Blockchain startup incubators have long played a pivotal role in fostering innovation, but they often struggle with challenges such as limited resource availability for builders, a focus on short-term profitability over long-term innovation, and insufficient support for go-to-market strategies.

However, when these programs are well-structured, they can become powerful catalysts for impactful projects with significant real-world applications.

XDC Network has emerged as a leader in shaping a new digital economy, particularly in real-world assets (RWA) and trade finance, industry sectors expected to grow to $5-16 trillion by 2030 and $87.81 billion by 2031, respectively. The platform’s growing ecosystem is already home to a diverse array of decentralized applications redefining how businesses interact with global markets, with an array of milestones and global partnerships serving as proving points of impactful progress shaping the Web3 economy and transforming industries.

XDC Foundation and XinFin, the network’s founding organization, have taken deliberate steps to support this ecosystem through initiatives like the XDC Accelerator Program. These programs offer more than just opportunities for builders; they serve as gateways into a thriving digital economy that is set to expand with the recent launch of XDC 2.0.

The upgraded protocol, which was deployed on Monday, September 30, 2024, is complemented by the rollout of a subnet system engineered to provide organizations higher transaction privacy while still benefiting from the security, scalability, and efficiency of the public XDC mainnet. Additional upgrades to protocol security, performance, and resource efficiency are included. Read CertiK’s audit to see how XDC 2.0 measures up.

This release not only strengthens the existing ecosystem but is also drawing new projects that will further solidify XDC Network’s position in the global digital economy.

In this article, we explore how the convergence of this fall’s XDC 2.0 release with the network’s premier accelerator programs makes this the ideal time to build and launch a project on XDC Network.

Get familiar with XDC accelerators and incubators

In an industry where many startup incubators fall short, XDC Network is breaking the mold by supporting comprehensive, well-structured programs that truly empower blockchain innovators.

As you explore the XDC Accelerator Program, you’ll discover how these opportunities are tailored to help you bring your vision to life on the XDC Network.

Here are the highlights.

Plug and Play

Centered around the goals of increasing the XDC blockchain’s Decentralized Finance (DeFi) offerings, Total Value Locked (TVL), and on-chain Real-World Assets (RWAs) integrations, the XDC RWA Accelerator Program provides participants the opportunity to closely collaborate with core XDC teams while building their projects.

The program’s application window closes on November 15th and culminates in June 2025 with an Expo Day held at Plug and Play Summit in Silicon Valley, where participants will pitch their businesses to potential investors, partners, and users.

“XDC Network, with its robust performance and leadership in RWA tokenization, is positioned to capture the next wave of the tokenized economy. Being distinctly capable, connected, and still somewhat under-recognized makes XDC the ideal blockchain for this initiative. Their strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Securitize highlight the network’s position and influence. This accelerator will drive enterprise adoption of RWA tokenization, providing startups with the resources to develop groundbreaking solutions. We look forward to collaborating with XDC Network and the exceptional startups that will join in this mission.” – Maximillian Jungreis, Head of Crypto & Digital Assets, Plug and Play

The program is seeking participants focused on core protocol developments and the essential operations needed to sustain a blockchain project, like business development and education. Specifically “promising startups from Web3 verticals, including but not limited to Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN), Distributors, Custodians & Wallets, Tokenization Platforms, Protocols, Data & Ecosystem and supply chain logistics” will be included.

Apply for the program: https://share.hsforms.com/12q5LtCjATZSMLrbeHeHz6g1zlna

Brinc

Brinc, a leading venture acceleration and corporate innovation firm, has selected the XDC Network to LAUNCH an intensive 12-week program designed to support emerging projects building on the EVM-compatible chain. The program not only offers financial support but also ensures that participants are well-equipped to thrive within the XDC ecosystem, providing shortlisted projects up to $100,000 in XDC tokens to facilitate their product launches.

Upon successful integration into the XDC Network, startups will unlock a range of benefits designed to propel their growth. These include participation in investor and demo days, ongoing technical support from the XDC ecosystem, and valuable connections to major cryptocurrency exchanges.

Furthermore, projects will benefit from express listing support on CoinMarketCap, enhancing their visibility in the market. XinFin’s venture arm XVC Tech also offers funding support, contingent upon investment from other co-investors, providing an additional layer of financial backing for promising startups.

The twelve-week program commenced on October 1st.

View the program overview: https://www.brinc.io/xdc-launch/

Tenity

With the launch of the Tenity XDC Accelerator Program, the XDC ecosystem gained a powerhouse of innovation, ready to bring ecosystem founders to the next level.

Tenity maintains six global hubs (Zurich, Singapore, Tallinn, Madrid, London, and Istanbul), corporate innovation programs in over 15 countries, and has supported more than 1,600 startups through its programs.

XDC Accelerator participants will receive:

Industry Mentorship: Gain insights and guidance from industry veterans experienced in global trade and blockchain technology.
Exposure & Network: Networking not only with local startup ecosystems but also with Tenity’s portfolio companies.
Fundraising: Access funding to propel your startup’s growth and development.

Applications for the program are closed.

SBI Group

A Japanese leader in online financial services, SBI Group partnered with XDC to drive the expansion of the XDC token economy through the establishment of the SBI XDC Network APAC.

Although it is an informal accelerator by label, the initiative is contributing to the growth of XDC in similar fashion, maintaining the primary purpose of expanding XDC’s use cases across global economic activities, particularly in trade finance and cross-border payments.

Honorable mentions

Outside the core highlights of this article, a wealth of ongoing activity is dedicated to incentivizing innovation that will remain valuable long into the future.

Noteworthy initiatives include:

Foundership – Web3 & AI Accelerator
- A three-month cohort program where startups join to get product launch ready and earn up to a $100,000 investment from XDC Network.
- View the program: https://foundershiphq.com/xdc-0xcamp

XVC Tech – MVP Stage Funding
- A $125 million fund focusing on providing support to MVP-ready startups at the seed stage.
- Apply for funding: https://www.xvc.tech/apply-for-funding.html

XDC Markets and Liquidity Team
- A recently established markets and liquidity team will assist institutional clients with building RWA liquidity (and other forms of on-chain liquidity) via XDC Network.
- The team recently represented XDC Network at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2024 event, participating in focused discussions and networking experiences for 250 leading investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.

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Delivering milestones, not vanity metrics

XDC Foundation is creating an environment that encourages and supports innovation that stands to remain relevant and valuable long term. The incubators are not for garnering attention or achieving fluff metrics. As demonstrated across the past several years, tangible progress is driving the XDC ecosystem forward and each effort is contributing to shaping the growth of the XDC Web3 economy.

In October, 2023, in collaboration with Propine, TradeFlow Capital Management Pte Ltd, and TradeFinex, the XDC Trade Network reportedly achieved a milestone first-of-its-kind trade finance transaction that converted a paper Bills of Lading (BL) to an electronic BL (eBL), enabling TradeFlow Capital (the shipper in this scenario) to raise liquidity as soon as the transaction was completed because the tokenized documents were far easier to verify and transfer than the standard BL—a significant improvement over the traditional trade finance transaction process that showcased how tokenizing a real-world asset (RWA) can supercharge liquidity-raising efforts in trade finance.

XDC Network leadership teams, in collaboration with TradeTrust, are also actively spearheading efforts to globalize the use of the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR). The work is disrupting conventional trade finance practices, freeing the industry from its dependency on complex, slow-moving paper-based processes by leveraging MLETR to enhance the security and reliability of digital record transfers.

It’s no small feat; this effort is quite literally bringing the global trade finance industry into the modern digital era. Trade finance processing velocity, cost-efficiency, transparency, security, and environmental impact all stand to make massive gains as a result. According to André Casterman, founder of the DNI (digital negotiable instruments) initiative, early adopter banks, such as Lloyds Bank, will “scale use of digital negotiable instruments at cross-border level through the 4-corner model re-using correspondent banking relationships.”

Further highlighting the steady stream of progress, in May of this year, the SBI XDC Network APAC successfully completed a proof-of-concept experiment, showcasing the ability to transfer value using digital assets across distributed ledger technologies (DLT). Specifically, the experiment involved the XDC Network and the R3 Corda platform, demonstrating how this method can enhance efficiency and streamline inter-business settlements in trade transactions.

The success marks a significant milestone in the group’s mission to bring new businesses into the XDC ecosystem, and it provides an entryway for a more seamless cross-border payments industry, such as supply chain and trade finance.

Find your opportunity

For builders looking to launch RWAs, there is no better opportunity than deploying on the XDC Network. With a strong reputation, numerous alliances with leading innovation accelerators, and the chance to collaborate with platforms like Securitize and finance leaders such as SBI Group, the support available to ensure success is immense. This thriving ecosystem also boasts a significant community and active social media presence capable of bringing global awareness to ecosystem builders.

These factors and the opportunities discussed in this article clearly demonstrate the XDC Foundation’s and the entire XDC ecosystem’s commitment to supporting dedicated builders through strategic guidance and awareness.

Stay up to date on new opportunities by viewing the XDC Accelerator Program website. Subscribe to the XDC Foundation newsletter and follow XDC on X for additional updates.

This content is sponsored by XDC Network and does not serve as an endorsement by Blockworks. The veracity of this content has not been verified and should not serve as financial advice. We encourage readers to conduct their own research before making financial decisions.

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