Round 28 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is September 7

Grants / Bounties
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4

Driving rETH Demand via Micro-Influencer Campaigns

What is the work being proposed?

Holdex (through Ready Influencer) proposes a 3–6 month pilot influencer & community growth program designed to increase rETH demand and adoption.

The service, Ready Influencer, is a KPI-driven influencer marketing service tailored for crypto projects. It solves inefficiencies in crypto marketing (inflated costs, low trust, poor targeting) by:

  • Activating crypto micro-influencers with authentic reach.

  • Running ambassador programs to amplify Rocket Pool’s narrative.

  • Each ambassador/KOL will receive a unique referral link to attribute conversions, deposits, and staking activity. This ensures adoption, peg stability, and TVL growth are tied directly to campaign activity.

  • Managing data-driven campaigns with transparent reporting (CTR, CPU, CPE).

  • Highlighting Rocket Pool upgrades (e.g., Saturn 1 this October or Saturn 2 next year) to educate users and build trust.

  • Campaigns will balance retail awareness with ecosystem integrations, reflecting Rocket Pool’s hybrid growth path, wrapped in storytelling, gamification, and integration showcases to make rETH engaging and sticky.

[BONUS] Supporting ecosystem partner outreach, identifying and introducing potential collaborators to expand rETH utility and strengthen Rocket Pool’s brand.

Is there any related work this builds off of?

Yes. While protocol-side improvements technically strengthen Rocket Pool (based on others’ proposal), this grant builds on that foundation by providing the growth engine needed to attract new rETH holders and stakers.

Holdex has already demonstrated success with Ithaca Protocol, achieving:

  • $STRATOS token oversubscription (742.91%) with 5,387 participants in just 24 hours → Ranked #3 on Virtual Genesis upon launch under $IRIS and $BAIBY.

  • Odyssey of Fate TG mini-app campaign with 20% CTR and $0.10 cost per user.

  • Ambassador activation scaled community reach by 20–40× across all metrics, generating 291,000 views and 23,126 engagements organically with 0 ad spend ; one of the lowest CPEs ($0.1081)

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?

This project is a bespoke, person-to-person service tailored specifically for the Rocket Pool DAO and thus isn’t released under an open-source license (MIT, GPL, Apache, or CC BY). However, we commit to full transparency: all campaign materials — strategies, reports, metrics, referral links, and performance data will be shared openly with the DAO for accountability and community review. While the implementation IP (internal tools or templates we use) remains proprietary, the outcome and insights are fully visible to the Rocket Pool community.

Benefit

Group Benefit
Potential rETH holders Learn about Rocket Pool’s unique advantages (decentralized, competitive yields, Saturn withdrawals) via authentic, relatable micro-influencers. Increased confidence to stake.
rETH holders Stronger peg stability through higher demand. Reduced exit discounts as more users enter and hold rETH.
Potential NOs More demand = shorter entry queues, stronger incentive to join the protocol.
NOs Higher participation → more capacity to stake nETH, better APY from stronger rETH demand.
Community Greater visibility and stronger community engagement, encouraging more participation in discussions, governance, and advocacy. Campaign measurement ensures TVL growth is tracked through referral attribution and cost per $ liquidity acquired.
RPL holders Growth in rETH TVL leads to higher fees captured per staked RPL, supporting long-term token value. Ecosystem partners (Aave, Curve, Balancer, MakerDAO) benefit from more rETH integration.

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

  • Ethereum DeFi protocols (e.g. Aave, Curve, Balancer, MakerDAO) benefit from increased rETH adoption as collateral.

  • Wallets and consumer apps that can integrate rETH, improving UX for stakers (e.g. Argent, Rainbow, Zerion).

  • Micro-influencers and ambassadors who gain access to transparent, fair partnership opportunities.

  • Other DAOs that are willing to adapt the outreach/ambassador playbook to their own growth initiatives.

Work

Who is doing the work?

The Holdex Ready Influencer team:

  • Experienced KOL relationship managers (dedicated Rocket Pool campaign manager).

  • Data specialists for influencer sourcing and KPI measurement.

  • Campaign designers, BD support, and ambassador program coordinators.

What is the background of the person(s) doing the work?

Holdex has been building with Web3 teams since 2017, supporting early projects through marketing, tokenomics, and growth campaigns.

Experience includes collaborations with Clearpool and Index.fun (recognized as a top 10 upcoming Web3 project in Asia curated by Crypto Banter).

Successfully executed campaigns for Ithaca Protocol, resulting in:

  • 742.91% token oversubscription.

  • $0.10 cost per user acquisition (using TG mini-app ads)

  • 291,000+ organic impressions (~21× organic baseline) at $0 ad spend (<$0.009 per view)

Holdex operates across major crypto community hubs: Twitter (X), Telegram, Discord, and execute campaigns with flexibility to expand into platforms like Binance Live, Reddit, and Bluesky.

Portfolio: https://holdex.io/portfolio ; https://readyinfluencer.holdex.io

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

Month 1

  • Campaign design + messaging (aligned with Saturn 1 or Saturn 2 narrative, depending on timing).

  • Sourcing & onboarding micro-influencers.

Month 2–3

  • Launch campaigns (Twitter/X, TG AMAs, Ambassadors).

  • Run pilot campaigns (10–15 micro-KOLs).

  • Collect + report data: CTR, CPU, community growth.

Month 4–6 (if extended)

  • Optimize campaigns based on feedback.

  • Scale to larger outreach (broader KOL networks).

  • Expand ambassador program → UGC growth.

Timeline Options (Saturn 1 vs Saturn 2)

We recommend to begin with Saturn 1 (October 2025) to capture immediate momentum and visibility.

If the DAO prefers, we can instead target Saturn 2 (2026) for a larger coordinated push.

Regardless of milestone, we are also open to contributing additional development-focused initiatives (e.g., ambassador feedback loops, integration outreach, liquidity acquisition strategy).

In addition to organic KOL and ambassador activations, Holdex can run targeted paid ad campaigns across:

  • Telegram Ads

  • X Ads (Twitter)

  • Google Ads (including YouTube + Display Network on websites)

  • Facebook & Instagram Ads

  • LinkedIn Ads

Important: Paid ad campaigns require separate budgets (not included in the retainer). If campaigns are scaled heavily, additional costs may be needed to hire more team members for execution and reporting.

This multi-channel expertise ensures Rocket Pool campaigns can reach scaling adoption effectively from both crypto-native communities and mainstream or institutional audiences.

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

Testing is built into each stage of the campaign via measurable KPIs:

  • Cost per view (CPV)

  • Cost per engagement (CPE)

  • Cost per user acquisition (CPU) — historically ~$10–$50/user depending on channel

  • Unique referral links for each KOL/ambassador to track conversions and staking

  • Cost per $ liquidity acquired as a north star metric

  • (If possible) On-chain dashboards to align campaign activity with TVL, wallet holder growth, and peg stability

In practice, testing is phased:

  • Month 1: Internal review of campaign design and influencer selection to ensure alignment with Rocket Pool’s Saturn 1 or Saturn 2 narrative.

  • Months 2–3: Pilot campaigns with 10–15 micro-KOLs. Results are collected (CTR, CPU, engagement, community growth) and evaluated before deciding which KOLs/strategies to scale further.

  • Months 4–6 (if extended): Optimization based on the pilot’s results. Only the most effective channels and influencers are scaled, with ongoing performance testing after each wave of campaigns.

This batch-by-batch evaluation ensures that only high-performing strategies are expanded, making campaign testing and iteration a core part of the schedule.

How will the work be maintained after delivery?

  • Continuous campaign management by a dedicated KOL manager.

  • Iterative optimization after each wave of influencer campaigns.

  • Monthly reporting to GMC + DAO community.

Costs

What is the acceptance criteria?

  • Campaign delivery with verifiable reports (links, screenshots, engagement metrics).

  • Cost efficiency within target KPIs (≤$0.03 / view, ≤$0.35 / engagement, ~$10–$100 / user).

  • Conversion tracking via referral links.

  • Cost per $ liquidity acquired benchmark.

  • Positive sentiment & visibility growth in the community

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

Proposed model:

  • $3,500 / month — dedicated KOL manager fee
    Covers a full-time campaign manager for Rocket Pool, responsible for influencer sourcing, management, ambassador program execution, analytics, reporting, partner outreach, coordination, and operational support.

  • KOL spend is flexible and billed separately.

    • In our past work, campaigns have typically ranged $1,500–$2,500 each (3-4 campaigns over 3 months, ~$10,000 total), depending on scope and duration.

    • For maximum results, ideal budget range $2,500–$5,000 per campaign

  • Paid ads (optional), billed separately.

    • Telegram Ads: minimum $1,000 (free tests for ~100 users); recommended $5,000+ ; wallet-holder targeting may cost more.

    • Google Ads (Website Display / YouTube): minimum $4,000 (no specific targeting); wallet-holder targeting requires minimum $13,000 initial budget (actual spend duration range from 1-2 months).

    • X (Twitter) Ads: $1,500–$5,000/month, depending on audience scope.

    • Facebook & Instagram Ads: $1,500–$4,000/month.

    • LinkedIn Ads: $2,000–$5,000/month, focused on institutional audiences.

  • If Rocket Pool chooses to run paid ad campaigns, an additional $2,500/month may apply to cover additional ads manager.

Total upfront payment (for KOL manager only):

  • $10,500 for 3 months (pilot program), or

  • $21,000 for 6 months (extended contract for maximum outreach).

Cancellation policy:

  • A minimum of 2 weeks’ prior notice is required before stopping the service.

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

  • Monthly campaign reports.

  • Public influencer content + engagement proof.

  • DAO/community review of campaign effectiveness.

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

  • Large KOLs → rejected due to inflated costs and (mostly) low engagement rate that likely affects conversion.

  • Ambassadors only → limited scale.

  • Micro-KOL + ambassador mix → best balance of authenticity, scale, and cost efficiency.

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

No.

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.

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, Holdex will benefit financially as the service provider. However, the primary beneficiary is Rocket Pool adoption via increased rETH demand, stronger ecosystem integrations, and brand visibility.

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