Round 20 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 7

Grants / Bounties
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This thread is for applications for Rocket Pool’s December 7, 2024 - January 7, 2025 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 January 7, 2025 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 20:

  • Application Period (December 7 - January 7)
  • Scoring Deadline (January 21)
  • Final Voting Amendments, Discussion and Finalization (January 22 - January 25)
  • Award Announcement (January 26)
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?

### 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?

### Have you already been compensated by the RP protocol in any way for this work?



## 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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LocalRocket Program

Objective

The LocalRocket program focuses on creating and empowering local communities to promote the adoption, education, and engagement of RocketPool’s ecosystem worldwide. Our goal is to foster regional growth, build grassroots support, and ensure that RocketPool’s vision resonates with diverse audiences effectively.

Problem and Solution

Awareness and understanding of RocketPool’s unique value proposition are still limited in many regions. By addressing language barriers and cultural misunderstandings, we aim to facilitate the adoption of decentralized technologies, specifically RocketPool’s staking solutions.

Importance of the Program

The program is crucial for advancing the adoption and growth of RocketPool’s ecosystem. It builds global connections and empowers local communities to actively participate in decentralized finance (DeFi) and Ethereum staking.

Strategic Importance

Localized Reach:
The program engages diverse audiences in their native languages, ensuring effective communication and cultural relevance. This approach helps to connect with local communities and overcome language barriers, making RocketPool’s ecosystem more accessible.

Global Adoption:
By expanding RocketPool’s presence across different regions and communities, the program supports the company’s vision of decentralization. This broader reach will contribute to the overall global adoption of RocketPool’s technology and will recruits and supports node operators from diverse regions, ensuring that staking power is distributed more evenly across the globe. This strengthens Ethereum’s decentralization and resilience.

Community Building

Grassroots Development:
The program establishes strong, self-sustaining ecosystems at the local level. By empowering these grassroots communities, RocketPool can foster a sense of ownership and commitment among the participants, leading to more sustainable growth.

Stronger Engagement:
The program creates meaningful interactions through tailored educational content, webinars, and AMAs. This approach helps to build a sense of community and foster deeper engagement with RocketPool’s ecosystem, leading to greater user retention and loyalty.

Increased Awareness:
By focusing on specific regions, RocketPool boosts its global brand recognition and encourages adoption in underrepresented areas. This will lead to an increase in users of RocketPool’s staking platform and other products.

Broader Adoption:
The program helps build trust and understanding of RocketPool’s ecosystem, encouraging more developers to integrate RocketPool into their workflows.

Market Insights:
Feedback from local communities provides RocketPool with a deeper understanding of regional needs, challenges, and trends.

Target Communities
We will focus on only 4 communities at the trial period:

  • Arabic (MENA)
  • Spanish (Latam)
  • Russian (CIS)
  • Chinese

Our team
Our team has more than 12 years of experience in building and managing communities, event management, and content creation. We will do our best to make this initiative a success and we look forward to cooperating with you and hearing your opinions and suggestions.

Rewards System (Reward based KPIs)
(Happy to get feedback from you, also we have a point system)

Rewards will range from $500 to $3,000 per month, depending on community performance and adherence to specific KPIs.

Category and KPI Breakdown

Tier 1 ($500)

  • Twitter: 2,500 Impressions (10%)
  • Telegram: 50 members + 10% engaging members (10%)
  • Articles: 2 original articles (10%)
  • Videos: 1 original video (minimum 100 views per video) (10%)
  • Translation and Management: Translate 70% of Twitter posts and articles. Publish on local Twitter and Telegram with member support and account management (20%).
  • Events: 1 webinar or AMA with at least 5 attendees (20%).
  • Developer Events: 1 event with at least 5 attendees (20%).

Tier 2 ($1,000)

  • Twitter: 7,500 Impressions (10%)
  • Telegram: 100 members + 15% engaged members (10%)
  • Articles: 3 original articles (10%)
  • Videos: 2 original videos (minimum 200 views per video) (10%)
  • Translation and Management: Translate 80% of Twitter posts and articles. Publish on local Twitter and Telegram with member support and account management (20%).
  • Events: 2 webinars or AMAs with at least 10 attendees (20%).
  • Developer Events: 1 event attended by at least 10 people (20%).

Tier 3 ($1,500)

  • Twitter: 12,500 Impressions (10%)
  • Telegram: 150 members + 15% engaged members (10%)
  • Articles: 4 original articles (10%)
  • Videos: 3 original videos (minimum 400 views per video) (10%)
  • Translation and Management: Translate 90% of Twitter posts and articles. Publish on local Twitter and Telegram with member support and account management (20%).
  • Events: 2 webinars or AMAs attended by at least 15 people (20%).
  • Developer Events: 2 events attended by at least 15 people (20%).

Tier 4 ($2,000)

  • Twitter: 20,000 Impressions (10%)
  • Telegram: 200 members + 15% engaged members (10%)
  • Articles: 4 original articles (10%)
  • Videos: 3 original videos (minimum 500 views per video) (10%)
  • Translation and Management: Translate 90% of Twitter posts and articles. Publish on local Twitter and Telegram with member support and account management (20%).
  • Events: 2 webinars or AMAs attended by at least 25 people (20%).
  • Developer Events: 2 events attended by at least 25 people (20%).

Tier 5 ($3,000)

  • Twitter: 50,000 Impressions (10%)
  • Telegram: 400 members + 15% engaged members (10%)
  • Articles: 4 original articles (10%)
  • Videos: 3 original videos (minimum 2,000 views per video) (10%)
  • Translation and Management: Translate 100% of Twitter posts and articles. Publish on local Twitter and Telegram with member support and account management (20%).
  • Events: 2 seminars or AMAs attended by at least 40 people (20%).
  • Developer Events: 2 events attended by at least 40 people (20%).

Implementation Plan

Test Period: 4 Months

Month 1:

  • Strategy and KPIs system.
  • Announce and promote the program (We are also in touch with many leaders in the local communities and will invite them to join).
  • Receive applications and conduct interviews.

Months 2-4:

  • Officially launch the program.
  • Test period for all local communities (3 months).
  • Submit detailed monthly reports with activities and KPIs achieved.

Post-Test Period:

  • Organize IRL events every three months for each local community.
  • Establish at least one partnership and collaboration with a local trading platform for each region.

Requirements

To ensure the quality and consistency of deliverables the following requirements must be met:

X (Twitter):

  • Requirements:
    • Publish at least 3 original tweets weekly.
    • Translate posts and retweets from x.com in X.
    • Engagement rate (likes, replies, retweets) should be at least 2%-5%.
  • Measure method: X analytics.

Telegram:

  • Requirements:
    • Publish a minimum of 3 original posts weekly in the group.
    • Translate posts and retweets from x.com and publish it in Telegram.
    • Respond promptly to member inquiries (within 16 hours max.).
  • Measure method: Bots like Combot or Telegram stats.

Articles:

  • Requirements:
    • Minimum word count: 500 words per article.
    • Must include relevant visuals (e.g., charts, screenshots) where applicable.
    • Content must be related to RocketPool or its ecosystem.
    • Articles must be well-researched, grammatically correct, and plagiarism-free.
    • Publish articles to your own website or to platforms such as Medium, Mirror, or other relevant platforms with proper SEO optimization to maximize visibility and engagement.
  • Measure method: Manual check.

Videos:

  • Requirements:
    • Minimum video length: 3 minutes.
    • Content must be related to RocketPool or its ecosystem.
    • High-quality visuals and audio (720p minimum, clear voice).
    • Upload videos to YouTube or other relevant platforms with proper SEO optimization for visibility.
  • Measure method: Manual check.

Translation and Management of social media channels (X, Telegram/Wechat):

  • Requirements:
    • Accurately translate Twitter posts and articles into the local language.
    • Publish translations on local Twitter and Telegram channels promptly.
    • Encourage community interaction through polls, Q&A threads, and engaging posts.
    • Follow and engage with local influencers and RocketPool ecosystem accounts.
    • Address any negative feedback or misinformation professionally and promptly.
    • Remove spam and inappropriate content immediately and enforce group rules to maintain a positive environment.
    • Respond to comments and mentions and provide clear answers and guidance for onboarding new members.

Events:

  • Requirements:

    • Duration: At least 30 minutes per event.
    • Use platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Telegram Live.
    • Record and share the session in Telegram, X, or YouTube for those unable to attend live.

  • Measure method: Manual check.

Reporting and General Rules

  • Each local community must submit a detailed monthly report containing all activities and KPIs reached.
  • Reports must be published by the 2nd of the month, and rewards will be distributed by the 7th after review.
  • Any attempt to cheat or deceive will result in the expulsion of the entire team.
  • At least 60% of Level 1 KPIs must be met to qualify for rewards.

Budget:

  • Maximum monthly budget for communities (4 communities): $12,000 per month.
  • Program management and supervision (1 person): $1500 per month.
  • We are asking for a total of $44,000 for 4 months. Any remaining funds after that will be returned to the treasury.
  • We do not require advance payment, payment can be made after the first month then each month based on the achieved KPIs.

Conclusion

The LocalRocket program is a strategic initiative designed to expand RocketPool’s reach through localized efforts, empowering communities worldwide. By focusing on education, governance participation, and developer engagement, this program will build sustainable local ecosystems that align with RocketPool’s mission. With measurable KPIs, robust management, and RocketPool-specific initiatives, this program will drive global adoption and strengthen RocketPool’s position as a leader in decentralized staking.

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What grant is being renewed?

GA032316. Renewal for RP Community Call Hosting - Host Ken Smith

What work from the previous proposal was completed?

Here is a listing of the Community calls I have hosted since the grant’s last renewal. Over the previous six months, 16 calls occurred.

  • 18 Dec 2024 33 views
  • 12 Dec 2024 54 views
  • 04 Dec 2024 10 views
  • 07 Nov 2024 chit channel only (live from Devcon)
  • 31 Oct 2024 55 views
  • 24 Oct 2024 31 views
  • 16 Oct 2024 34 views
  • 08 Oct 2024 39 views
  • 27 Sept 2024 32 views
  • 17 Sept 202452 views
  • 11 Sept 2024 52 views
  • 5 Sept 2024 54 views
  • 28 Aug 2024 45 views
  • 23 Aug 2024 36 views
  • 13 Aug 2024 58 views
  • 30 July 2024 35 views
  • 19 July 2024 32 views

What work from the previous proposal is ongoing or pending?

The proposed work is to continue hosting periodic Rocket Pool Community calls on Twitter space or the Discord chat channel. The Community calls are routine calls that typically feature members of the RP dev team. The calls usually are 1-1.5 hrs. in length. We regularly feature a business/marketing partner (“special guest”) and inform the community on significant news topics with weigh-ins from the core Rocket Pool team.

What work was not planned initially but completed, if any?

In the last 6 months, four additional community calls were held hosted by Ken over the original grant amount of 12 calls. Those calls were primarily due to Jasper’s absence from co-hosting. A retroactive grant has been made to account for those additional events.

What work is newly slated since the previous proposal?

This is a 6-month grant renewal for ongoing hosting of the RP Community Calls. I request a prospective grant to host 12 calls in H1 of 2025 at the current media/communication rate. If the number of Community calls exceeds 12, a retroactive grant application will be made in July 2025.

Are the results of this project entirely open source (MIT, GPL, Apache, CC BY license or similar)? If not, which parts are not, and why not?

Recordings of the live Community calls are recorded and posted on the Rocket Pool YouTube channel for asynchronous listening after the event.

Benefits:

What metrics can you share on the success of the project?

See the listing above for the number of views from the YT recordings. I do not have any statistics for the number of attendees present in the space or channel during the live call.

In less specific terms, how has this project improved the Rocket Pool ecosystem or benefited the Ethereum ecosystem?

The Community Calls increase the RP NOs’ knowledge and awareness of rETH and what users can do with it. It’s a weekly (and sometimes multiple times a week) live Twitter or Discord space that covers topics of interest to rETH holders and NOs alike. The Community Calls keep holders up to date with the protocol and ecosystem so that they can make informed decisions. Most guest protocols either incorporate or will incorporate Rocket Pool within their protocol or service. The Community Call continues to be a foundational communication platform between three key stakeholders. The development team, the RP Community (in particular the pDAO), and the DeFi Ecosystem that is incorporating Rocket Pool into their various protocols and services.

Team:

Who has done the work, and have there been any changes to the team?

I have primarily hosted the calls for the last six months. For qualifications, I have been a long-term community member of RP, serving as a Rocket Scientist and starting my third year as a Community Call host.

How have the individual constituents of the team been compensated?

I have previously received GMC grant funding.

How has maintenance been performed since the project was delivered?

Most community calls are re-uploaded on YouTube by @maverick and publicly accessible via the YT platform.

Payment and Verification:

Have the acceptance criteria been met?

Yes. Except for the primary holiday weeks and the weeks surrounding major ETH conferences (e.g., Devon(net) and ETH Denver), I have consistently hosted a bi-weekly Rocket Pool Community call.

What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much RPL is the applicant requesting, and over what period is it requesting? Does this differ from the original approved amount?

I am seeking the newly established standard remuneration for media production. Payments can continue to be routinely made in the periodic (~ monthly) reward cycles.

Is there a measurable Return on Investment for the project?

n/a

What is the breakdown of spending on development for the original grant vs. maintenance?

n/a

Conflict of Interest:

Do the person or persons proposing the grant have any conflicts of interest that need to be disclosed? (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).

Yes. I serve as a member of the GMC, and per the current RPIP-18, I will have to recuse myself from deliberations on this application.

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?

Possibly. We routinely invite special guests from other DeFi and Ethereum-based protocols to the Community Calls. Mav or Grant usually selects them and are generally tied to the Rocket Pool ecosystem. Their DeFi protocol may benefit from being included on the call. I will disclose if I am an investor or hold any tokens of the guest protocols.

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Rocket Rescue Node 2025 H1 Renewal

Note: For reasons previously discussed with the GMC, the Rescue Node is now operated by EthStaker. The Maintainers list is expanding to include Yorick, but otherwise will remain the same.

What work from the previous proposal was completed?

A few contributors who have been remunerated in separate RAs added new features:
We now support solo validators who use Smart Contract wallets, and the website now displays remaining quota to users.

What work from the previous proposal is ongoing or pending?

No ongoing work aside from usual maintenance and software refactors.

What work was not originally planned, but completed, if any?

(See above new features)

What work is newly slated since the previous proposal?

I’d like to update some of our code to improve startup times, but it’s generally all small stuff.

Are the results of this project entirely open source (MIT, GPL, Apache, CC BY license or similar)? If not, which parts are not, and why not?

  • AGPLv3
    • rescue-proxy
    • guarded-beacon-proxy
    • rescue-api
  • MIT
    • rescue-ui
  • Closed Source
    • infrastructure
    • secrets

As a reminder, the infrastructure and secrets libraries are closed source, the former out of an abundance of caution, and the latter as a requirement. We don’t believe either of these to be a hindrance to a third party wishing to modify or run the service themselves.

Benefits - enter N/A where appropriate

What metrics can you share on the success of the project?

The dashboard remains viewable at https://stats.rescuenode.com/

At the time of writing, 13 node operators with 207 validators are using the rescue node. One solo staker with 4 validators is connected.

Access has been requested 2770 times, 2627 times by Rocket Pool NOs and 143 times by solo stakers.

This corresponds to 120 solo stakers and 1114 node operators.

In less specific terms, how has this project improved the Rocket Pool ecosystem or benefited the Ethereum ecosystem?

We continue to believe the project offers a safety net which helps differentiate Rocket Pool from other staking protocols and attract node operators.

Team

Who has done the work, and have there been any changes to the team?

The original team is unchanged (see previous applications for exact breakdown).

We are adding Yorick to the list of Maintainers as part of our partnership with EthStaker.

We have received contributions from community members snocones and trainface

How have the individual constituents of the team been compensated?

Development and other contributions have been paid ad-hoc by retroactive grant.

The proactive grant only pays for the hardware costs of the rescue node.

Maintenance work is provided pro-bono.

Since the last renewal, the following payments have been made to @Patches to reimburse him for bills:

  • 07/01/24 $508.90 25.3701580338003 RPL
  • 08/01/24 $508.90 42.3096109078816 RPL
  • 09/01/24 $508.90 47.672131147541 RPL
  • 10/01/24 $508.90 47.516339869281 RPL
  • 11/01/24 $610.50 64.9468085106383 RPL
  • 12/01/24 $407.30 27.8667214012042 RPL

Note that in November, OVH over-billed us and provided a credit which is show in December.

The Multisig carries a balance of 79.789 RPL and 1524.45 USDC

At today’s prices, this is $2,515.48, which is enough to operate the Rescue Node until the end of May.

How has maintenance been performed since the delivery of the project?

Sysadmin tasks continue to be performed pro bono.

Development work since the last renewal has been from contributions who have independently had the opportunity to apply for RAs.

Payment and Verification

Have the acceptance criteria been met?

We believe so.

What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much RPL and over what period of time is the applicant requesting? Does this differ from the original approved amount?

Our previous grant paid $443 per cycle, which was targeted at depleting the multisig’s runway a little, as it had previously grown to over $4200.

This cycle, we’d like to request $650 per cycle, as we may need to do maintenance in the next 6 months that would otherwise deplete our runway.

Is there a measurable Return on Investment for the project?

Please see previous applications for the cost/benefit analyses, which have not materially changed since the start of the project. I have still never observed the rescue node operating at a loss to the protocol.

What is the breakdown of spending on development for the original grant vs. maintenance?

100% of ongoing funds continue to be put towards reimbursing costs.

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).

Ken serves on the GMC. Ken does not stand to benefit financially from this grant, and has never been paid for his work with us.

I am an investor in NodeSet, Beaconcha.in, and on the board of directors at EthStaker.

Yorick is a member of EthStaker.

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?

No, aside from solo stakers who have access to the rescue node.

5

What grant is being renewed?

Rocket Fuel - Waq

What work from the previous proposal was completed?

Since applying for my current grant on July 4th, I have produced 89 episodes of Rocket Fuel (up to episode 519).

What work from the previous proposal is ongoing or pending?

Work continues for Rocket Fuel daily. This is an open-ended ongoing project.

What work was not originally planned, but completed, if any?

I have also produced two Launch Pad episodes, one Take Off into DeFi episode, and three special episodes. This totals 95 content pieces I have produced in the last 6 months.

What work is newly slated since the previous proposal?

There is currently no planned new work outside of the daily Rocket Fuel episodes. Launch Pad and Take Off Into DeFi episodes will continue as and when the situation arises along with any other special episodes - such as those around the Saturn 1 update, etc.

Are the results of this project entirely open source (MIT, GPL, Apache, CC BY license or similar)? If not, which parts are not, and why not?

N/A.However, I made a list of all my episode links available to the community.

Benefits - enter N/A where appropriate

What metrics can you share on the success of the project?

The Rocket Fuel channel has amassed 1,031 (+7%) subscribers on YouTube, 1952 (+12%) followers on Twitter, and 167 (+10%) followers on Spotify alone (other podcast platform information is not available). All of these numbers show significant growth compared to 6 months ago.

YouTube subscribers
YouTube subscribers330×202 4.97 KB

(screenshot of YouTube subscribers)

views and impressions
views and impressions812×184 4.53 KB

(previous 6 months of views and impressions on YouTube)

This makes Rocket Fuel the largest Rocket Pool-specific YouTube channel, the largest Rocket Pool Podcast, and one of the largest Rocket Pool dedicated Twitter accounts that does not belong to the team or team members.

Rocket Fuel is the most widely consumed regular Rocket Pool-related media. The average Rocket Fuel episode has around 148 views views on YouTube and 50 listens on Spotify alone. The average viewer count is very slightly down compared to the previous grant. However, this is very strongly correlated with the number of people visiting the Rocket Pool community and the price of RPL - both of which are close to lows.

RP visitors
RP visitors640×480 32.2 KB

(visitor count for the RP discord)

The contraction of Rocket Pool, the poor price action for RPL, and generally low sentiment in the wider Ethereum space has brought fewer viewers than I expected. This phenomenon is not isolated to Rocket Fuel. Major crypto podcasts and news channels are also suffering in this current market. Once interest in crypto comes back from wider audiences, Rocket Fuel should grow in accordance with that.

social interest
social interest2626×1296 352 KB

(a small amount of interest in YouTube crypto content returned for those speaking about Bitcoin but not other crypto assets, yet - x.com)

In less specific terms, how has this project improved the Rocket Pool ecosystem or benefited the Ethereum ecosystem?

Rocket Fuel has become an invaluable tool for the Rocket Pool protocol and community. There is a thriving Rocket Fuel community with dozens of people contributing content to the show monthly. On top of that, other protocols have noticed my passion and high-quality content for Rocket Pool and have reached out for their content in partnership to be covered on the show. All such content happens without any payment and the strictest selection criteria is used.

Rocket Fuel is often the first media newcomers to Rocket Pool come across. Rocket Fuel’s lack of advertisements and focus on the news in a matter-of-fact manner without hype, embellishment, or clickbait tactics is a welcoming and informative introduction to Rocket Pool. In this way, Rocket Fuel significantly contributes to Rocket Pool’s credibility. No comparable DeFI project, or even many alt layer-1s, have a similar dedicated media outlet, nor do they have media and community-building programs that are this cost-effective to produce for the pDAO.

Rocket Fuel’s value is recognized by many prominent members of the Rocket Pool community. Some have provided testimonials for Rocket Fuel’s worth for them. Below is a sample of some of these testimonials:

superphiz:

Rocket Fuel has positioned itself as a critical information distribution tool in the super fast paced Rocket Pool community. We all acknowledge that there’s simply too much information for anyone to keep up with and Rocket Fuel is the glue that lets our community sync up and push forward. The information provided by Rocket Fuel translates into added value for new users and old trolls by giving high quality free access to the cutting edge of information without having to wade through thousands of comments.

Marceau:

Rocket Pool is lucky to have such a vibrant and active community, to the point that staying on top of all the discussion is onerous. Waq and Rocket Fuel provide a huge amount of value by aggregating the key points into a video format with timestamps. Thanks!

Shfryn:

I have been an avid viewer of Rocket Fuel since its inception, and I must say that it has become an indispensable resource for staying up to date with the ever-evolving Rocket Pool ecosystem. Our protocol needs a reliable source of information on a daily basis.

Beyond being an outstanding source of information, Rocket Fuel serves to legitimize our protocol to potential new node operators. I would imagine there are a ton of potential node operators that would not stop to give the product a chance if it were not for the information Rocket Fuel provides.

Beyond bringing legitimacy, Rocket Fuel has personally played a pivotal role in my journey. It served as the bridge that connected me to the community and fueled my motivation to contribute more. Unlike aimlessly reading random conversations in a Discord server, Rocket Fuel provided me with a tangible connection to others who share my passion.

In essence, Rocket Fuel not only delivers invaluable news and updates but also lends credibility to the Rocket Pool product. Furthermore, it fosters a sense of engagement and connection within the community, enhancing the overall experience for all participants. It is a beacon of inspiration, propelling individuals like me to actively participate and contribute towards the shared vision.

Langers

In order for DAOs to thrive, its participants have to stay in the loop and be well-informed. Within the vibrant Rocket Pool community, there are many simultaneous conversations, decision-making processes, and initiatives happening. To ensure everyone can easily access and digest important information, we’ve got Rocket Fuel—an awesome resource that delivers timely updates in a friendly and approachable manner. And let’s not forget about Waq, who brings a touch of personality and warmth to our inclusive community culture.

Patches

Rocket Fuel provides an invaluable service to those of us who work to build for the Rocket Pool ecosystem. In the fast paced Ethereum world, it is impossible to stay up to date on everything transpiring on twitter and discord and be a productive builder at the same time- that is, without the help of Rocket Fuel. Waq’s YouTube videos, and especially their content timestamping, drastically improve the signal-to-noise ratio from social media, and help me stay focused, productive, and engaged with the community.

Rhett (founder of Gravita)

Waq’s coverage of Gravita on Rocket Fuel as well as the launchpad has been extremely helpful for us in connecting with the rocketpool community and the ethereum community as a whole. He’s also been a pleasure to work with and a great interviewer. He’s the kind of content creator we need more of.

Team

Who has done the work, and have there been any changes to the team?

The content production work is all done by me, Waq. However, Rocket Fuel would not be possible without the content contributors who assist me with research for each episode. I pay a monthly amount of $1,000 for this help that is provided to me in the form of a raffle.

How have the individual constituents of the team been compensated?

The payment has gone to me. I also use money that comes to me for Rocket Fuel to pay contributors $1,000 every month. I will also be paying the Rocket Fuel Intern.

How has maintenance been performed since the delivery of the project?

Maintenance is done by YouTube and podcast content hosting services and has required minimal effort from me.

Payment and Verification

Have the acceptance criteria been met?

The acceptance criteria have been met. I have produced an acceptable number of episodes indicated in the previous grant. On top of that, the reach of Rocket Fuel has grown in terms of subscribers, followers, and general awareness of Rocket Fuel. However, I think there is still significant growth to come for Rocket Fuel as Rocket Pool starts to grow again, RPL starts to perform better, and the general sentiment in the Ethereum ecosystem improves.

What is the proposed payment schedule for the grant? How much RPL and over what period of time is the applicant requesting? Does this differ from the original approved amount?

This grant requests the GMC to consider a raise in payment (currently at $40,000/6 months) as it has been a year since my last raise. I will leave the amount of the raise or payment going forward to the GMC.

Is there a measurable Return on Investment for the project?

As with all media and community engagement endeavors, Rocket Fuel return on investment is not easily quantified. Despite this, the return can be assessed qualitatively by observing the significant positive impact that Rocket Fuel has had on the community and newcomers to the community.

What is the breakdown of spending on development for the original grant vs. maintenance?

This is not applicable to Rocket Fuel.

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 a member of the GMC and the IMC. I also receive donations in the form of RPL from anonymous and non-anonymous members of the community. The gifts and donations have no impact on the content of Rocket Fuel as I have sole editorial control.

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?

No. I am not involved in any other protocols, so they would not directly benefit. However, I do cover news of other staking services such as Lido, Stader, Diva, Stakwise, and more when it is relevant. I was given a large “OG” airdrop (likely for my work on Rocket Fuel) of Diva tokens (100,000 tokens with other tokens airdropped similarly to other Rocket Pool node operators for a total of 130,000 tokens), but I have repeatedly stated that Rocket Pool, Rocket Fuel, and Ethereum will come first for me. These tokens will almost definitely be sold.

In my personal crypto portfolio, I hold some tokens I was airdropped and others I purchased. RPL remains the biggest part of my portfolio.

6

Notice: This message marks the closing of the twentieth (20) 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 January 26th. 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.