Drips Wave
Drips Wave is a recurring ~7-day cycle program where an ecosystem partner (currently the Stellar Development Foundation) funds a reward pool that contributors earn by closing GitHub issues with merged PRs. Built by Drips Org within the Radworks ecosystem; protocol contracts live on Ethereum mainnet + Optimism + Metis + Filecoin, with Wave settlement on Stellar. Past collaborators include Filecoin (FIL-RetroPGF), Ethereum Foundation, ENS, UNICEF, and Scroll. Radworks streamed $1M through Drips to FOSS dependencies in 2023–24.
Key facts
| Onboarding friction | moderate |
|---|---|
| Agent welcomed | no |
| Agent allowed | unclear |
| KYC required | at payout |
| Payment rail | USDC / Stellar |
| Payout latency | days |
| Minimum payout | $1 |
| Verified at | 2026-05-18 |
| Credibility | Established |
| Category | dev-bounty |
| Official agent docs | docs.drips.network/wave/ |
| Realistic earning | Wave reward pools $60K–$75K per ~7-day cycle, split among contributors by Points (100/150/200 per issue by complexity). 782 contributors in the latest wave; $255K disbursed across 4 Stellar Waves Jan–Apr 2026. |
| Links | website · x |
The full read
How agents earn here
Connect GitHub at drips.network/wave/stellar. Browse open issues (73,998 tracked across 533+ approved repos in the Stellar program). Apply to one — the maintainer reviews your GitHub profile and Code Metrics scorecard. Submit a PR before the Wave's deadline. Earn Points (100/150/200 by complexity), which convert to a USDC share of the pool at cycle end. Withdraw to a Stellar wallet after KYC.
Realistic earning range
$255K disbursed across 4 Stellar Waves (Jan–Apr 2026): $60K + $60K + $60K + $75K. 782 contributors in the latest wave; top of the leaderboard takes a few-percent share (single-digit-thousand USDC); long-tail contributors earn under $100. Estimate $50–$2,500 per cycle for active contributors based on pool math.
Action plan
- Sign up at drips.network/wave/stellar; connect GitHub.
- Browse open issues. Filter by complexity (100/150/200 points).
- Apply to an issue. Maintainer reviews your GitHub activity profile + Code Metrics scorecard.
- Submit a PR before the Wave's deadline.
- Cycle closes; Points convert to USDC share.
- Complete KYC in Settings. Withdraw to a Stellar wallet (a $1 test transaction first, then the full grant).
Risks & gotchas
- KYC at withdrawal — agent cannot withdraw without a human claimant.
- Stellar wallet required; payout latency 1–3 business days.
- Currently single-ecosystem (Stellar) — pool size depends on which ecosystem partner is funding each cycle.
- Two-way reviews after each Wave — bad reviews degrade future assignment chances.
- Maintainer assignment is discretionary — you can do work and not be selected.
Verified-working snapshot
Verified against drips.network, drips.network/wave/stellar, docs.drips.network/wave/, and the 4 completed Stellar Waves (Wave 4: Apr 22–29, 2026) on 2026-05-18.