Skip to main content
At Cantina, we’re committed to rewarding high-performing security researchers who choose to make Cantina their home. The Fellowship Program is a tiered system designed to maximize opportunities, recognize skill and experience, and offer guaranteed bonus compensation in public competitions. The program consists of three tiers: Apprentice, Resident, and Fellow - each with distinct qualification criteria, application processes, and guaranteed benefits.

​
Fellowship Levels & Criteria

​
Apprentice

Eligibility
  • Automatically eligible with $1,000–$10,000 USD earned in Cantina competitions
  • Or apply with a short technical application evaluated by the Cantina team
Benefits
  • $250 bonus payout per public competition for top 50% finish
  • Access to exclusive competitions, reviews, and bounties

​
Resident

Eligibility
  • Automatically eligible with ASR or SR designation on Spearbit, or $10,000–$100,000 USD in Cantina earnings
  • Or apply with a short technical application demonstrating ASR/SR-level proficiency
Benefits
  • $1,000–$2,500 bonus payout per public competition for top 25% finish
  • Access to exclusive competitions, reviews, and bounties

​
Fellow

Eligibility
  • Automatically eligible with LSR designation on Spearbit, or over $100,000 USD in Cantina earnings
  • Or apply with a technical application demonstrating LSR-level proficiency
Benefits
  • $2,500–$10,000 bonus payout per public competition for top 5% finish
  • Opportunity to share in Cantina’s growth
  • Access to top-tier competitions, reviews, and bounties

​
Qualification Requirements

To maintain active status in the Cantina Fellowship Program, researchers must:
  • Add “Security Researcher @cantinaxyz” to your X (Twitter) bio
  • Remove mentions of other web3 security competition platforms
  • Link your X account to your Cantina profile
  • Sign an exclusivity agreement with Cantina
  • Meet percentile placement requirements for bonus eligibility
  • Maintain a reputation score >60

​
Application & Opt-In Process

  1. Log into your Cantina account - Upon login, eligible researchers will see a Fellowship Program banner on their dashboard.
  2. Review Your Pre-Qualified Level - Based on previous competition rewards or Spearbit designation, your eligible tier (Apprentice, Resident, or Fellow) will be displayed.
  3. Click “Apply Now” - Confirm your participation through your Cantina profile. A member of the Cantina team will follow up with next steps.
  4. Negotiate Bonus Tiers (Resident and Fellow Only) - If you qualify as a Resident or Fellow, a member of the core team will initiate a short call to determine your bonus bracket based on past work.
  5. Don’t meet the criteria yet? No problem. Use the application form via the dashboard banner to demonstrate your experience and qualifications. If accepted, we’ll be in touch.

​
Why Join the Fellowship?

  • Fixed bonus structure for high-quality work
  • Access to better opportunities across private reviews and bounties
  • Recognition for technical excellence in the web3 security space
If you’re ready to level up your impact and rewards, log into your Cantina dashboard and apply to join the Fellowship Program today.

​
Fellowship Steward Model

The steward is a Cantina-appointed, dedicated security researcher for a Cantina competition. They receive a fixed pay in addition to the competition rewards.

​
1. Researcher Responsibilities

  • Competition participation: Researchers must dedicate their full and best efforts to the assigned competition.
  • Fix Review: Researchers are required to conduct one (1) day of fix review for each full week that the competition runs (e.g., a three-week competition requires three days of fix review), up to a maximum of four (4) days. The exact duration will be determined before the competition begins.
  • Leaderboard Performance: Researchers are expected to perform well on the leaderboard (top x% based on competition size).
  • Judging Assistance: Researchers may assist in judging submissions if required.

​
2. Payment Structure

Researchers earn a percentage of the prize pot based on the size of the pot and their performance. The payment structure is tiered as follows: Final Discretion: All payments are subject to Cantina’s assessment. While this framework ensures fairness, adjustments may be made to reflect a researcher’s impact, competition complexity, or other valuable contributions.

​
3. Penalties for Underperformance

To ensure accountability, penalties are imposed if researchers fail to meet expectations:
  • Leaderboard penalties: Payment is reduced by 20% for every 10% below the required percentile, subject to a floor: no payment will be issued if the researcher falls below the 70th percentile.
  • Fix Review Failure: If a researcher fails to complete the fix review, their payment is withheld until the issues are resolved.
  • Lost Opportunity: If a researcher incurs penalties in more than three competitions, they will be temporarily barred from future dedicated researcher engagements until the Cantina team reviews their performance.

​
4. Minimum Findings Threshold

  • All payment/penalty terms apply only if the competition has > 3 total H/M findings.
  • If total findings is ≤ 3, Cantina evaluates performance case-by-case.

​
5. Example Scenario

  • Prize Pot: $300k
  • Researcher Share: 12% of pot = $36,000
  • Researcher Ranking: Top 40% of leaderboard
  • Total Payment: $36,000 (prize share)
If the researcher fails to meet the top 40% leaderboard requirement, their prize share is reduced by 20% for every 10% drop below the requirement. Ex. Top 50%: $36,000 → $28,800.

​
6. Additional Notes

  • Mandatory Participation: Researchers must commit to the full duration of the competition and fulfill all responsibilities to receive payment.
  • If a Fellowship Steward is assigned to a competition and meets both of the program’s conditions, they will receive whichever amount is higher: the fellowship bonus or the fixed pool allocation.
  • Cantina reserves the right to change the above rules and review on case by cases basis