I am so sad that the contest isn't going to fairly compensate everyone for their work, but I'm really pumped that so many people are excited to contribute!
J.R. - I don't think you have a good read on these people. They are all going to be fairly compensated. Their compensation comes in producing fine results on a very interesting project. Probably very few people are in this for the money.
Don't spend another second being 'so sad that...' - your efforts to keep the project healthy and going down a good path are all they need as compensation to work hard. Your organization of the project assures their efforts are not wasted. It is a perfect synergy. Forget about $$$, BTC, or MSC. Building something cool is far more rewarding than having a pocket full of money.
However, hot chicks tend not to agree with that I suspect.
I'm deeply gratified that most people seem to be in this for personal satisfaction rather than money (the project will make progress much faster this way). However, ignore the opinion of the hot chick(s) in your life at your peril!