An Arc incubator program
ârcarena
where problems meet talent meets capital
The Bitcoin track, sponsored by Fulgur Ventures. Ship in a weekend, then climb a funding ladder to a fundable seed.
- $10,000 headline prize
- 36 hours
- Up to 5 teams
- 1 thesis
- 1 check
- Network School campus
Doors open in
01How it works
The thesis is the brief. The check is the prize.
One model, two sides of the same room. Builders ship to a thesis; investors fund what ships.
For builders
- 01
Build to the thesis
The sponsor's request for startups is the track. Pick a prompt and ship something real on Bitcoin in a weekend.
- 02
Win the check
The firm's first investment is the prize, not swag. You demo live to the people who write it.
- 03
Climb the ladder
Keep shipping and milestone funding follows, from a working demo to a fundable seed round.
For investors
- 01
Set the thesis
Your investment thesis becomes the track's request for startups. Curated builders self-select to it.
- 02
See it built
Watch five hand-picked teams ship against your thesis in one weekend. First look, while the code is still warm.
- 03
Write the first check
Back the best on the stage, then follow on at each rung of the ladder as they prove out.
02The tracks
Each fund is a track.
One firm, one thesis, one check. The firm's request for startups is the brief, and their first investment is the prize.
Bitcoin infrastructure for the next 4 billion people, backed pre-seed to pre-IPO. Build to Fulgur's request for startups.
What good looks like. Bitcoin native, not bolted on. Emerging-market relevance. Coachable founders.
A second capital track, the agentic counterpart to Bitcoin. Details soon.
03Requests for startups
Four problems worth a company.
Straight from Fulgur's request for startups. Pick one and build it, or bring your own in the same spirit.
- 01
Bitcoin savings apps
Everyone will save in bitcoin, but across Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and beyond there is still no simple way to buy a little every week. Get 20,000 users buying $200 a week and you have the backbone of the global bitcoin banking system.
- 02
TradFi exploits
Fiat is a leaky ship and bitcoin is not. Find the ways bitcoin drains energy from the old system: inheritance wrappers, proof of reserves, anything that demonetises real estate or gold.
- 03
Bitcoin financial services and cyber infrastructure
Most of TradFi has no bitcoin-native equivalent yet: prime brokerage, structured credit, derivatives clearing. Plus security, where proof of work can raise the cost of attacks until they stop being economic.
- 04
Universal payments
No consumer, business, or AI agent should have to choose between Lightning, Ark, Spark, or ecash. Abstract the rails into one experience, privacy by default, bridging UPI, Pix, and FPS.
04Who backs it
Who is behind the check.
The leading venture firm focused exclusively on Bitcoin and the Lightning Network.
- Founded
- 2019
- Stage
- Pre-seed to Series A
- First check
- ~$50K to $200K typical (third-party estimate)
- Based
- Singapore, registered Delaware
Portfolio
Blockstream · Breez · Voltage · Amboss · Fold · Casa · Alby · Umbrel · Bitrefill
Arc is the base layer. Curious is one of three Arc-co-managed pre-seed vehicles, alongside Fulgur and Arc Angel.
- Role
- SEZ, legal, brand, campus
- Curious
- Agent-native pre-seed, details soon
Curious specifics are confirmed per edition.
05The funding ladder
Ship once. Then keep climbing.
The hackathon is rung one. Every rung after it is a real check for hitting a real milestone, all the way to a seed round. You climb as far as the work takes you.
- 01
Hackathon
July 11 to 12
Ship a working demo on Bitcoin.
$5,000
- 02
Month 1
August
A live product with your first real users.
$25,000
- 03
Month 2
September
Traction that compounds week over week.
$100K to $250K pre-seed
- 04
Month 3
October
A fundable seed story, told in numbers.
Series A introductions
06The teams
Five seats. Five companies.
Up to five pilot teams are selected. Each picks a problem, ships it, and climbs the ladder. Their progress shows up here as the program runs.
- Seat 01
Seat open
Bitcoin savings apps
- Seat 02
Seat open
TradFi exploits
- Seat 03
Seat open
Bitcoin financial services + cyber infra
- Seat 04
Seat open
Universal payments
- Seat 05
Seat open
Wildcard: your own, in the same spirit
07Prizes and judges
What you are playing for.
$10,000
headline prize at the hackathon
The real prize is the path. Keep shipping and the ladder pays out, all the way to a seed round.
The judges
- To be announcedFulgur Ventures
- To be announcedArc
- To be announcedBitcoin ecosystem
How it is judged
- 01
Problem clarity
Is the problem real, sharp, and worth solving now?
- 02
Bitcoin integration depth
Is Bitcoin native to the build, not bolted on?
- 03
Traction potential
Could this reach real users and compound?
- 04
Demo plus commitment
Does it work live, and will the team keep building after?
08Run of show
A produced weekend, not a free-for-all.
- Sat 09:00DoorsBadge up, breakfast, first real conversations. No lanyard limbo.
- Sat 10:00KickoffThe thesis, the RFS, the rubric, the ladder, and the clock, presented like a premiere.
- The 36 hoursThe BuildHeads down through the night. Mentors on the floor, the sponsor in the room, checkpoints that keep the energy up.
- Sun 14:00Demo TheaterEvery team on a real stage, to judges, founders, and the people who write the check.
- Sun 17:00JudgingLive and on the record, scored against the published rubric.
- Sun 21:00The FinaleThe check is awarded and rung one opens: who advances to month one of the ladder.
09The base layer
You just build. We handle the rest.
You bring the build. Arc and Network School handle everything else: a residential campus with housing and meals, fast wifi, and turnkey legal. Show up and ship.
- Housing on the NS campus
- All meals and coffee
- Fast wifi and power
- SEZ legal incorporation via Arc
Forest City, Johor, Malaysia, a short hop from Singapore · Travel for selected builders: details soon. · One premium item for every builder who ships.
10Partners
Built with.
- ArcHost and base layer
- Fulgur VenturesBitcoin track sponsor
- Network SchoolCampus
11Questions
Before you ask.
How do I get in?
Apply and you are reviewed. Up to five teams are curated for edition one, so a clear, shipped track record matters more than a long form.
What do I build?
Anything where Bitcoin is load-bearing, against one of Fulgur's four prompts. Working prototypes over slideware.
What does it cost to compete?
Nothing. Selected builders get the room, mentors, meals, and the stage. Travel and lodging: details soon.
Who owns what I build?
You do. arcarena does not take your IP. The check and any capital are separate, opt-in conversations.
What team size works best?
Three to four people is the strongest size. Solo and pairs run short on bandwidth; five-plus spend too long coordinating.
Can I bring existing code?
Bring your libraries and tools, not a finished product. The work toward the prize should start at the event.
How does the money work?
The sponsor's first check is the prize, then the ladder pays out at the month one, two, and three milestones. Specifics are confirmed per edition.
12Apply
Take a seat in the arena.
One weekend, five seats, and a ladder that pays out to a seed round. Builders ship; investors get first look. Bring something real to build on Bitcoin.
Final seats by invite · July 11 to 12, 2026 · Network School campus