Applications: adding dotnix-follow-up

[Ra33it0]

Project Abstract

Follow-up Application of Dotnix: Nix-based Polkadot Validators with an emphasis on security.

If your application is a follow-up to a previous grant, please mention which one in the first line of the abstract and include a link to previous pull requests if applicable.

Grant level

• Level 1: Up to $10,000, 2 approvals
• Level 2: Up to $30,000, 3 approvals
• Level 3: Unlimited, 5 approvals (for >$100k: Web3 Foundation Council approval)

Application Checklist

• The application template has been copied and aptly renamed (project_name.md).
• I have read the application guidelines.
• Payment details have been provided (Polkadot AssetHub (USDC & DOT) address in the application and bank details via email, if applicable).
• I understand that an agreed upon percentage of each milestone will be paid in vested DOT, to the Polkadot address listed in the application.
• I am aware that, in order to receive a grant, I (and the entity I represent) have to successfully complete a KYC/KYB check.
• The software delivered for this grant will be released under an open-source license specified in the application.
• The initial PR contains only one commit (squash and force-push if needed).
• The grant will only be announced once the first milestone has been accepted (see the announcement guidelines).

[semuelle]

@Lederstrumpf, @ajk-code, curious to hear your thoughts.

[semuelle]

Thanks again for the application and sorry for the long wait. I see that you integrated most of the feedback you received in the previous application, but could you summarize the changes from the old one to this one?

Also, in the previous application you mentioned having plans for subsequent grants. We usually encourage teams to aim for independent funding, at least after the second grant, so could you comment on how you might fund further development (and maintenance) beyond this grant?

[semuelle]

Please list one AssetHub address for USDC and one Polkadot address for DOT.

[Ra33it0]

Is it possible to receive the USD via bank transfer, as we did last time?
I have listed two DOT addresses since tv and I would like to receive our DOT in two separate wallets.

[semuelle]

Fiat payments are exclusive to private grants. If this is important, please apply through the form.

[Ra33it0]

To summarize the changes:
We have replaced the cloud deployment templates with a CI workflow using tools such as GitHub Actions, allowing users to create custom ISOs for deploying their hardened Polkadot validators. This approach is more architecture agnostic.

We also removed the VPN layer, CVE scanner, and monitoring and alerting features.
Additionally, we have added Secure Boot implementation as well as SE-Linux.
The Bash completion remains unchanged.

Regarding funding:
Since Dotnix is a Polkadot Validator implementation, we will try OpenGov if we cannot continue in the Grants program. In the case of maintenance, Dotnix's maintenance costs, as well as infrastructure, are paid by Sporyon Techologies, and we plan to continue doing so.

[semuelle]

Hey @Ra33it0, sorry for the long wait. Independent of whether you choose to apply in private or not, it seems that you have taken most of the suggestions from the previous applications to heart, so I am happy to support it.

[semuelle]

Fiat payments are exclusive to private grants. If this is important, please apply through the form.

[github-actions]

Congratulations and welcome to the Web3 Foundation Grants Program! Please refer to our Milestone Delivery repository for instructions on how to submit milestones and invoices, our FAQ for frequently asked questions and the support section on our website for more ways to find answers to your questions.

Before you start, take a moment to read through our announcement guidelines for all communications related to the grant or make them known to the right person in your organisation. In particular, please don't announce the grant publicly before at least the first milestone of your project has been approved. At that point or shortly before, you can get in touch with us at grantsPR@web3.foundation and we'll be happy to collaborate on an announcement about the work you’re doing.

Also, if you haven't yet, consider signing up for the Polkadot Alpha Program. The program offers plenty of resources for people building on Polkadot. Lastly, please remember to let us know in case you run into any delays or deviate from the deliverables in your application. You can either leave a comment here or directly request to amend your application via PR. We wish you luck with your project! 🚀

[keeganquigley]

Hi @Ra33it0 since it's been a couple months, just checking in on milestone 2. Are you able to provide an update?

[Ra33it0]

Hi @keeganquigley , thanks for following up.

We started working on M2 in January since we received the payment for M1 on 12.12.2025.

We are in the process of finishing up the secure boot part of the grant. We pushed the current state if you want to take a look:
https://github.com/sporyon/dotnix-core/tree/dotnix-follow-up-milestone2

As for the remaining parts, we have not finished them yet but expect to do so by the end of February.

[keeganquigley]

Thanks for the update @Ra33it0 sounds good!

[keeganquigley]

Let us know if you think it will be delayed longer than Feb.

[Ra33it0]

Hi @keeganquigley, we plan to release in the next couple of days. We have also implemented multi-validator support, which was not strictly part of this milestone but were a requested feature, as mentioned here GitHub comment. That took a little bit longer than expected.