The GMC has concluded discussions and scoring for the Round 8 (Dec 10 - Jan 14) Grants/Bounties/RA Award Round. For those who did not receive an award, please note that applicants are welcome to re-apply.
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 Feb 13, 2024 at 23:59 UTC.
Subcommittees
Development: jcrtp, dondo, rocknet
Research: Ken, Looking For Owls, epineph
Marketing: Waq, rplmaxi,eth, KentPhilly
Awarded Amounts
Awards were denominated in USD for the purposes of committee discussions and voting on finalized award amounts. Awards were then converted to RPL at the current ratio ($30/RPL) as of shortly before this posting (and then rounded up to the nearest RPL).
Modifications from Last Round
Public Retrospectives
The GMC held their first retrospective in the GMC Discord server. Over a dozen community members attended.
New Templates / Application Posts
There have been new application post templates that have been revised to make it easier to fill out and understand.
Negotiation Channel
A negotiation channel has been added to the GMC server where you can see all the ongoing negotiations for the current round.
Application Breakdown
Total Grant Applications: 11
Total Bounty Applications: 3
Total Retro Applications: 5
Total Amount Grants Requested: $238,870
Total Amount Bounties Requested: $133,000
Total Amount Retros Requested: $13,574
Total Amount Grants / Bounties / Retros Requested: $385,444
Awards, Average Overall Scores
| Number | Proposer | Title | Decision | Amount (RPL - RPL at $30/RPL) | Amount (USD) | Average score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA0802404 | Waq | Rocket Fuel | Approve | 1333.33 | $40,000 | 4.92 |
| GA0802408 | Ken | Twitter Spaces (Ken) | Approve | 120 | $3,600 | 4.42 |
| GA0802410 | Ken | Denver Lift-Off | Approve | 1064.3 | $31,929 | 3.88 |
| GA0802411 | Jasper | Twitter Spaces (Jasper) | Approve | 120 | $3,600 | 4.3 |
| RA082401 | ShfRyn | MC Gas Reimbursement | Approve | 13.33 - 50 | $400 - $1,500 | 5 |
| GA062302 | Patches | Rescue Node | Approve | 140 | $4,200 | 5 |
| BA082403 | Valdorff | Treegen Testing Support | Approve | 100 | $3,000 | 5 |
| RA082403 | Patches | MISC Work | Approve | 31.47 | $944 | 5 |
| RA082404 | Patches | Treegen Work | Approve | 16 | $480 | 5 |
| RA082405 | Patches | CID Work | Approve | 13.33 | $400 | 5 |
| BA082402 | Valdorff | Non-Custodial Staking As A Service | Approve | 2666.67 | $80,000 | 4.25 |
| RA082402 | Valdorff | RPL Staking Rework Facilitation | Approve | 341.67 | $10,250 | 4 |
| BA082401 | Jasper | Eigenlayer Integration | Approve | 2000 | $60,000 | 3.5 |
| GA0802406 | Sigma Prime | Rocket Split Audit | Defer w/ Future Consideration | 3.33 | ||
| GA0802409 | sckuzzle | UVC Research | Defer w/ Future Consideration | 3 | ||
| GA0802401 | Hashquark | Asian Market Staking User Education & Onboarding | Defer w/ Future Consideration | 2.75 | ||
| GA0802402 | Anthias Labs | rETH Staking User Analytics & Platform | Decline | 2 | ||
| GA0802403 | keybox.AI | Smart Contract Optimization and Monitoring | Decline | 1 | ||
| GA0802405 | Unhosted | Unhosted Wallet | Decline | 1 |
Detailed Award Results
Name: Rocket Fuel
Proposer: Waq
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: All
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #6 by waqwaqattack
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $36,000
Awarded Funding: $40,000
Score: 4.92
Comments: Rocket Fuel plays a crucial role in the cohesiveness of Rocket Pool’s community, warranting full funding. The GMC has displayed interest in optimizing exposure, reducing long-term costs, and expanding viewership.
Acceptance Criteria: Consistently adding videos to the channel.
Payment Structure: 1333.33 RPL (222.22 RPL/mo for six months)
–
Name: Twitter Spaces (Ken)
Proposer: Ken
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: All
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #12 by ken
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $3,240
Awarded Funding: $3,600
Score: 4.42
Comments: Essential to the community’s infrastructure, Jasper’s request for a higher payment seems justified, and the GMC supports matching Jasper’s compensation. The GMC would like to see an established and formalized plan for enhancing viewership and participation, considering the relatively high cost per viewer (excluding asynchronous viewers). Given Twitter’s uncertainty, the GMC would like this to be migrated to another platform if ever the need arises.
Acceptance Criteria: Consistently hosting bi-weekly community calls.
Payment Structure: 120 RPL(20 RPL/mo for six months)
–
Name: Denver Lift-Off
Proposer: Ken
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: All
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #14 by ken
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $31,929
Awarded Funding: $31,929
Score: 3.88
Comments: While the projected attendance appears optimistic, discussions with the applicant have convinced the GMC that it is a reasonable estimate. Considering the protocol’s limited chances for events of this scale annually, the GMC is inclined not to miss this opportunity. Payment terms specify that the applicant will receive 75% upfront for deposits and can request an additional 25% based on verified receipts, covering expenses beyond the initial 75% (dollar for dollar).
Acceptance Criteria: Event is held and full expense report with receipts is furnished.
Payment Structure: 75% upfront, max 25% remaining upon expense reports and receipts furnished (dollar for dollar)
–
Name: Twitter Spaces (jasper)
Proposer: jasper
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: All
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #16 by jasperthegovghost
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $3,600
Awarded Funding: $3,600
Score: 4.3
Comments: The GMC shares the same sentiment as Twitter Spaces (Ken). They would like the product to focus on increased viewership and potentially a better platform.
Acceptance Criteria: Consistently hosting bi-weekly community calls.
Payment Structure: 120 RPL (20 RPL/mo for six months)
–
Name: MC Gas Reimbursement
Proposer: ShfRyn
Type: Retro
Subcommittee: All
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Retrospective Award Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #2 by ShfRyn
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $400 - $1,500
Awarded Funding: $400 - $1,500
Score: 5
Comments: Funding at 100% given GMC members should not bear expenses for their efforts. This also eliminates uncertainty regarding the responsible party for execution.
–
Name: Rescue Node Renewal
Proposer: Patches
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #3 by Patches
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $4,200
Awarded Funding: $4,200
Score: 5
Comments: After reviewing the stats page, it is evident that this resource remains highly valuable, with over 400 RP validators connected, and only 2 solo validators at the time of this writing, indicating predominant use by Rocket Pool. Patches’ meticulous accounting provides transparency on fund utilization. The GMC is pleased to approve the re-allocation for another 6 months.
Acceptance Criteria: Rescue node continues to operate
Payment Structure: 140 RPL (23.33 RPL/mo for six months)
–
Name: Treegen Testing Support
Proposer: Valdorff
Type: Bounty
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Bounty Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #7 by Valdorff
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $3,000
Awarded Funding: $3,000
Score: 5
Comments: The GMC sees no reason to stop funding these essential contributions.
Payment Structure: 2 claims available worth $1,500 each
–
Name: MISC Work
Proposer: Patches
Type: Retro
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Retrospective Award Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #4 by Patches
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $944
Awarded Funding: $944
Score: 5
Comments: This significant contribution involves replacing envsubst with Golang’s templating system. This modification lays the groundwork for implementing notifications in the future. The GMC approves.
–
Name: Treegen Work
Proposer: Patches
Type: Retro
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Retrospective Award Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #5 by Patches
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $480
Awarded Funding: $480
Score: 5
Comments: The GMC approves and deems Patches was very efficient given the amount of hours spent on this.
–
Name: CID Work
Proposer: Patches
Type: Retro
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Retrospective Award Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #6 by Patches
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $400
Awarded Funding: $400
Score: 5
Comments: Given the straightforward value that helped the core Rocket Pool team, the GMC approves.
–
Name: Non-Custodial Staking As A Service
Proposer: Valdorff
Type: Bounty
Subcommittee: Research
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Bounty Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #6 by Valdorff
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $80,000
Awarded Funding: $80,000
Score: 4.25
Comments: The GMC supports the idea of a subsidiary for a validating service, they emphasize the need for a six-month deadline, a comprehensive specification for Milestone 0, and compatibility with various operating systems.
Payment Structure: see rocketpool-gmc/bounties/BA082402.md at main · rocketpoolgmc/rocketpool-gmc · GitHub
Link to Bounty: rocketpool-gmc/bounties/BA082402.md at main · rocketpoolgmc/rocketpool-gmc · GitHub
–
Name: RPL Staking Rework Facilitation
Proposer: Valdorff
Type: Retro
Subcommittee: Research
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Retrospective Award Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #3 by Valdorff
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $10,250
Awarded Funding: $10,250
Score: 4
Comments: Extensive analysis and effective communication of the proposal and its implications to the community have been undertaken, reflecting substantial effort. The associated cost is deemed perfectly reasonable. The GMC approves of this diligent work.
–
Name: EigenLayer Integration
Proposer: jasper
Type: Bounty
Subcommittee: Research
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Bounty Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #2 by jasperthegovghost
Decision: Approve
Requested Funding: $50,000
Awarded Funding: $60,000
Score: 3.5
Comments: The GMC supports the concept of integrating with Eigenlayer (EiL) given the potential benefits but has concerns about the lack of formal infrastructure and the possibility of EiL having unintended consequences for Ethereum. The GMC voted on a three-day extension to the award schedule where they discussed with the applicant, the community, and other relevant parties to restructure the contents of this bounty and add a research component.
Link to Bounty: rocketpool-gmc/bounties/BA082401.md at main · shfryn/rocketpool-gmc · GitHub
–
Name: UVC Research
Proposer: sckuzzle
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Research
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #13 by sckuzzle
Decision: Defer with Future Consideration
Requested Funding: $38,000
Score: 3
Comments: Given the technical nature of this submission and our potential limitations in utilizing it for pDAO governance, the GMC is inclined to defer the decision. The proposed cost is one of the highest, and despite the importance of the contributor, allocating 380 hours at $100/hour may not be the most effective approach, especially considering recent declinations of similar proposals (Nethermind). While recognizing Sckuzzle’s significant contributions, the GMC suggests exploring options for more basic modeling at reduced time and cost. Over the next month, the GMC will discuss with Sckuzzle whether there is the option for a smaller grant, that could have the potential to lead to a larger grant like this one.
–
Name: Rocket Split Audit
Proposer: Sigma Prime
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #8 by LIBlockchain
Decision: Defer with Future Consideration
Requested Funding: $24,750
Score: 3.33
Comments: Due to uncertainty about the relevance post-Houston and concerns raised by the community, the GMC has decided to defer the decision with future consideration. Over the next month, discussions with the community will be conducted to determine whether there is a consensus to fund the audit. In round 9, the committee will deliberate again, taking into account the conversations from the community.
–
Name: Asian Market Staking User Education
Proposer: Hashquark
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Marketing
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #2 by HashQuark
Decision: Defer with Future Consideration
Requested Funding: $30,000
Score: 2.75
Comments: Expressing a general sentiment that the proposal is too expensive, the GMC did not have sufficient time to gather community feedback but the conversation is ongoing. The GMC is deferring this round to gather more insights and better comprehend the offer.
–
Name: rETH Staking User Analytics & Platform
Proposer: Anthias Labs
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Marketing
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #9 by Anthias.xyz
Decision: Decline
Requested Funding: $18,000
Score: 2
Comments: The GMC is declining this proposal as Eigenlayer already possesses its own dashboards, and the GMC perceives limited utility for this, especially considering the specified price point.
–
Name: Smart Contract Optimization and Monitoring
Proposer: keybox.AI
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #4 by invitedtea
Decision: Decline
Requested Funding: $30,000
Score: 1
Comments: The proposal lacks clarity regarding the specific offerings, such as optimization and monitoring. The scope of monitoring, whether it pertains to token movement, accumulation over time, or other aspects, remains unclear. Additionally, the nature of the optimization, specifically whether it involves solidity adjustments to reduce gas costs, needs further clarification. Given the vagueness of the proposal, the GMC has chosen to decline.
–
Name: Unhosted Wallet
Proposer: Unhosted
Type: Grant
Subcommittee: Dev
Link to Application: Round 8 - GMC Call for Grant Applications - Deadline is January 14 - #7 by Unhosted
Decision: Decline
Requested Funding: $8,000 - $20,000
Score: 1
Comments: Based on the GMC’s assessment of value as well as the community feedback submitted within the forum, the GMC has opted to decline this proposal.
Member Participation
We had a shortened timeline this month and jcrtp and dondo were not able to make the development call. They submitted their feedback and scores in a timely fashion. Waq, and Ken were unable to participate in the discussion or scoring of grants due to their conflicts of interest. epineph was unable to participate in the discussion or scoring of ‘RPL Staking Rework Facilitation’ due to his conflict of interest.
Final Voting Stages
An amendment was declared to “Fund GA0802404 at custom amount of $40,000”. It passed with 5 “Yes”, 0 “No”, and 0 “Abstain” votes.
Adjustment To Round 8 Process
During the final voting stages, a few members requested an extended window of opportunity to deliberate on the EigenLayer Integration bounty. On January 26, the GMC had 24 hours to vote on the following proposal:
- A two-day window will be provided for the revision of the EigenLayer Integration in its current form. You can find the current specifications at this link: rocketpool-gmc/bounties/BA082401.md at main · shfryn/rocketpool-gmc · GitHub. The entire GMC will engage in discussions with Jasper and the broader pdao community to finalize the specifications and ensure the bounty is in a state that warrants approval. The deadline for bounty revisions is Monday, January 29, 2024 10:00 AM
- Subsequently, a one-day window will be designated for voting on the amendment: “Approve funding for revised EiL bounty.” Tuesday, January 30, 2024 10:00 AM
A majority vote is needed to pass the proposal. Dr Doofus is eligible to vote if KentPhilly’s vote is not received within the designated window. The round 8 awards announcement will be postponed until this process has finished. No other awards are up for discussion or revision.
This proposal passed with 7 “Yes” and 1 “No”.
Subsequently, “Approve funding for revised EiL bounty” passed with 7 “Yes” and 2 “No”.
Schedule Adjustment & Async Application Selection Window
Over the past couple of months, the GMC has observed shorter discussion and negotiation windows due to the 72-hour application selection process and the three-round final vote process.
The GMC is currently voting on the following proposal:
A) The application deadline will shift from on or around the second Sunday of each month to on or around the first Sunday. The application window will still be one month long, but it will conclude at a different time. A new RPIP will be drafted for this adjustment.
B) The application selection window will no longer pause the schedule, allowing discussion calls to happen asynchronously. This change also permits members to commence reviewing applications and providing feedback three days earlier. The administrator will only schedule during the three-day window in extreme situations where no other option is available.
