Internal Notes:
https://dao.rocketpool.net/t/round-26-june-7-july-7-grants-bounties-retrospective-awards-results/3711 Round 26 was funded at $200 / call, totaling $2400.
_
## What grant is being renewed?
GA032316. Renewal for RP Community Call Hosting - Host Ken Smith
### What work from the previous proposal was completed?
There has been a recent increase in call frequency. We have conducted 12 calls in the first 4 months of the grant period. In communications with the GMC, I was advised to submit early for the renewal grant. I conducted two calls in November and December, and we (Mav and I) have planned at least one more before the end of the calendar year. These are beyond the 12 allocated calls in this grant, which I will apply as episodes in the renewal allocation if granted. A series of calls is expected in January to focus on the Saturn 1 launch.
Here is a listing of the Community calls I have hosted since the grant’s last renewal.
-
2025-07-10 ft Langers YT
-
2025-07-29 ft Pendle x.com
-
2025-08-14 ft Langers
-
2025-08-27 ft Nuconstruct Note: Mav offered Nuconstruct X, but they wanted to do this one on Discord so they could connect with the community better
-
2025-09-09 ft Rezerve (x.com)
-
2025-09-18 ft ETHStrategy (#chitchat)
-
2025-09-22 Langers (on x.com)
-
2025-09-25 Rocksolid (Chitchat YT)
-
2025-09-03 (ft Liquity) x.com
-
2025-10-16 (ft. Langers) x.com
-
2025-10-30 (ft. RockSolid + Langers) x.com
### What work from the previous proposal is ongoing or pending?
The proposed work is to continue hosting periodic Rocket Pool Community calls. The Community calls are routine calls that typically feature either members of the RP development team or a business or marketing partner, known as a “special guest.” The calls are usually 60 - 80 minutes in length and are intended to inform the community about significant news topics, with weigh-ins from the core Rocket Pool team.
### What work was not planned initially but completed, if any?
Since the last renewal application (granted in Round 26 July 2026), a total of 14 community calls have been hosted.
### What work is newly slated since the previous proposal?
This grant renewal request seeks authorization for an additional 12 calls (~5-month window) to support the ongoing hosting of the RP Community Calls.
### Are the results of this project entirely open source ([MIT]( The MIT License – Open Source Initiative ), [GPL]( The GNU General Public License v3.0 - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation ), [Apache]( Apache License, Version 2.0 | Apache Software Foundations ), [CC BY]( Deed - Attribution 4.0 International - Creative Commons ) 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 or X account 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 YouTube recordings. I do not have statistics on the number of attendees 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 of team development milestones and the road map process. Furthermore, they inform rETH holders and DeFi integrations about the LST. It’s a weekly (and sometimes multiple times a week) live Twitter or Discord space that covers topics of interest to both rETH holders and NOs. The Community Calls keep holders informed about the protocol and ecosystem, enabling them to make informed decisions. Most guest protocols either incorporate or will incorporate Rocket Pool into their protocols or services. The Community Call remains a foundational communication platform for three key stakeholders. The development team, the RP Community (particularly the pDAO), and the DeFi Ecosystem that is incorporating Rocket Pool into its 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 2 years. For qualifications, I have been a long-term RP community member, serving as a Rocket Scientist and continuing 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 hosted in the chit-chat are re-uploaded on YouTube by [@maverick]( Profile - maverick - Rocket Pool Governance ) and are publicly accessible via the YouTube platform (https://www.youtube.com/@RocketPool/videos). All the X space calls are automatically recorded and available immediately after the call on the X platform.
## Payment and Verification:
### Have the acceptance criteria been met?
Yes.
### 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 same remuneration. Payments can continue to be made routinely 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 am a member of the GMC, and under the current RPIP-18, I will be required 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 is 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.