A plug and play open source forum in Node.js might actually be worth $1 million dollars. Most of the widely used forums today are built in PHP so this could be just as big for Node.js as it is for the forum. Additionally, if this code is open source and integrates with BTC, it has wider applications.

*Puts on his tinfoil hat*

Since Augusto and Goat aren't directly saying it, I'll just be blunt so folks know why there is some flak about spending the money...

Federal (specifically DoD, but others as well) projects often come with an NDA for the developers to not share government work in their portfolios. Whenever I hear someone talk about NDAs, I assume government work. Given that this is going to be an open source forum that has some form of BTC and Trust integration, it would likely be highly valuable to various entities within Darknets as well. If designed intentionally with exploits in the open source version that are patched in the live version, an aspiring three-letter agency could use the success of a Node.js forum to promote adoption in some of these remoter areas of the web. Then, at a specified integration-point, they could exploit said software causing turmoil for hapless Darknet administrators.

*Takes tinfoil hat off*

Regardless of whoever is designing this software, security should be the primary focus or else you're going to get some really bad (and IMHO, quite-deserved) flak. I'd highly recommend keeping the existing security bounties and possibly even integrating or accounting for them during development of the project.