool funded by inflation. Grants for ecosystem chains are precedented (Osmosis, Stride, Quasar all got CHCP grants).

• Where: gov proposal on Cosmos Hub
• Realistic ask: 5-20k ATOM (= $25-100k at current prices)
• Timeline: 4-6 weeks (governance vote)
• Catch: needs a delegate or community advocate to champion the proposal. Find one before applying.

4. Strategic operator allocation (NOT a VC round)

Sell ~$75-150k worth of SNCT (1-1.5% of supply) to 3-5 known crypto operators, NOT anonymous VCs. Same price they'd pay at any future market open. 6-month vest with linear unlock.

• Who to talk to: Cosmos validators with public reputations (Stake.zone, Polychain Capital's validator wing, Imperator, Polkachu, etc.), privacy-tech founders (Penumbra people, Aleo people), Hyperliquid-adjacent operators.
• NOT eligible: VC funds, hedge funds, opaque holding entities.
• Disclosure: published list of operator-allocation recipients on the launch blog. Public accountability.
• Realistic ask: $25-50k each × 3-5 operators

5. Public Dutch auction at Day 30+ (only if 1-4 underwhelm)

If grants and operator allocation don't get you to $200k by Day 60 post-launch:

• Format: Hyperliquid-style Dutch auction
• Size: 1% of supply (10M SNCT)
• Single price for everyone, no tiers
• 6-month vest on purchased tokens
• Funds → community treasury (not foundation, not team — that's the trust play)
• Timing: post-launch, after first audit milestones funded by grants

Selling tokens after launch from a position of "live chain, real users, real fees" is dramatically easier than pre-launch. Wait if you can.

Sequence

Day -7    Apply to Aztec, PSE, Cosmos Hub grants. Identify 3-5 operator-allocation prospects.
Day  0    Mainnet launch. Announce "audit pending, partners engaged, full disclosure on funding sources."
Day  7    Finalize operator allocation deal. Take first 1-2 tranches. ~$50k secured.
Day 14    Aztec / PSE / CHCP grants making progress. Identify auditor (Zellic / Veridise / Spearbit).
Day 30    First grant landed. ~$50-100k more secured. Begin audit kickoff.
Day 60    Audit underway. Total raised ~$150-200k. Decide if Dutch auction needed.
Day 90    Audit milestones complete on privacy module + DEX. Mint bug-bounty program.
Day 120+  Remaining modules audited. Full disclosure on every funding source.

Disclosure principles

The launch blog post + airdrop announcement should:

1. State plainly that mainnet ships unaudited. No euphemism. Link to roadmap showing audit funding sources.
2. Name the funding sources publicly. When Aztec grant lands, post about it. When operator allocation lands, publish the names.
3. No anonymous strategic capital. If a recipient won't be named publicly, decline the money.

This separates sanect from the dozens of chains that "ship with audit pending" and then never publish progress.

What NOT to do

• ❌ Don't presale to anonymous wallets. Even if it's $5k each from 30 wallets, the optics destroy the no-VC narrative.
• ❌ Don't trade tokens for service credits with auditors. Auditors should be paid cash, even if it takes longer to fund. Equity-style payments compromise audit independence.
• ❌ Don't take grant money without delivering grant deliverables. Aztec grants come with public reporting requirements. Treat them as accountability mechanisms, not free money.
• ❌ Don't list on CEXes before the privacy module audit lands. CEX listing + unaudited privacy = headline risk if something goes wrong.

Open questions for the operator

These are decisions only you can make:

1. Audit firm preference — Zellic, Veridise, Spearbit, or Trail of Bits? Each has different strengths (Veridise = strongest at zk circuits, Zellic = strongest at Cosmos SDK, Spearbit = balance, ToB = brand). Pick one before Day 14 so you can quote-shop.
2. Operator-allocation recipients list — write it down before Day 0. Approach pre-launch even if the actual sale happens post-launch.
3. Bug-bounty program timing — Immunefi setup is 2-4 weeks. Worth starting Day 30 even before audit lands.