The GMC has concluded discussions and scoring for the Round 22 (February 7 - March 7) Grants/Bounties/RA Award Round.
This post also begins the fourteen-day clock during which, according to RPIP-15, “[a]nyone MAY file an RPIP disputing a grant, bounty, or retrospective award within two weeks of the announcement of recipients. Such an RPIP SHALL be subject to a snapshot vote.” Any awards not subject to such a challenge will become official on April 13, 2025 at 23:59 UTC.
General Updates
Cyfrin DeFi Course
The rETH DeFi course was released on March 21. The GMC sponsored exam vouchers (Cyfrin Updraft Solidity Smart Contract Developer Certification) for the first 25 individuals that completed the course. Activity and excitement from individuals outside of the community was notable and most vouchers are expected to be disbursed. The GMC has retained 25 vouchers for their own disbursement. Please contact the GMC if you have any interest.
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rETH Pitch Deck
Token Motion and STAR have developed a high-quality pitch deck highlighting the strengths of the rETH token:
Feel free to share with interested parties, or send the GMC any feedback you may have.
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Increasing GMC Share of Inflation Vote
The GMC has a drafted RPIP (RPIP-69: Increasing GMC Share of Inflation) and sentiment poll live (Increasing GMC Share of Inflation Vote) for increasing the committee’s share of inflation. Given the state of the treasury, more funds will be required to continue to operate efficiently.
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Protocol Funding in Saturn 1 & Beyond
Dr. Doofus has a very important post (Protocol Funding in Saturn I and Beyond) addressing why we would want to and how we could go about increasing treasury funds and seeks more formal opinions on if we can do this in Saturn 1 . His proposal talks about “larger marketing initiatives (including hiring external marketing agencies), incentives, bribes, integrations , etc. to drive rETH adoption .”
Current GMC Roster
- Ken
- Waq
- Dr Doofus
- Destroyaaa
- Steely
- Kevster.eth
- sckuzzle
- LenofTawa
- ramana
Application Breakdown
- Total Grant Applications: 3
- Total Retro Applications: 2
- Total Applications Transferred From Last Round: 1
- Total Amount Grants Requested: $53,450
- Total Amount Retros Requested: $25,450
- Total Amount Grants / Bounties / Retros Requested: $678,900
- Total Amount Incoming Funds This Period: $30,000
- Total Amount Reserves: $355,000
USD values calculated at the time GMC began deliberating on applications.
Awards, Average Overall Scores
| Number | Applicant | Title | Decision | Amount (USD) | Avg Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA212505 | Trooper | Smart Node V2 Exit Arbitrage Add-on | Approve at 66% | $3,666.00 | 3 |
| RA222502 | haloooloolo | Rocket Watch Contributions | Approve at 66% | $16,650.00 | 4 |
| RA222501 | Pat | The Weekly Orbit Retro | Approve at 66% | $300.00 | 3.2 |
| GA222503 | Pat | The Weekly Orbit | Decline | 2.17 | |
| GA222501 | w3.vision | Sponsor of Institutional DeFi Season | Decline | 2 | |
| GA222502 | Diamond Hands | Diamond Hands Marketing | Decline | 2.33 |
Detailed Award Results
Name: Smart Node V2 Exit Arbitrage Add-on
Proposer: Trooper
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: All
Link to Application: Round 21 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is February 7 - #6 by trooper
Decision: Approve at 66%
Requested Funding: $5,000
Awarded Funding: $3,666
Score: 3
Comments: The GMC approves funding for the Smart Node Exit Arbitrage Addon proposal at a reduced award of $3,666, recognizing its potential to enhance core functionality for the Rocket Pool protocol.
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Acknowledging Utility:
This tool enables crucial arbitrage functionality that helps maintain the rETH peg, and long-term, such features are fundamental to a healthy and efficient protocol. The community has already found it useful, and integration into Smartnode v1 would ensure wider accessibility and sustained support. -
Ensuring Responsible Funding:
Originally deferred in anticipation of Smartnode v2, this proposal now shifts focus to integration with v1. While the initial funding request was considered high, a reduced award reflects the current budget context and incorporates feedback from multiple committee members, including technical advice. -
Supporting Strategic Improvements:
By funding this work at a lower rate, the GMC supports practical enhancements to the Smartnode stack without overcommitting resources. This strikes a balance between encouraging valuable contributions and maintaining fiscal discipline, while reinforcing the importance of tools that contribute to protocol stability and decentralization.
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Name: Rocket Watch Contributions
Proposer: haloooloolo
Type: Retro
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 22 - GMC Call for Retrospective Applications - Deadline is March 7 - #5 by haloooloolo
Decision: Approve at 66%
Requested Funding: $25,000
Awarded Funding: $16,650
Score: 4
Comments: The GMC approves funding for haloooloolo’s Rocket Watch contributions at a reduced award of $16,500, recognizing the significant utility and technical effort provided to the Rocket Pool community.
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Acknowledging Valuable Contributions:
Rocket Watch has become a useful and appreciated tool, offering insights and features that improve the user experience and network visibility. The work reflects strong initiative and technical skill, and has delivered clear value to the protocol. -
Ensuring Responsible Funding:
While the contributions are substantial, some elements may not have been prioritized for funding if proposed in advance. In light of current budget constraints, the GMC is awarding a reduced amount. This reflects a balance between recognizing meaningful work and exercising financial caution given the state of the treasury. -
Supporting Future Sustainability:
This award comes with a forward-looking recommendation: that future development or maintenance work for Rocket Watch proceed through a formal grant process. This will help align expectations, prioritize feature development, and ensure continued support in a sustainable, collaborative manner.
The committee will work with haloooloolo to develop a clearer process and better-aligned expectations moving forward.
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Name: The Weekly Orbit Retro
Proposer: Pat
Type: Retro
Subcommittee: All
Link to Application: Round 22 - GMC Call for Retrospective Applications - Deadline is March 7 - #4 by Pat_The_Weekly_Orbit
Decision: Approve at 66%
Requested Funding: $450
Awarded Funding: $300
Score: 3.2
Comments: The GMC approves funding for The Weekly Orbit Retro proposal at a reduced award of 66%, recognizing the long-standing community contribution while encouraging a shift toward proactive grant applications.
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Acknowledging Community Effort: The Weekly Orbit has been a consistent and enthusiastic effort to engage the Rocket Pool community. Pat’s dedication over many episodes reflects a valuable contribution to the ecosystem’s culture and visibility.
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Supporting Better Process: This retro would have been more appropriate as a grant submitted before the work was completed. By awarding at 66%, the GMC signals support for the content while also reinforcing the importance of using the grant process for ongoing or predictable work.
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Name: The Weekly Orbit
Proposer: Pat
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: All
Link to Application: Round 22 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is March 7 - #6 by Pat_The_Weekly_Orbit
Decision: Decline
Requested Funding: $1,200
Score: 2.17
Comments: The GMC declines funding for the Weekly Orbit proposal, recognizing that the rationale for continuation does not meet current funding priorities.
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Acknowledging Community Spirit:
The Weekly Orbit has been a consistent effort to celebrate Rocket Pool and inform the community. While there’s appreciation for the initiative and the dedication behind producing nearly 100 episodes, continuing solely to reach that milestone is not, in itself, a compelling reason for further funding. -
Ensuring Responsible Funding:
With viewership averaging 30–40 per episode, the proposed funding level would amount to approximately $5 per view—raising questions about cost-effectiveness. Several committee members noted concerns about budget allocation and emphasized the need to reassess media compensation levels moving forward. -
Supporting Strategic Impact:
The committee is aligned in valuing community-created content, but funding must reflect impact and sustainability. Instead of funding eight more episodes to reach a symbolic number, members suggested an alternative—such as a single recap or celebratory episode—that could better honor the show’s legacy while being mindful of current resources.
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Name: Sponsor of Institutional DeFi Season
Proposer: w3.vision
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Research
Link to Application: Round 22 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is March 7 - #4 by w3nate
Decision: Decline
Requested Funding: $32,000
Score: 2
Comments: The GMC declines funding for the Institutional DeFi Season sponsorship proposal, citing unclear strategic alignment and current budget constraints.
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Acknowledging Potential: While the opportunity may offer visibility in a broader DeFi context, the value proposition for Rocket Pool remains uncertain. Without a clearly defined representative or strategy for participation, the benefits of sponsorship are difficult to evaluate.
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Ensuring Responsible Funding: Given the current state of the treasury and competing priorities, the GMC must be especially selective in approving discretionary spending. With limited clarity on outcomes, this sponsorship does not meet the threshold for funding at this time.
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Supporting Strategic Focus: The GMC remains open to exploring outreach and ecosystem engagement opportunities in the future. However, they must be clearly scoped, aligned with Rocket Pool’s goals, and capable of demonstrating measurable impact before receiving financial support.
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Name: Diamond Hands Marketing
Proposer: Diamond Hands
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Marketing
Link to Application: Round 22 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is March 7 - #5 by Diamond_Hands
Decision: Decline
Requested Funding: $14,750
Score: 2.33
Comments: The GMC declines funding for the Diamond Hands Marketing proposal, citing concerns around cost, clarity, and alignment with Rocket Pool’s current marketing needs.
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Acknowledging the Effort:
The proposal was well-written and shows initiative, and in a different budgetary environment, it may have warranted further exploration. However, effective marketing for Rocket Pool requires a tailored, strategic approach that this proposal does not fully demonstrate. -
Ensuring Responsible Funding:
At the requested price point, the committee expected a clear, targeted plan showing why rETH is a good fit, who the audience is, and how the campaign would deliver measurable impact. Without a proven track record or verifiable outcomes, the proposal felt too easy to game and difficult to justify—especially in comparison to recent partners like AlphaGrowth or Cyfrin. -
Supporting Strategic Alignment:
The GMC remains supportive of creative marketing efforts, but funding must go to teams that demonstrate a deep understanding of Rocket Pool and a clear plan for advancing protocol goals. This proposal, while enthusiastic, falls short of that bar at this time.
Bounties That Need Definitions
GMC is requesting support writing a definition for the following bounties:
Member Participation
All members participated in the decision process.
Final Voting Stages
A ranked choice vote was conducted for RA222501 - The Weekly Orbit Retro, where ‘Award at 66%’ was the prevailing option.
There were no amendments declared during this period, and no members chose to reject the final vote slate.
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Future Awards
During this time of treasury distress, the GMC would like to reiterate its strong preference for grants over retroactive awards—especially for development work. Pre-approval is important and appropriate for development features. Grant applications should be scoped in advance to ensure alignment and accountability.
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To learn more about the decision-making process or to engage with the committee, join the GMC server here.