Round 13 - Call For Grant Applications - Deadline is June 7

Grants / Bounties
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This thread is for applications for Rocket Pool’s May 7, 2024 - June 7, 2024 grants. Please only post grant applications in this thread. If you would like to discuss and/or ask questions about any applications you see in this thread, we ask that you do so in this separate forum thread which has been established for all community discussions related to this round of applications. Only those grant applications that are posted in this thread and timestamped by June 7, 2024 at 23:59 (11:59 PM) UTC will be considered. Any grants posted after that deadline will be carried over to the next award period.

This is the expected schedule for round 13:

  • Application Period (May 7th - June 7th)
  • Negotiation Period (June 8th - June 24th)
  • Scoring Deadline (June 25th)
  • Final Voting Amendments, Discussion and Finalization (June 26th - June 29th)
  • Award Announcement (June 30th)
Differences Between Grants and Bounties Grants are intended to be applied for by those who are wishing to carry out the work themselves. Bounties are open-ended goals that could be met by anyone, including those other than the proposing party. In other words, if I believed that Rocket Pool needed a fifty-foot paper mache orange rocket for publicity purposes and I wanted to be the one to built it, I would apply for a grant. If I instead thought Rocket Pool needed a fifty-foot paper mache orange rocket for publicity purposes but I wanted it to be open to whoever built it first to claim the reward (similar to a prize), then I’d apply for a bounty.

To guide you in your application, the GMC has established the following goals and the following scoring rubric:

GMC Goals

Grants, bounties, and retrospective awards should make it easier and/or more attractive to do one or more of the following:

  • become a node operator

  • operate a node, mint rETH

  • hold or use rETH

  • improve the quality of life for the protocol and its community.

Grants Rubric

When evaluating grant applications, the GMC takes into account the following goals:

  • If the application is successful, to what extent does it further the GMC goals?

  • To what extent can the application be feasibly carried out by the person(s) proposed to complete it?

  • If the application is successful, how large is the benefit to the protocol relative to the size of the proposed costs

Grant Application Template

Please copy paste the template below into a reply. Answer the questions there, feel free to remove or add sections based on relevance.

## Name of Grant

### What is the work being proposed?

### Is there any related work this builds off of?

### Will the results of this project be entirely open source ([MIT](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT), [GPL](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html), [Apache](https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0), [CC BY](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license or similar)? If not, which parts will not be, why, and under what license will they be published?



## Benefit

<please enter N/A where appropriate>

| Group | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Potential rETH holders | If the grant is successfully completed, how does this help people looking to stake ETH for rETH? |
| rETH holders | If the grant is successfully completed, how does this help rETH holders? |
| Potential NOs |  If the grant is successfully completed, how does this help people looking to run a Rocket Pool node for the first time? |
| NOs | If the grant is successfully completed, how does this help people already running a Rocket Pool node? |
| Community |  If the grant is successfully completed, how does this help the Rocket Pool community? |
| RPL holders |  If the grant is successfully completed, how does this help RPL holders? |

### Which other non-RPL protocols, DAOs, projects, or individuals, would stand to benefit from this grant?



## Work

### Who is doing the work?

### What is the background of the person(s) doing the work? What experience do they have with such projects in the past?

### What is the breakdown of the proposed work, in terms of milestones and/or deadlines?

### How is the work being tested? Is testing included in the schedule?

### How will the work be maintained after delivery?



## Costs

### What is the acceptance criteria?

### What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much USD $ and over what period of time is the applicant requesting?

### Is the applicant requesting RPL or LUSD?

### How will the GMC verify that the work delivered matches the proposed cadence?

### What alternatives or options have been considered in order to save costs for the proposed project?



## Conflict of Interest

### Does the person or persons proposing the grant have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if any member of the GMC would benefit directly financially from the grant).

### Will the recipient of the grant, or any protocol or project in which the recipient has a vested interest (other than Rocket Pool), benefit financially if the grant is successful?
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Expand BA082402 (Non-Custodial Staking Grant) to include one more team

General Information

Note that many sections have been truncated, insofar as they are in the original application.

What is the nature of the proposed bounty?

BA082402 was previously approved and made to work for 2 teams. This proposal allows a third team, as one has expressed interest in taking on the bounty insofar as it remains available.

The third team have community ties, are on the more professional end, and believe they have a wider reach (beyond RP) than the previous teams.

Note that this team wish to remain anonymous until / unless they have a working product.

Benefit

For the “Potential NOs” group, this team believes they can reach new potential NOs that might otherwise be unaware of the opportunity.

Structure

How would you structure this bounty, and why?

Expand BA082402 to:

  • Milestone B: $10k/team if 2 or 3 teams complete, $20k/team if one team completes; deadline remains 9/1/24
  • Milestone C: $30k/team if 2 or 3 teams complete, $60k/team if one team completes; deadline remains 3/1/25

This grant includes additional funding that will be allocated if all three teams meet their deadlines. This provision was introduced to guarantee equitable support for all teams upon successful completion of their objectives.

Each team will remain eligible to receive the originally declared amount.

1 Like
3

Tokenomics Rework Grant (Core Contributors)

What is the work being proposed?

Rework Rocket Pool tokenomics using a GMC selected roster of specialists.

Is there any related work this builds off of?

I am submitting three applications this period:

Relevant Work

Benefit

Group Benefits
Potential rETH holders A tokenomics rework would make Rocket Pool marketable again. rETH would give users the best decentralized option.
rETH holders The tokenomics goal is to ensure all offerings are competitive with other staking providers, including rETH.
Potential NOs A lot of node operators are turned off by the high RPL requirements. There are many ideas that could allow little to no RPL exposure.
NOs Tokenomics will lead to higher APR and much more options.
Community Community sentiment is very low, tokenomics is one of the only hopeful items left for some. The GMC backing these efforts is essential.
RPL holders All of the above benefits will lead to a higher RPL price.

Which other non-RPL protocols, DAOs, projects, or individuals, would stand to benefit from this grant?

None

Work

Who is doing the work?

A preset roster chosen by the GMC. By identifying the core contributors from the start, the GMC can ensure the project progresses quickly. Even though new members can join later, onboarding them may be challenging, making it crucial to begin with a strong initial team.

My proposed list of core contributors:

  • Valdorff
  • samus
  • knoshua
  • sckuzzle
  • LFW

More core contributors can be added by a majority vote of current core contributors.

Core contributors are not eligible for double dipping in other grants related to tokenomics unless explicitly specified.

What is the background of the person(s) doing the work? What experience do they have with such projects in the past?

This list was selected based on the people primarily doing the work now, and have experience in the field.

What is the breakdown of the proposed work, in terms of milestones and/or deadlines?

Current Deployment Plan

Milestone A - Saturn 1 Upgrades
Implement all of the following minus any the community determines are no longer feasible:

Milestone B - Saturn 2 Upgrades
Implement all of the following minus any the community determines are no longer feasible:

Costs

What is the acceptance criteria?

Successfully ratified RPIPs.

What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much USD $ and over what period of time is the applicant requesting?

$75,000 upon completion of Milestone A
$75,000 upon completion of Milestone B

At the culmination of the project, core contributors will stack rank* each other to determine compensation.

  • Valve, New Employee Handbook (page 27)

Stack Rank Image 1
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Stack Rank Image 2
Stack Rank Image 2792×522 93.1 KB

Is the applicant requesting RPL or LUSD?

RPL

How will the GMC verify that the work delivered matches the proposed cadence?

Completing the project and getting these new changes approved by the DAO inherently requires frequent reviews and continuous iterations.

What alternatives or options have been considered in order to save costs for the proposed project?

Volunteers are currently working on the project without compensation. Introducing financial incentives at this stage could significantly boost motivation and encourage greater time investment in the project.

Conflict of Interest

Does the person or persons proposing the grant have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if any member of the GMC would benefit directly financially from the grant).

I am the GMC administrator. I exclude myself from any compensation for tokenomics reworks.

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Tokenomics Rework Grant (Other Contributors)

What is the work being proposed?

Rework Rocket Pool tokenomics using members of the community. (The content of this application is very similar to Tokenomics Rework Grant (Core Contributors), with the main distinction being the logistics of compensation.

Is there any related work this builds off of?

I am submitting three applications this period:

Relevant Work

Benefit

Group Benefits
Potential rETH holders A tokenomics rework would make Rocket Pool marketable again. rETH would give users the best decentralized option.
rETH holders The tokenomics goal is to ensure all offerings are competitive with other staking providers, including rETH.
Potential NOs A lot of node operators are turned off by the high RPL requirements. There are many ideas that could allow little to no RPL exposure.
NOs Tokenomics will lead to higher APR and much more options.
Community Community sentiment is very low, tokenomics is one of the only hopeful items left for some. The GMC backing these efforts is essential.
RPL holders All of the above benefits will lead to a higher RPL price.

Which other non-RPL protocols, DAOs, projects, or individuals, would stand to benefit from this grant?

None

Work

Who is doing the work?

Anyone outside of the core contributor list proposed. This allows anyone from the community to join and be compensated for their contributions.

What is the breakdown of the proposed work, in terms of milestones and/or deadlines?

Current Deployment Plan

Milestone A - Saturn 1 Upgrades
Implement all of the following minus any the community determines are no longer feasible:

Milestone B - Saturn 2 Upgrades
Implement all of the following minus any the community determines are no longer feasible:

Costs

What is the acceptance criteria?

Successfully ratified RPIPs.

What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much USD $ and over what period of time is the applicant requesting?

$100,000 total maximum
$50,000 maximum upon completion of Milestone A
$50,000 maximum upon completion of Milestone B

There will be preset tiers of compensation determined by GMC.

  • Tier 1: $4k
  • Tier 2: $2,000
  • Tier 3: $1,000
  • Tier 4: $500
  • Tier 5: $100

Contributor tier placement will be determined by a combination of Rocket Scrape data and private feedback surveys from core contributors.

Is the applicant requesting RPL or LUSD?

RPL

How will the GMC verify that the work delivered matches the proposed cadence?

Completing the project and getting these new changes approved by the DAO inherently requires frequent reviews and continuous iterations.

What alternatives or options have been considered in order to save costs for the proposed project?

Volunteers are currently working on the project without compensation. Introducing financial incentives at this stage could significantly boost motivation and encourage greater time investment in the project.

Conflict of Interest

Does the person or persons proposing the grant have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if any member of the GMC would benefit directly financially from the grant).

I am the GMC administrator. I exclude myself from any compensation for tokenomics reworks.

5

RocketPool & Gitcoin: Grants for Growth

Gitcoin’s Allo Protocol unlocks cutting-edge funding mechanisms, including Easy Retroactive Public Goods “hereinafter E-RPGF” through its smart contracts, allowing developers and communities to tailor rules to their precise use case. Various funding mechanisms are executed on top of Allo Protocol’s App Layer through turn-key/no-code interface(s).

The Allo Protocol allows for the implementation of grant rounds that can leverage funding mechanisms to address past, current, and future Rocketpool stakeholders (Node Operators, Rocket Pool Community, and rETH holders). We will ensure that these mechanism(s) are thoughtfully and strategically deployed to specifically address Rocketpool’s desire to reward best-of-breed projects in areas that include marketing, educational materials, and tooling.

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Work being proposed

In support of Rocketpool’s Call for Grant Applications—Round 13, Gitcoin would like to propose a strategic partnership focused initially on implementing our E-RPGF funding mechanism.

We support grant programs from the tens of thousands to millions per year and recommend a minimum of $100,000 for an impactful E-RPGF round for Rocketpool’s ecosystem. Please find a detailed breakdown of this proposed funding allocation in the funding overview section included in “Costs.”

Is there any work this builds off of?

N/A

Will the results of this project be entirely open source, if not under what license will they be published?

This will be defined as part of the eligibility criteria for the prospective round(s) we run.

E-RPGF Funding Mechanism

We realize Rocketpool is already providing Direct Grant funding, so this grant submission’s focus is E-RPGF. That said, we have included a brief high-level summary of the various funding mechanisms below.

Description: E-RPGF is a retroactive funding mechanism that assesses the outcome and the impact of developers and projects generated from contributions made in the past. Said differently, the project’s goals were already achieved, and this funding is based on hindsight. This approach encourages long-term thinking and incentivizes projects to create lasting value for the Rocketpool community.

Implementation: Rocketpool and Gitcoin will initiate an E-RPGF funding pool with a minimum of $100,000, rewarding projects based on their past contributions to the Rocketpool ecosystem. The selected Rocketpool badgeholders will pick the most deserving projects, and the backend mechanism will distribute such funds proportionally to the number of votes allocated. The aim is to empower Rocketpool’s most valued experts to select projects that have already accomplished their goals.

Quadratic Funding Mechanism

Description: Quadratic Funding (QF) democratizes financial support, empowering the Rocketpool community to vote with their contributions to back the projects they believe in. This approach emphasizes the importance of broad community support, making it a highly inclusive funding model.

Implementation: Rocketpool and Gitcoin may initiate a QF round inviting developers and project teams to participate. The community’s contributions will determine the distribution of funds based on the quadratic funding formula.

Direct Grants Mechanism

Description: Direct grants offer targeted financial support to projects demonstrating exceptional potential, innovation, or strategic importance to the Rocketpool ecosystem. This focused approach ensures that critical initiatives receive the necessary resources to thrive.

Implementation: A selection process may be established to award direct grants to deserving projects. Evaluation criteria will include the project’s innovation level, potential ecosystem impact, and alignment with Rocketpool’s strategic objectives.

A Video Demonstration of our Gitcoin Grants Offerings

We would also like to provide Rocketpool’s GMC with a video demonstration of our Grant Offerings, including our E-RPGF and Grants Stack technology. This will specifically highlight our Manager, Builder, Explorer, and Checker interfaces.

  • Manager: Allows a Grants Manager to easily create, deploy, and manage a grants program all within one dashboard. This functions as an administrative shell.
  • Builder: Developers apply for grants, manage their applications, and build on-chain reputation by creating projects.
  • Explorer: Donors can discover and support different programs and projects; Donors will donate with fund matching.
  • Checker: This tool taps into Open AI to streamline grantee eligibility review and return a score for Rocketpool submissions. This highly streamlined technology allows for approval or denial within 24-48 hours. It can replace or complement the need for a grants analyst, providing convenience and saving on labor costs.

Who is doing the work? What experience do they have with projects in the past?

Gitcoin will spearhead these grant initiatives. Over the past five years, Gitcoin has supported funding projects that enable communities to fund their shared needs, addressing what matters most to them. This includes 4.2 million unique donations, 3,715 projects raised funds, and over $60 million in grant funds distributed.

We just completed the 20th edition of our Gitcoin Grants program and supported many other major grant programs, including Arbitrum, Polygon, and Avalanche. We have industry-leading expertise to oversee designing, implementing, and managing grant programs at scale. Our E-RPGF and Grants Stack technology provides a simple turnkey solution to enable end-to-end management across the entire grant lifecycle, which includes intake, review, payout, analytics, and onboarding support.

What is the breakdown of the proposed work, in terms of milestones and/or deadlines?

We envision the following high-level milestones.

  1. Community Approval: Secure the Rocketpool community approval for the proposed funding mechanism(s) and allocations. Ensure we are aligned with Rocketpool’s community’s best interests.
  2. Collaborative Planning: The Rocketpool Grants Council will work with Gitcoin to finalize the operational details, including application processes, evaluation criteria, and timelines for E-RPGF.
  3. Implementation and Oversight: Launch the initiatives with the specified funding, ensuring transparent management and oversight to achieve the desired impact on the Rocketpool ecosystem.

A more detailed timeline could look like this:

  1. Design Phase (1-2 weeks): Gitcoin will work closely with the Rocketpool team to design the funding rounds, tailoring them to the specific needs and goals of the Rocketpool ecosystem.

  2. Implementation Phase (1-2 weeks): Following the design phase, Gitcoin will implement the tools and processes to launch the RPGF round(s) on the RocketPool platform.

  3. Execution and Monitoring: Once launched, Gitcoin will provide ongoing support and monitoring to ensure the grants program’s success, making adjustments based on feedback and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Expected Outcomes for the Rocketpool Ecosystem

The allocation of $100,000 or more for retroactive rewards will not only directly reward past projects but will also continue attracting new talent and drive future innovation. Rewarding builders and community members who have already utilized RocketPool’s protocol shows forthcoming contributors that the DAO will continue to incentivize and support their growth well into the future.

More specifically, Rocketpool will see continued growth in areas such as:

  • Development and tooling enhancements for security and functionality needed to improve Rocketpool staking on a rolling basis.
  • Technical support and mentorship for node operators.
  • Education materials that increase further understanding of Rocketpool’s offerings through both online and IRL content.

How is the work being tested? Is testing included in the schedule?

Gitcoin’s Grant Offerings are out-of-the-box solutions that have already been tried and tested with many well-respected entities in the Web3 sector.

Costs?

Funding Overview

Total Funding Ask: minimum of $100,000, focusing on our E-RPGF funding mechanism.

Other funding mechanisms to consider:

Quadratic Funding Round: To support and strengthen the community-driven selection of projects.

Direct Grants: Providing direct financial support to high-potential projects to further Rocketpool’s ecosystem growth.

Fees: Gitcoin respectfully requests that a 10% donation be made to the Gitcoin Treasury in furtherance of all services performed, including, but not limited to, design and implementation.

What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much USD and over what period is the applicant requesting?

The funds will be paid in escrow as one lump sum payment or to be paid out as needed.

Subject to Rocketpool’s GMC input.

Is the applicant requesting RPL or LUSD?

This will be left to the discretion of the grants manager.

How will the GMC verify that the work delivered matches the proposed cadence?

All of our grant programs operate on-chain so that results are easy to track and verify. We provide report cards that validate round results. For example, the report card for a grants round run on Optimism is here.

We additionally have integrations with Open Source Observer and Karma GAP.

Does the person or persons proposing the grant have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if any member of the GMC would benefit directly financially from the grant).

We have no conflicts of interest to report.

Will the recipient of the grant, or any protocol or project in which the recipient has a vested interest (other than Rocket Pool), benefit financially if the grant is successful?

As referenced above, we are respectfully requesting a one-time ten percent (10%) donation in furtherance of services provided

In no other way would Gitcoin benefit from this grant proposal, which would not enrich any individual team contributors. Gitcoin’s mission is to offer diverse funding mechanisms to thriving Ethereum or EVM ecosystems to fund what matters.

Questions and Comments are welcome. We would be excited to move forward with this partnership.

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Name of Grant

Rocketlend

What is the work being proposed?

Design, develop, audit, and run a decentralised on-chain marketplace for borrowing/lending RPL to be staked on Rocket Pool nodes.

Is there any related work this builds off of?

Not really. Some ideas are similar to Rocket Split.

Will the results of this project be entirely open source (MIT, GPL, Apache, CC BY license or similar)? If not, which parts will not be, why, and under what license will they be published?

All free software, licensed using the GPL.

Benefit

The main benefit is towards Rocket Pool: Rocketlend enables more Rocket Pool protocol growth by decoupling RPL staking yield from node operation in a more capital efficient way than currently available.

Rocketlend has a unique competitive advantage compared to other options for achieving the above result, such as borrowing RPL from Aave or Myso Finance. The advantage is capital efficiency. This is possible due to the unique design: Rocketlend does not require borrowers to put up any additional capital to take out their loan. The collateral for the loan is the node operator provided staked ETH (and RPL) that is already being used to run their minipools. Rocketlend thus takes advantage of the unique properties of “borrowing RPL in order to stake it” that are unavailable to generic lending markets where the funds can be used for other purposes.

Group Benefits
Potential rETH holders No direct benefit, but indirectly: rETH supply and APR both increase as Rocket Pool grows.
rETH holders Same as for potential rETH holders.
Potential NOs Provides another method to become a NO without RPL exposure, with unique competitive advantages.
NOs Similar to potential NOs, focused on improving their collateralisation ratio or ability to create more minipools.
Community Rocket Pool success is good for the community. Shows Rocket Pool can sustain protocols building on top of it.
RPL holders Provides another method to obtain yield on RPL without running minipools, with unique competitive advantages.

Which other non-RPL protocols, DAOs, projects, or individuals, would stand to benefit from this grant?

Vrün and other non-custodial staking services may benefit from Rocketlend’s ability to supply RPL to node operators who do not wish to take on RPL exposure.

Work

Who is doing the work?

This is a free software, community-developed project. The principal driver and
developer is ramana.eth. An initial version of the frontend is being developed
by bartLambert.eth. Other contributors can be found in the Rocketlend thread on
the Rocket Pool discord.

What is the background of the person(s) doing the work? What experience do they have with such projects in the past?

Ramana has experience developing smart contracts that compose with the Rocket Pool protocol: Rocket Split (and the bespoke Dolphin marriage contract), and Rocketarb for example.

What is the breakdown of the proposed work, in terms of milestones and/or deadlines?

  1. Design the Rocketlend protocol. Deliverable: readme/documentation describing the protocol mechanics.
  2. Implement the Rocketlend protocol. Deliverable: smart contract(s) implementing the design, and an automated test suite exercising the implementation.
  3. Community review of design and implementation. Deliverable: messages or reports produced by community members and beta testers surfacing any issues with the above items. Deliverable: updated design and implementation incorporating feedback.
  4. Implement a frontend for interacting with the Rocketlend protocol. Deliverable: code for website that enables discovery about and interaction with Rocketlend for all users.
  5. Documentation. Deliverable: more in-depth documents (than from item 1) explaining the protocol, how to use it, and how to build (develop) on top of it (e.g. alternative frontends, composing with other on-chain protocols).
  6. Testnet launch and beta testing. Deliverable: deployment of the protocol (contract) and frontend on testnet (Holešky) and some usage by the community. Deliverable: updated implementation in response to feedback.
  7. Professional Audit. Deliverable: report from a professional third-party auditing firm on the soundness and security of the protocol implementation. Deliverable: updated implementation incorporating fixes to any issues raised.
  8. Mainnet launch. Deliverable: deployment of the protocol and frontend on mainnet.
  9. Advertising. Deliverable: messaging broadcast on various channels encouraging users to try using Rocketlend.
  10. Support. Deliverable: availability on Discord to support any users of Rocketlend with questions or issues they run in to.

The mainnet launch (item 8) should be delivered shortly (e.g. within weeks) after the Rocket Pool Houston upgrade is launched, modulo any delays due to auditing (item 7) or testing (item 6).

How is the work being tested? Is testing included in the schedule?

There is a contract test suite included in the milestones above (item 2).

A third-party audit by a trustworthy security firm is also included (item 7).

How will the work be maintained after delivery?

ramana.eth intends to maintain (e.g. hosting the frontend, providing support in the Rocket Pool discord) the project, and to update it for future Rocket Pool upgrades, if it sees significant use.

Costs

What is the acceptance criteria?

All milestones up to and including item 8 are delivered to an acceptable degree. The most important is item 8, the mainnet launch.

What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much USD $ and over what period of time is the applicant requesting?

Items 1-6 are estimated to cost $40,000. Item 7 is estimated to cost $40,000. Items 8-10 are estimated to cost $10,000.

Items 1-6 are being priced here at a discount compared to market rates via a donation of time from ramana.eth.

These estimates are subject to change as we receive more information - particularly for item 7 - from third parties.

Ongoing and future costs (e.g. for continued hosting and for protocol upgrades) can be assessed in a future grant application.

Payment is expected shortly after item 8, and in advance of item 7 if the auditor requires it.

Is the applicant requesting RPL or LUSD?

RPL

How will the GMC verify that the work delivered matches the proposed cadence?

The main developer is available on Discord for communication with the GMC at any point.
The project implementation and testing will all be done in public.

What alternatives or options have been considered in order to save costs for the proposed project?

None.

Conflict of Interest

Does the person or persons proposing the grant have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if any member of the GMC would benefit directly financially from the grant).

No. GMC member Waqwaqattack may benefit from the grant to the extent that they contribute to the delivery of the milestones, as would any other members if they decide to participate.

Will the recipient of the grant, or any protocol or project in which the recipient has a vested interest (other than Rocket Pool), benefit financially if the grant is successful?

Yes the recipient will be paid for their time in delivering Rocketlend. There are no other direct financial benefits for vested interests. The recipient, ramana.eth, is also involved with Vrün which may benefit from the existence of Rocketlend as a protocol to direct its users towards if they do not want to take on RPL exposure.

3 Likes
7

Name of Grant

Marketing Rocket Pool through educational videos paired with incentive programs in Unitap

What is the work being proposed?

Integrate Rocket Pool onchain (or offchain) actions in Unitap’s Contribution Hub to create incentive programs and raffles targeted to strategic actions that benefit the Rocket Pool ecosystem.

In addition, we propose to create high-quality educational videos to explain key concepts about Rocket Pool and how to get started. We are scoping one 3D motion graphic conceptual video and multiple how-to-do videos.

The videos will be paired with the incentive programs to encourage staking in Rocket Pool, engagement with Rocket Pool socials, participation on the new RPL tokenomics or other activities deemed strategic by the Rocket Pool community.

The following is the proposed scope. However, we are open to modify it to better fit GMC goals and the overall interest of the Rocket Pool DAO.

1. Marketing and User Acquisition. 14,000 USD in RPL (4,000 USD for the high quality videos and marketing campaign and 10,000 USD for the Rocket Pool community in the form of incentives).

We want to demystify Rocket Pool mechanics by creating bite-sized and high-quality educational content paired with one or multiple incentive programs, each supported by a specific marketing campaign.

The educational content includes:

  • One 3D motion graphic conceptual video about RocketPool. Here is an example from one we did to demystify BrightID (link to be updated to prevent being banned)

  • Up to 4 four how-to-do videos showing how to use the Rocket Pool app. Here is an example from one we did to show how to get started in DyDx (link to be updated to prevent being banned)

Marketing campaign:

Launch a Twitter campaign based on the incentive programs with ecosystem partners, including Rocket Pool, Unitap, BrightID, General Magic, crypto educators and potentially others from the Rocket Pool ecosystem.

Incentive program:

We are proposing to distribute 10,000 USD in one or multiple incentive programs. Incentives can be distributed in Token Tap if we want to give small rewards to everyone who makes an onchain or offchain action until incentives run out, or raffles can be created on Prize Tap to give away larger prizes to a few lucky winners from a pool of people who take an action in favor of the Rocket Pool ecosystem.

Both Token Tap and Prize Tap are Sybil Resistant (they can be gated by BrightID or Gitcoin Passport). Here are some examples of incentive programs we could do:

  • Incentivize with 3 RPL the first 75 users that stake 0.1 ETH for rETH.
  • Ten raffles of 5 RPL for rETH holders with over 0.5 rETH.
  • Ten raffles of 5 RPL for NO.
  • Ten raffles of 5 RPL for new NO in a specific time frame.
  • Ten raffles of 5 RPL for RPL holders with over 1 RPL.
  • Five raffles of 5 RPL for new Rocket Pool followers on Twitter or Farcaster.
  • Five raffles of 100 USD to reward those who retweet or recast the most important Rocket Pool content.

These are suggested incentive programs, we are happy to work with the Rocket Pool committees and DAO to modify the mechanisms of the incentive programs and the coding of the specific requirements for Token or Prize Tap.

2. Rocket Pool integrations in Unitap’s contribution Hub. 4,000 USD in RPL.

For Rocket Pool-specific onchain (or offchain) actions, we would need to integrate the requirements into the Contribution Hub of Unitap platform. The development work to code the suggested integrations or equivalent development work is included in this grant proposal. More complex integrations might require additional funding.

This requirements can include, but are not limited to: Liquid staking of ETH in Rocket Pool, buying rETH, buying RPL, holding rETH, holding RPL, providing liquidity, owning POAPs, following Rocket_Pool on Twitter or Farcaster, Sharing/like a specific tweet or cast, minimum followers, minimum posts, etc.

Once these integrations are done, anyone will be able to set their own incentive programs whenever they want for free in less than 10 minutes.

Alternatively, anyone can code the integration and submit a pull request at no cost.

Is there any related work this builds off of?

This would be our first contribution to the Rocket Pool ecosystem. However, Unitap has been building this platform since 2022 and has successfully onboarded users to various Web3 ecosystems and Dapps through educational content, gas subsidies, and reward mechanisms. Previous integrations include BrightID, GloDollar, Optimism, Arbitrum and Linea.

Here are some metrics of Unitap:

Key KPIs:

  • 16,000+ unique users.
  • 150,000+ total claims
  • 12 Main Networks
  • 6 Test Networks
  • $10,000+ USD Distributed Fairly

Will the results of this project be entirely open source ?

Yes, Unitap uses the GPL-3.0 license.

Additionally, the deliverables of this grant are meant to become Rocket Pool public goods to benefit the community. The videos will be owned by the DAO and once these integrations are done, anyone will be able to set their own incentive programs using this integrations whenever they want for free in less than 10 minutes. Unitap will maintain these integrations.

Benefit

Group Benefits
Potential rETH holders The educational content and incentive program will remove frictions and create incentives for new users to onboard Rocket Pool by staking ETH in Rocket Pool, making the process easier and more accessible.
rETH holders Raffles are being proposed for those holding rETH. Additionally, the educational content and incentive program can lead to more adoption and growth of the Rocket Pool ecosystem, this could create network effects like more liquidity of rETH.
Potential NOs Raffles are being proposed for new NOs. One of the how-to-do videos in this proposal could cover a guided onboarding for new Rocket Pool node operators
NOs Raffles are being proposed for new NOs. Existing node operators could see an influx of new participants
Community The Rocket Pool community will grow with educated, engaged participants, fostering a more vibrant and supportive environment. Additionally, other raffles are proposed for twitter/farcaster followers
RPL holders Raffles are being proposed for RPL holders. The value of RPL may increase due to targeted educational content, higher demand and broader adoption of the Rocket Pool protocol.

Which other non-RPL protocols, DAOs, projects, or individuals, would stand to benefit from this grant?

None.

Work

Who is doing the work?

The work will be carried out by the Unitap team.

Leadership:

  • Adam Stallard - Founder of BrightID, Clr.fund & Unitap. CTO at Bright ID. Steward Gitcoin.
  • Phillip Silva - Founder of BrightID & Unitap, CPO at BrightID. Director Hedge for Humanity.
  • Ali Lari - Founder Unitap, legal and financial officer.
  • Bastin (backend and contract dev) - Five year’s development experience.

Our team additionally consists of:

  • 3 back-end and contract dev
  • 2 front-end dev
  • 2 UI/UX designer
  • 2 Biz dev

What is the background of the person(s) doing the work? What experience do they have with such projects in the past?

We have been building Unitap since 2022. However, most of the team have prior experience in web3 & web2 development. Adam, Phillip, and many others have been in the blockchain space for 5+ years and contributed to reputable projects like BrightID and Clr.fund.

We have run raffles and incentive programs for GloDollar, Linea and Optimism Communities.

What is the breakdown of the proposed work, in terms of milestones and/or deadlines?

  • Milestone 1 (1st week). Forum post to ask for ideas on what to highlight in the educational videos and what to rewards through the incentive programs.
  • Milestone 2 (3rd week). Deliver to the Rocket Pool team the scripts for the 3D motion graphic conceptual video about Rocket Pool and the how-to-do videos.
  • Milestone 3 (6th week). Deliver the how-to-do videos.
  • Milestone 4 (7th week). Finalized plan of the design for the Incentive Programs and marketing campaign.
  • Milestone 5 (8th week). Launch of the incentive program.
  • Milestone 6 (8th week). Co-marketing campaign.
  • Milestone 7 (10th week). Deliver the 3D motion graphic Rocket Pool conceptual video.

We would seek for insights and feedback from the community and DAO committees to ensure alignment in terms of content and incentive programs.

How is the work being tested? Is testing included in the schedule?

Token Tap and Prize Tap are ready-made products. Additional work might be needed to code and test the onchain and offchain requirements that will be used to gate the incentive mechanisms. That work is already considered both in the budget and the schedule of this proposal.

Feedback from the Rocket Pool Committees or community will be considered for the creation of the educational content and the design of the incentive programs. The inclusion of feedback is also considered both in the budget and the schedule of this proposal.

How will the work be maintained after delivery?

After finalizing the scope of the work, anyone from the Rocket Pool community will be able to keep using Token Tap and Prize Tap to create new incentive programs free of charge. These integrations will be a Public Good for the Rocket Pool ecosystem.

The Unitap team will maintain the integrations.

Costs

What is the acceptance criteria?

Successful integration of Rocket Pool onchain or offchain requirements to create incentive programs and raffles in Token Tap and Prize Tap.

Delivery of the Rocket Pool 3D motion graphic video and how-to-do videos.

What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much USD $ and over what period of time is the applicant requesting?

Total request is 18,000 USD (in RPL).

The proposed payment schedule is as follows:

  • 10,000 USD upon delivery of Milestone 3 (6th week). Creation of the how-to-do videos. (These funds will go to the Rocket Pool community through the incentive programs)
  • 4,000 USD upon delivery of Milestone 5 (8th week). Launch of the incentive program.
  • 4,000 USD upon delivery of Milestone 7 (10th week). Deliver the 3D motion graphic Rocket Pool conceptual video.

Is the applicant requesting RPL or LUSD?

The incentives would be ideal in RPL. The rest of the funds we can accept them in the preferred token of the GMC.

How will the GMC verify that the work delivered matches the proposed cadence?

Each milestone will be submitted to the GMC for feedback and approval. Additionally, we will create a Forum post to collect additional feedback and provide updates to the DAO.

The videos created will be public and will belong to the DAO.

The incentive programs will be live onchain and will be verifiable by anyone.

What alternatives or options have been considered in order to save costs for the proposed project?

This grant is a relatively low cost grant (18,000 USD) and 60% of the grant will go to the Rocket Pool community as incentives.

The content produced will be owned by the Rocket Pool DAO and the integrations with Unitap will allow anyone in the community to create more incentive programs free of charge.

We are not aware of any alternative that offers such a comprehensive and targeted marketing plan with the potential of creating more incentive programs with no cost in the future.

Conflict of Interest

Does the person or persons proposing the grant have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if any member of the GMC would benefit directly financially from the grant).

There are no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Will the recipient of the grant, or any protocol or project in which the recipient has a vested interest (other than Rocket Pool), benefit financially if the grant is successful?

60% of this grant (10,000 USD in RPL) will benefit the Rocket Pool Community through incentive programs. The specific mechanism and parameters of the incentive programs will be determined in collaboration with the GMC, other committees or the DAO.

40% of this grant (8,000 USD in RPL) will go to Unitap to cover the costs of content creation, marketing and the integration of the onchain requirements.

Disclosure: Unitap and General Magic have a business agreement where General Magic provides Unitap Grants Management services. This service includes consulting, research support, grant writing and coordination. There is no upfront payment for this service, General Magic is only compensated upon success.

If this application succeeds, General Magic will receive 15% of the total grant.

8

Name of Grant

Dappnode Rocket Pool package UI/UX improvement

What is the work being proposed?

We want to continue our Rocket Pool package on Dappnode by enhancing and improving the user experience and accessibility, particularly for non-technical users. This includes simplifying the onboarding process, integrating interactive tutorials, streamlining keystore management, and fixing bugs. We aim to create a more intuitive and reliable staking experience by optimizing performance and incorporating community feedback. This will empower smaller ETH holders to easily participate in Ethereum staking, supporting a more decentralized and robust Ethereum network.

Is there any related work this builds off of?

When working on Ethereum’s Proof-of-Stake (PoS) model, we have understood how to move forward using the ecosystem. Dappnode has used Rocket Pool by creating a package for Rocket Pool that allows better staking rewards while backing decentralization.

With this integration we began the implementation that leeds to Elevating Ethereum Staking Efficiency. We had to work on several UX improvements, incorporation button for re-importing keystores to the signer, useful in case of loss or backups. We also rectified a bug causing an occasional stoppage of the supervisor process. Read our progress here:

Will the results of this project be entirely open source

Benefit

Benefits of the Enhanced Rocket Pool Package on Dappnode

  1. Simplified Onboarding Process: Easier setup for non-technical users.
  2. Intuitive User Interface: Graphical interfaces for core functionalities.
  3. Interactive Tutorials and Help Guides: Real-time assistance for users.
  4. Streamlined Keystore Management: Easier import, export, and backup of keystores.
  5. Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements: More reliable and smoother staking experience.
  6. Performance Optimizations: Better handling of higher loads and consistent uptime.
  7. Enhanced Security Features: Improved protection for user assets and data.
  8. Community Feedback Integration: Ongoing improvements based on user input.
  9. Robust Support Channels: Timely assistance and collaborative environment.

| Group | Benefits |

The successful completion of the grant fosters a more decentralized, secure, and user-friendly Rocket Pool ecosystem, benefiting all stakeholders involved. With this enhancement we will streamline a Rocket Pool package on Dappnode, benefiting multiple stakeholders:

  1. Potential rETH Holders: Simplified staking setup, improved user experience, enhanced security, and higher rewards make staking ETH for rETH more accessible and attractive.
  2. rETH Holders: More secure and reliable staking infrastructure ensures consistent rewards and boosts confidence in holding rETH.
  3. Potential Node Operators (NOs): User-friendly onboarding, detailed guides, and robust support make it easier for first-time users to run a Rocket Pool node.
  4. Current Node Operators (NOs): Enhanced tools, bug fixes, and performance optimizations improve node management and stability.
  5. Rocket Pool Community: Greater participation and decentralization strengthen the network, enhancing overall ecosystem security and resilience.
  6. RPL Holders: Increased staking activity and node participation boost the demand and value of RPL tokens, benefiting all RPL holders.

Which other non-RPL protocols, DAOs, projects, or individuals, would stand to benefit from this grant?

Overall, the grant will create ripple effects across the Ethereum ecosystem, benefiting a wide range of protocols, projects, and individuals by promoting broader participation, security, and decentralization.

Work

The proposed work to enhance the Rocket Pool package on Dappnode is structured into six key milestones:

Simplified Onboarding and User Interface Improvements (Month 1-2): Develop an intuitive onboarding process, user-friendly interfaces, and interactive tutorials.

Enhanced Keystore Management and Bug Fixes (Month 2-3): Improve keystore management and address critical bugs.

Advanced Mode and Performance Optimizations (Month 4-5): Introduce an advanced terminal interface for experienced users and optimize performance for higher loads.

Community Feedback Integration and Support Enhancements (Month 6): Establish a feedback loop and improve support channels.

Security and Reliability Improvements (Month 7-8): Implement additional security measures and enhance system reliability.

Final Testing and Launch (Month 9): Conduct comprehensive testing and launch the enhanced package.

Who is doing the work?

What is the background of the person(s) doing the work? What experience do they have with such projects in the past?

Pol Bordàs (Lanski) - Alliance Lead

  • Role: Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Dappnode and builder at dOrg.
  • Background: Pol brings extensive experience in project management and decentralized applications. As COO, he oversees Dappnode’s operations and strategic direction. At dOrg, he contributes to building decentralized organizations and applications.
  • Twitter: Pol_Lanski

Eduardo Antuña - Product Manager

  • Role: Co-Founder and Project Lead at Dappnode, zkEVM Polygon Core Developer, and Giveth Contributor.
  • Background: Eduardo is a seasoned blockchain developer with a deep understanding of Ethereum and zkEVM technology. He leads product development at Dappnode and contributes to various blockchain projects, including Giveth, which focuses on decentralized philanthropy.
  • Twitter: eduadiez

Jordi Baylina - Advisor

  • Role: Blockchain Developer, Ethereum Advocate, White Hat Hacker, and Catalonia Freedom Fighter.
  • Background: Jordi is a highly respected figure in the blockchain community, known for his work on Ethereum and zkEVM technology. As an advisor, he provides strategic guidance to Dappnode and helps drive innovation.
  • Twitter: jbaylina

What is the breakdown of the proposed work, in terms of milestones and/or deadlines?

Milestone 1: Simplified Onboarding and User Interface Improvements

Deadline: Month 1-2

Tasks:

  • Develop a step-by-step onboarding process for new users.
  • Create intuitive graphical interfaces for core Rocket Pool functionalities.
  • Integrate interactive tutorials and help guides.

Milestone 2: Enhanced Keystore Management and Bug Fixes

Deadline: Month 2-3

Tasks:

  • Improve the system for importing, exporting, and backing up keystores.
  • Fix existing bugs, such as the supervisor process stoppage issue.

Milestone 3: Advanced Mode and Performance Optimizations

Deadline: Month 4-5

Tasks:

  • Develop an advanced terminal interface for experienced users.
  • Optimize package performance to handle higher loads and ensure consistent uptime.

Milestone 4: Community Feedback Integration and Support Enhancements

Deadline: Month 6

Tasks:

  • Establish a robust feedback loop to gather user input continuously.
  • Enhance support channels, including forums and dedicated Discord support.

Milestone 5: Security and Reliability Improvements

Deadline: Month 7-8

Tasks:

  • Implement additional security measures to protect user assets and data.
  • Enhance reliability features to ensure stable and uninterrupted staking operations.

Milestone 6: Final Testing and Launch

Deadline: Month 9

Tasks:

  • Conduct comprehensive testing to ensure all features work seamlessly.
  • Roll out the enhanced Rocket Pool package to the Dappnode community.
  • By following this breakdown of milestones and deadlines, we aim to deliver a significantly improved Rocket Pool package on Dappnode, ensuring a better staking experience for all users.

How is the work being tested? Is testing included in the schedule?

There is a contract test suite included in milestones 4 and 6 respectively.

Community feedback is scheduled in milestone 4 securing the participation of all types of users in the improvement of the UX experience.

How will the work be maintained after delivery?

After delivery, the Rocket Pool package on Dappnode will be maintained through a combination of regular updates, dedicated support, and community engagement. Our development team is continuously searching for improvement with the current packages and is aware of how updates are necessary to address bugs and enhance features, while a dedicated support team will promptly assist users with any issues.

By encouraging open-source contributions, we foster a collaborative environment where community developers can help refine and expand the package. Performance monitoring and usage analytics will ensure the package remains stable and efficient. Securing ongoing funding and outlining a long-term roadmap will further guarantee that the package evolves to meet users’ needs, maintaining its relevance and effectiveness in the ever-changing Ethereum ecosystem.

Costs

Development and Engineering (40% - 12.8 ETH)

Simplified onboarding and UI improvements, enhanced keystore management, bug fixes and performance optimizations and, advanced mode development.

Community Support and Documentation (20% - 6.4 ETH)

Creating interactive tutorials and help guides, updating user documentation, maintaining and monitoring our support channels

Security and Reliability Enhancements (20% - 6.4 ETH)

Implementing additional security measures and enhancing reliability features

Testing and Quality Assurance (10% - 3.2 ETH)

Comprehensive testing of new features and ensuring seamless integration and performance

Ongoing Maintenance and Updates (10% - 3.2 ETH)
Regular updates and bug fixes post-launch and continuous community feedback integration

Total Budget: 32 ETH
What is the acceptance criteria?

We are requesting a total of $227053.92 USD (32 ETH) over an 8-month period, divided into five equal payments of $45,410 USD each. The initial payment will be made upon grant approval, with subsequent payments tied to key milestones every two months. These milestones include UI improvements, enhanced keystore management, performance optimizations, security enhancements, and comprehensive testing, ensuring continuous development and maintenance of the Rocket Pool package on Dappnode

Is the applicant requesting RPL or LUSD?

We are requesting RPL for the grant.

How will the GMC verify that the work delivered matches the proposed cadence?

The GMC will verify the work matches the proposed cadence by regular progress reports, milestone reviews, and community feedback. Progress reports are submitted every two months. Milestone reviews will involve thorough checks of new features, UI improvements, and performance optimizations. We will provide live demonstrations and access to test environments, while community feedback will be monitored to ensure user needs are met using our robust channels, like Discord. Additionally, the GMC will review the project’s GitHub repository and documentation to confirm alignment with proposed milestones.

What alternatives or options have been considered in order to save costs for the proposed project?
None

Conflict of Interest

Does the person or persons proposing the grant have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if any member of the GMC would benefit directly financially from the grant).

No, there’s no conflict or personnel who is a member of GMC

Will the recipient of the grant, or any protocol or project in which the recipient has a vested interest (other than Rocket Pool), benefit financially if the grant is successful?

The recipient of the grant and the associated protocols or projects, apart from Rocket Pool, will not benefit financially from the grant’s success. Funds will be used as manifested in our roadmap on the Rocket Pool package on Dappnode.

9

Notice: This message marks the closing of the thirteenth (13) round of Rocket Pool grant applications. Any applications submitted after this will not be considered for this round. The GMC will announce the award recipients in a new thread here on the forums around June 30th. The community will then have two weeks to issue any challenges before funds are disbursed. Thank you to all who applied and thank you to everyone who has followed along. Anyone who would like to comment on existing applications is encouraged to do so in this thread.

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