Submit Your Ideas - rETH Growth Incubator

The launch of NodeSet along with future upgrades through Saturn 0, 1 and 2 will address the node operator demand issue that has been limiting Rocket Pool’s scalability. With the impending ‘unlocking’ of rETH supply, the DAO’s priority should now shift toward strategizing ways to scale rETH demand to optimize Rocket Pool’s growth and efficiency.

The original ‘Rapid Research Incubator’ campaign, initiated by Epineph, was highly successful, leading to a tokenomics overhaul that laid the foundation for Rocket Pool’s next evolution—Saturn.

This initiative seeks to replicate that success by generating actionable ideas for the GMC to rapidly increase rETH demand.

This effort is part of the broader initiative called Operation rETH. Following the review of the submissions, the GMC will approve several tasks, which will then be converted into bounties. A board will be created to track the progress of these tasks.

The Discord channel can be found here (Discord). You must be a part of the GMC server to view. Reach out to a GMC member for an invite.

Instructions

Submit a brief/abstract with specific/actionable recommendations of mechanisms to increase rETH demand.

Suggested length of 0.5-3 pages on any topic above, including specifically which topic or topics it is intended to answer. The brief should include both perceived benefits and suspected drawbacks/downsides, further research/data/decisions needed, specific actionable recommendations, and general implementation ideas. The brief does NOT have to be polished, complete data analysis, or specific code; it will NOT be judged on English proficiency, grammar, etc.

The brief should be a single work you can link to, rather than referring to a series of posts/threads. A single individual can submit multiple works. It can be posted as a single discord post, a forum post, a GitHub submission, an uploaded document, and any other form that can be easily viewed.

Deadline

November 8, 2024 11:59 UTC

Scoring Criteria

Each submission will be assessed on a scale of 1 to 5 in three categories: utility, innovativeness, and simplicity. The individual ratings in these categories will be summed to determine the overall score.

Utility
The practical value, applicability, and potential for driving rETH growth are essential in assessing a submission’s competitiveness against Lido’s staking options. Submissions should offer specific, actionable strategies to increase rETH demand, while demonstrating practicality and a strong potential for future success. High-impact proposals aligned with Rocket Pool’s technical infrastructure and DAO governance (pDAO) will be particularly valuable in promoting long-term growth.

Innovativeness
A submission is considered innovative if it introduces original and creative ideas aimed at driving rETH adoption. The evaluation will focus on how the submission presents new approaches to scaling rETH demand, breaking away from conventional methods and offering fresh perspectives, solutions, or strategies that could significantly differentiate Rocket Pool in the staking market.

Simplicity
The clarity of the concept, ease of communication, and feasibility of implementation are critical in evaluating submissions. Proposals that are easy to understand and execute, with minimal disruption to existing systems, will be prioritized. Simplicity ensures that research ideas can be swiftly implemented to deliver utility and help scale rETH demand efficiently. They will be graded on factors such as:

  • Conversion to actionable items.
  • Conversion to GMC bounty(s).
  • Effective communication to the DAO for voting (if needed).
  • Clear communication to the GMC or RP team for implementation.
  • Successful implementation by the GMC or RP team.

Compensation

Each submission will be assessed on a scale of 1 to 5 in three categories: utility, innovativeness, and simplicity. The individual ratings in these categories will be summed to determine the overall score.

Submissions with the highest cumulative scores will be awarded as follows:

  • Tier 1 (1st place - 2nd place) - $2,000 each
  • Tier 2 (3rd place - 5th place) - $1,000 each
  • Tier 3 (6th place - 20th place) - $250 each
  • Ineligible - The submission lacked clarity or detail

In the event of a tie, ranked choice voting will be used from data collected in the ‘Favorite Applications’ section. A maximum 10k USD will be dispersed based on these criteria. The default payout token will be RPL.

Eligibility

Based on community feedback, GMC members are eligible to volunteer as reviewers or submit ideas.

No one is eligible to submit ideas AND review, unless they remove themselves from payment consideration.

Please reply to this post to submit your ideas, and be as detailed as possible.

3 Likes

Incentivize rETH Holders with RPL Rewards

  • Recommendation: Implement a tiered RPL rewards system for users who mint and hold rETH for a defined period (e.g., 3, 6, or 12 months). This will encourage long-term holding and prevent immediate selling post-mint. The program could run for six months following the Saturn 0 launch, with users able to track their progress through a dedicated interface or points-tracking website.
  • Benefits: Encourages long-term holding of rETH, builds user engagement with Rocket Pool’s ecosystem, and adds value for both new and existing holders.
  • Drawbacks: Requires careful management of reward distribution to avoid depleting the pDAO RPL supply. Short-term incentives could attract holders who sell after the reward period ends.
2 Likes

Targeted rETH LST Advertising Campaign

  • Recommendation: Once node operator demand is sufficiently addressed by the Saturn upgrades, launch a focused advertising campaign to increase awareness of rETH’s advantages. Partner with leading blockchain media platforms like Bankless, Blockworks, and Coindesk, along with influencer marketing across Ethereum communities. Messaging should emphasize rETH’s decentralization benefits, high yield, and ease of use within DeFi protocols.
  • Benefits: Increases visibility among retail investors, attracts new users from established Ethereum communities, and creates brand awareness for Rocket Pool.
  • Drawbacks: High costs for advertising with top-tier platforms, and the risk that users may choose competitor LSTs unless the campaign clearly differentiates rETH.
1 Like

Referral Program with Wallet Providers and On-Ramps

  • Recommendation: Establish a referral system where users minting rETH via wallet providers (e.g., Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask) or on-ramp services receive RPL rewards for holding their rETH for a specified duration (e.g., 6 months). Wallet providers and on-ramps would also receive referral rewards based on the volume of rETH minted through their platforms.
  • Benefits: Directly incentivizes minting, aligns wallet providers and on-ramps with Rocket Pool’s growth strategy, and encourages users to stay engaged for longer periods.
  • Drawbacks: Requires complex integration with third-party platforms and wallet providers, and there’s potential for gaming the system if not carefully monitored.

Liquidity Mining for rETH in DeFi Protocols

  • Recommendation: Cycle the rETH liquidity mining program funded by the IMC to new DeFi protocols (e.g., Uniswap, Curve, Balancer) receive additional RPL rewards. It’s likely that existing LP provides will not farm their rewards entirely and some percentage of the existing LP will remain in the exisitng protocols. The new incentives will attact new rETH to the new DeFi LP incentives. This increases liquidity depth for rETH, improves trading efficiency, and drives demand for minting rETH as a core component of DeFi strategies.
  • Benefits: Strengthens rETH’s liquidity profile, enhances trading experiences for users, and integrates rETH into the broader DeFi landscape.
  • Drawbacks: May require ongoing incentive rewards to sustain rETH LP participation, and high reward rates could dilute RPL if not managed carefully.
1 Like

Implement batching of L2 transactions to mint rETH on the L1

  • Recommendation: Account abstraction wallets enable you to do some really useful things. Especially on layer 2s where you don’t need to worry about gas fees. The Braavos wallet on Starknet for example has a Stake ETH option where you can “Stake your ETH on the Lido liquid staking protocol on the Ethereum L1 to earn yield. Your ETH will be pooled with others on Starknet and batched to the Ethereum L1, enabling shared Ethereum high gas costs.” My idea is to get Braavos to add this feature for minting rETH. The functionality is there, it should be a relatively simple thing to add. A stretch goal would be to work with other wallets and layer 2s that have this functionality and do the same thing.
  • Benefits: Allows L2 users to mint rETH at low gas costs. Can even have incentive programs on top of this as Ken suggested.
  • Drawbacks: Requires dev work, wallet integration work. Its not clear how many people will utilize this. Having rETH spread across many L2s could fragment liquidity.

Reach out to guilds in Eve Frontier to diversify their treasuries into rETH

  • Background: There is an upcoming game called Eve Frontier, made by the same company that created Eve online the highly successful MMO. The game will be built as an Ethereum L2 using the OP stack. You can read the whitepaper here which is very interesting: https://whitepaper.evefrontier.com/. The game will have guilds which I imagine will have treasuries that need to be managed by multi-sig wallets. The treasuries will primarily contain in game items and currencies, but holding assets outside of the game world such as ETH, staked ETH, and stable coins might be prudent.
  • Recommendation: Reach out to the largest guilds in Eve Frontier with a strategy to convince them to diversify into rETH.
  • Benefits: Treasuries can diversify into staked ETH, which should lead to a healthier portfolio and more rETH growth.
  • Drawbacks: The game isn’t out yet and its unclear how any of this functionality will work. We also don’t know if the game will be successful.
2 Likes

Gamble your staking gains away

  • Recommendation: Create a vault where people can deposit their rETH. Each deposit gives the user raffle tickets according to how much rETH they deposited (e.g. 0.1 rETH = 1 ticket). Each week a ticket is randomly drawn, the winner gets the yield from all the rETH in the vault. Users have to be in the vault for the full duration of the cycle.
    The vault could also be some liquidity pool like the Pooltogether model, hower I like the simplicity of just extracting staking yield without any other risk.
  • Benefits: over a long period of time this is basically the same as staking with a bit higher risk/reward. It adds gamification to the boring side of staking.
  • Drawbacks: there’s not really an incentive to participate in this kind of raffle besides just fun. Might also be complex with how the rETH token works.

OK, I’m a bit of a defi dummy and I don’t fully understand all of the tokenomics, and I also don’t closely follow these discussions, and I’ve never really participated in one, so with all of those caveats please don’t get mad if this doesn’t make sense. Worst case, just enjoy it as the thought experiment of an idiot.

First, it seems to me that the most direct way of brining additional value to rETH holding is through financial incentives. Therefore:

Proposal 1: Allow rETH holders to escrow/time-lock their rETH and set aside a portion of pDAO revenue to provide RPL rewards based on a time-lock curve. Simply, the longer you escrow/lock your rETH, the greater your “boosted” share of the RPL rewards. A budget amount of pDAO RPL revenue will be devoted to this so that APRs can be calculated. This could boost rETH returns and reduce rewards-based churn.

This idea then got me thinking about FRAX/FXS (I’m sure it’s not unique and there are other similar protocols). So why not go with it, and provide some additional value to RPL itself:

Add-Alt Proposal 1a: Create an escrowed RPL (eRPL?) token from time-locked RPL, which provides an additional rewards boost to the escrowed rETH (erETH?). The longer you time-lock escrowed RPL, the more eRPL you will receive in exchange. This eRPL will then be used to determine the additional boost in proportional rewards received from escrowed/locked erETH. (Should eRPL remain static over this locked time period, or decrease as in the next add-alt? I’m not sure.) This could potentially make the acquisition of unstaked RPL attractive to rETH holders, who could use it to boost their rETH return. As of now, even dedicated rETH holders have no reason to demand RPL.

OK, while I’m FRAXifying everything, why not just propose the full spoof:

Add-Alt Proposal 1b: Plus up the value of eRPL, and, by extension, its utility in incentivizing rETH holding by providing it with some voting power. In our case, I would imagine a flatter curve that maximizes the locked RPL’s voting power at 100% and reduces it down to zero (the normal voting power of unstaked RPL) over time, perhaps with a period of stability at 100% prior to the linear decrease. For example, locking 100 RPL for 180 days (in addition to minting XXX eRPL) also mints 100 veRPL (which carrying the same voting weight as RPL) but then after Day 1 the veRPL balance linearly decreases down to zero on Day 180. If you lock 100 RPL for 360 days, you get YYY eRPL and 100 veRPL that stays at 100 for the first 180 days, and then begins its linear decline to zero ending on Day 360.

The mechanics of Add-Alt Proposal 1a could maybe be worked into 1b without creating two tokens, but it was easier for me to consider them as two proposals that could be considered independently.

Messing with voting I’m sure raises a whole host of other issues, so again, I’m just throwing this against the wall as an idea. I’m not even suggesting it’s an especially good one (as you probably noticed).

Also I didn’t format it as nicely as everyone so far but I’ve apologized enough.

Incentivize rETH used as collateral

  • Background: The biggest holder of rETH (and also wstETH) is Aave. So we can conclude that usage as collateral is the most popular usecase for LSTs right now. My assumption is, the majority is used to loop LSTs. If you are not familiar with the concept, you supply the LST, borrow ETH, trade it for the LST, repeat. The purpose is to increase the staking yield you earn.
  • Recommendation: Incentivize rETH as collateral. Pay RPL rewards to people that supply rETH on lending markets. Either on existing markets, or work with protocols without rETH markets yet, or both.
  • Benefits: A small increase in supply APR on lending protocols can have a very big impact on which setups have a positive ROI. Users that only care about the highest APY might be swayed to switch the collateral they use. Working with protocols that don’t support rETH yet would also give us exposure to new users.
  • Drawbacks: There is no guarantee this directly leads to new rETH minted, there might be enough circulating rETH already to support this usage. High leveraged LST positions can pose short term risk to the peg.

Use cases section on RP site

  • Passively earning ETH rewards is not the only use case for rETH, however the site does not hint at other possibilities. In fact, for an average Web3 layman/newcomer (for whom LSD is the first and simplest choice on DeFi landscape, so we have to target them), it’s hard to gather this information, hard to understand, and even hard to know if there’s anything to look at at all.
  • Good example of presenting this kind of information is ethereum.org site (Use → Use Cases section).
  • Bad example is rpldefi.com (no offense to the author of this document, it’s a decent and valuable work). First and foremost, it simply does not look credible: there’s no endorsement from RP site/team/discord, it’s maximally unofficial and it’s just a google doc. Next, it lacks some cases and it’s hard to read and understand (me included), esp. for novices.
  • Having all information on the same site where rETH originates is crucial as it improves UX for rETH users.
  • Plenty of easily comprehensible use cases results in more usage.
  • Targeting novice DeFi users is a must.
  • Implementation is easily achievable since it can be largely outsourced to community
  • NB: Most of the above applies to RPL as well.

More integrations with stablecoin minters

  • As a part of the goal of targeting DeFi newcomers - the next billion of Ethereum users - we may want to have more options for their next hop - another simple choice for a new LST owner in their DeFi journey: minting stables.
  • Currently there’s not much choice it seems: one can still mint DAI (right?) or Frax (not mentioned on rpldefi.com), maybe something else but it’s hard to say. We may want to add LUSD here (GMC uses it so it’s like a recommendation), GHO (I’m not sure if it’s not yet possible), maybe RAI.
1 Like

STAR Initiative - Search, Target and Request
Leveraging the community’s knowledge and connections
Submitted as an entry for rETH Growth Incubator

Submitted by
Dr Doofus

Premise
STAR is a simple concept, but success lies in the details of execution. Individuals or groups (intermediaries) are tasked with locating DAOs, treasuries and similar interests (organizations) holding ETH and through the forums/discords/direct contacts encourage these institutions to mint rETH. In return, the intermediaries get rewards related to how far along the Path to Mint (PtM) the organizations get.

Proof of Concept
This initiative is based on the previous rETH initiative - Staking ETH with Rocket Pool Organization and Outreach (SEWRPOO) started in 2021.

History
SEWRPOO was an initiative started by Dr Doofus in 2021 to generate rETH investments in the Rocket Pool protocol. It was run from a simple google doc and through the discord on a volunteer basis. The idea was to leverage the vast knowledge and connections in the community to connect to DAOs (and other organizations) who were sitting on ETH reserves and convince them to mint rETH.

While going through these organizations’ forums, we saw many instances of Lido representatives already there and getting great success at bringing votes to the forums to move treasury funds to stETH. They were much more organized, but we did make headway and found many members of these various DAOs were sympathetic to Rocket Pool’s cause.

Results
Rocket Pool was really in its infancy (from the point of view of being established on mainnet), so we encountered some resistance from organizations that wanted more “stability”. We were also much less organized than Lido and there was some confusion about our messaging. However, we were beginning to break through.

We had success with NounsDAO and Nexus Mutual (14k ETH) and were just getting started.

Suspension
The initiative fell into disuse when the deposit pool became chronically full and we realized it was not likely to empty anytime soon or for very long. At that time, pushing to mint rETH was at odds with protocol goals as bringing organizations to Rocket Pool just to have them not able to mint reflected poorly on us. Our time was better spent elsewhere.

Details for STAR Initiative
In short, resume SEWRPOO, with improvements based on previous experience and with the addition of rewards. Individuals/groups of intermediaries will search out organizations and make or attempt to make inroads that lead to rETH minting. We want many hands feeding the machine.

Pitfalls from the previous initiative and how we can avoid them this time

Reluctant Volunteerism

Issue
Last time we relied on volunteers to do the leg work.
Thus we relied on the community motivating itself for free.

Solution
We now have a functional GMC and funds to reward any attempts on the Path to Mint.

Overlapping Endeavors

Issue
There was a non-professional vibe we gave off when multiple people reached out to the same group. In one instance we petitioned a DAO that Mav was already talking to.

Solution
Use a central source of information, like the Google Doc from last time and require its use (last time we were too informal) in order to get rewards. We will also likely rely on the GMC or a special subset of the GMC/community to be in charge of oversight (the Oversight Committee).

Content Confusion

Issue
There was some confusion last time in how we presented to some DAOs. We were still in the stage where we were pushing Rocket Pool was good because RPL was good insurance (to be fair, knoshua was arguing that wasn’t true even back then). We also had the issue that a DAO was open to hearing us and we weren’t ready with material to give them.

Solution
Use boiler plate text and get Oversight Committee approval before each step. We should have something of a standard marketing spiel with plots and numbers to spring on forums when they are willing to engage.

Spam – the bad kind

Issue
At times, too many hands were at work. It could look like brigading or cult behavior in the discords and forums. There were also times the RP contingent could appear too pushy.

Solution
Truly, I believe some of that was due to being so new and hungry/desperate. However, having official procedures about who the intermediary to the organization will be and reminding others to let them take the lead will remedy this.

Now to the rewards…

Path to Mint (rewards structure)
The key to generating community involvement will be the tiered rewards along the Path to Mint. There are, as of now, five tiers starting at identifying prospects and leading to rETH minting.

I believe we should deviate from the standard reward tiering systems in which rewards monotoically rise as tier increases. In this case I would not over reward at late tiers (except perhaps the final rETH minting) and rather reward highest at tiers 2-3 (where the organization’s voting body is engaged).

This is for a couple reasons:

  1. Practically - Our intermediaries can work effectively enough to get them to the forum post. It is then perhaps beyond their abilities to force a vote to pass even though they have done all they can do to that point.

  2. Pre-emptively - It is daunting to go from contacting a DAO to hoping the mint rETH in order for all your work to be rewarded. It might prevent people from even starting the process.

We will encourage much more outreach if the rewards happen sooner in the process.

This system is based on first hand knowledge of a corporation that wanted to increase patent applications for their employees. When bonuses were tied to submitting patents rather than being awarded the patent, patent applications went way up and resulted in more awarded patents than they had gotten by just giving bonuses for awarded patents. When people were paid for trying, more tried and more success was obtained.

Tiers

  1. Identify a unique organization with a treasury/funds worth reaching out to in regards to minting rETH. You can request to be the intermediary or another can be assigned.

  2. If you are assigned as intermediary, find the relevant contact at the organization and get information on how to proceed with requesting they mint rETH. Using the boilerplate guidance, engage their community/leadership in lead up to a vote.

  3. Official vote is proposed

  4. Vote is approved

  5. rETH gets minted

Rewards (first guess)

Tier 1 - 1 RPL
Tier 2 - 10 RPL
Tier 3 - 5 RPL
Tier 4 - 5 RPL
Tier 5 - 0.5% of rETH mint

At each stage, the central record must be updated and approved by the Oversight Committee.

Conclusion
Paid, tiered community outreach for rETH minting that prioritizes getting engaged in as many organizations as possible in a professional and monitored fashion.

disclaimer - everything in this proposal is subject to change

Addendum -
One of the bad things about this proposal is that it still relies on a large group of people being motivated to carry this out rather than a central authority. One of the good things, though, is that if no one does it, it costs no money.

5 Likes

Use Euler to allow looping strategies on reth yield

Recommendation: Use Euler to facilitate leveraged strategies on rETH, or in other words, engage in looping with rETH and ETH. Euler allows for free creation of vaults.

Looping consists of depositing rETH on Euler, borrowing ETH, swapping the borrowed ETH for rETH, and repeating these steps through multiple cycles to maximize rewards.

A high Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio is necessary to enable greater leverage.

Benefits: This strategy increases the demand for rETH.

Drawbacks: If a large position is liquidated, the sale of rETH could affect its peg.

Notes:
Help about Euler Vault Creation : Anthias Labs Offering Risk Support to Euler Vault Creators - Risk - Euler Governance Forum

Integrate with CCIP to stake directly with Rocketpool from L2s

  • Recommendation: Lido has integrated with Chainlink CCIP to stake directly from several L2s including Arbitrum, Base, and Optimism (Lido Staking Goes Cross-Chain via Chainlink CCIP). Work with Chainlink toadd this functionality for Rocketpool.
  • Benefits: Allows L2 users to mint rETH at low gas costs.
  • Drawbacks: Requires integration work. Its not clear how many people will utilize this. Having rETH spread across many L2s could fragment liquidity. May have to pay Chainlink for this.

Five steps to driving rETH demand:

  1. Offer a higher yield than the competitors. Unfortunately, this will mean lower commissions for NOs.
  2. Extend the utility of rETH by adding a rebasing version (e.g. Lido has stETH and wstETH) for use in different ways. Allow the user to make the choice as to which one they want to use.
  3. Ensure that rETH is used by all the various restaking (Eigenlayer, Symbiont, Karak, etc.) as collateral on their platforms and is eligible for accumulating the all-important “points”
  4. Ensure that all rETH yield markets are implemented on Pendle.fi
  5. Simplify the docs and explanations about how rETH works to encourage decentralization of Ethereum.

Get rETH supported on the new Fluid DEX

Background: Recently Instadapp and Fluid have launched their new DEX built on top of Fluid. I will not go into too much detail about what Fluid DEX is. But the gist of it is, they combine lending and LPing. With Smart Collateral, LPs are now able to utilize their position as collateral in Fluid and deploy it as AMM liquidity on the DEX. This means that LPs are now able to earn trading fees from the DEX in addition to lending fees.
They were able to build up $40m in liquidity, and $24m of that in wstETH-ETH liquidity. All without spending any incentives.

Recommendation: Approach the Fluid team and work with them to get rETH supported on the Fluid DEX. Ideally similar to the 2 vaults that exist for wstETH right now.

Benefits: Gives a new place to put your rETH to work. Also seems to be able to build a lot liquidity without incentives, so it would lift a lot of pressure of the IMC as well.

Drawbacks: There is no permissionless way to get listed on Fluid. So we have to depend on the Fluid team to actually implement the vaults. I think it’s save to assume they are interested to get all kind of pools listed on some point, but their priorities might just be elsewhere right now.

RocketPool Mobile App Proposal: Expanding rETH Accessibility Through Native Mobile Applications

Executive Summary

This proposal outlines the development and deployment of dedicated RocketPool mobile applications for iOS and Android platforms to increase rETH demand and improve accessibility to decentralized staking. The proposed solution leverages existing mobile development stacks to create a cost-effective, user-friendly wallet that prioritizes new users entering the Ethereum staking ecosystem.

Background

  • RocketPool currently lacks a dedicated mobile presence, while competitors like Aave(Soon) and Uniswap have successfully deployed mobile applications
  • Mobile-first users represent a growing segment of crypto adopters
  • Existing solutions often require multiple apps/steps to stake ETH, creating friction for new users

Proposed Solution

Development of a RocketPool-branded mobile wallet application with the following core features:

Primary Features

  1. Native rETH staking interface
  2. Fiat on/off ramp integrations
  • MoonPay
  • Coinbase
  • Additional payment processors based on regional availability
  1. Simplified user onboarding flow
  2. Real-time staking metrics and rewards tracking
  3. Push notifications for important protocol updates
  4. Built-in educational content about decentralized staking

Technical Implementation

  • Utilize MobileStack, Rainbow, Family(family dot co) or similar Web3 mobile development frameworks
  • Implement existing open-source wallet infrastructure
  • Integration with WalletConnect for DApp connectivity
  • Support for biometric authentication using Passkeys
  • Local key storage with secure backup options

Benefits

  1. Increased Accessibility
  • Reduces barrier to entry for new users
  • Provides mobile-first experience for younger demographics
  • Simplifies the staking process
  1. Brand Recognition
  • Establishes RocketPool presence in mobile app stores
  • Increases protocol visibility
  • Builds trust through official branded application
  1. Market Expansion
  • Captures mobile-first users in emerging markets
  • Enables easier fiat on-ramp process (Apply Pay/Google Pay)
  • Competes directly with centralized staking solutions
  1. Cost Efficiency
  • Leverages existing mobile development solutions
  • Reduces development time and resources
  • Utilizes proven security patterns

Potential Drawbacks

  1. Security Considerations
  • Mobile devices present additional attack vectors
  • Requires ongoing security audits and updates
  • Need for robust key management solutions
  1. Maintenance Overhead
  • Regular updates for OS compatibility
  • App store compliance requirements (launch as PWA to bypass?)
  • Customer support infrastructure needed
  1. Development Challenges
  • Cross-platform compatibility issues
  • Integration complexity with existing infrastructure
  • Performance optimization requirements

Success Metrics

  • Monthly Active Users (MAU)
  • Total Value Locked (TVL) through mobile app
  • User retention rates
  • App store ratings
  • Support ticket volume and resolution time
  • rETH staking volume through mobile app

Recommendations

  1. Form a dedicated mobile development working group
  2. Prioritize security and user experience over feature completeness
  3. Launch beta program with existing RocketPool community
  4. Implement gradual feature rollout to ensure stability
  5. Focus on educational content to support new users
  6. Establish clear communication channels for user feedback

This proposal aims to increase rETH demand by making decentralized staking more accessible to mobile users, while maintaining RocketPool’s commitment to decentralization and security. The proposed solution leverages existing technology to reduce development costs and time to market while providing a robust platform for future growth.

The main idea is to encourage rETH growth through airdrop points or liquidity incentives from other projects, rather than increasing RPL incentives. Given current RPL pricing and the competitive nature of airdrops in LRT projects, using significant RPL incentives may not be as effective and could risk further price depreciation.

DeFi Opportunity

  • Leverage staking: Contango protocol, open a rETH/ETH market on Ethereum, if Layer 2 minting is integrated, we could set up similar markets on Arbitrum , Optimism , and Base. This would expand liquidity across multiple Layer 2, potentially enhancing reach and access for users within these ecosystems. Potential actions include:
    • Fixing the issue where rETH/ETH cannot work in advanced mode.
    • Exploring options for shared incentives for Ethereum’s rETH/ETH pool.
  • Silo 800M incentive: Silo: Silo has launched V2 alaph with revenue sharing and plans to use 800 million SILO tokens as incentives. It would be strategic for rETH to explore collaboration opportunities to secure part of this incentive program, potentially increasing rETH’s visibility and integration on the Silo platform. Additionally, marketing in partnership with Contango could be beneficial for maximizing exposure and potential liquidity across both platforms.
  • ZK Sync 325M incentive: ZK Sync is set to launch a 325 million DeFi incentive program. Integrating rETH with ZK Sync could offer significant exposure, especially by establishing incentivized pools with supported projects, such as Zerolend.
  • rETH/fBOMB pool on Aerodrome: fBOMB holds a substantial amount of veAERO and AERO tokens, ensuring that its pool receives a steady, significant weekly emissions allocation. The fBOMB/wstETH pool on Aerodrome currently has significant liquidity and incentives. Establishing a similar rETH/fBOMB pairing could be a strategic opportunity for rETH to expand its reach and align with fBOMB’s DeFi incentives.

Partner Opportunity

  • Ethena: As the most decentralized liquid staking token, rETH could be a strong candidate for inclusion in Ethena’s LST collateral assets or even for increasing its allocation ratio.
  • Aggregator (1inch/ODOS/ParaSwap/Kyber): Aggregator integration for rETH minting interface could allow swaps to default to minting when the swap rate exceeds the mint rate, or incorporate minting for high-volume swaps by allocating a set percentage to minting. This integration could extend to Layer 2, if L2 minting is supported.
  • Risk Management(Block Analitica/Relend/Gauntlet): Morpho and Silo V2 are shifting towards modular lending platforms, allowing multiple risk management teams to operate their tailored lending strategies within the ecosystem. Given that rETH is one of the most decentralized liquid staking tokens (LSTs), it could apply to be listed and secure a proportional weight in strategies across these risk management teams, supporting decentralized and resilient collateral options in a rapidly evolving DeFi landscape.
1 Like

Rewards dapp

  • Recommendation: Build a rewards history page for reth like lido’s one for steth (Track your Ethereum staking rewards | Lido). Showing daily rewards and total rewards on a webpage is a valuable tool for actively managing an investment, allowing to make informed decisions.

  • Benefits:

  1. Performance Tracking: allows to easily monitor the evolution of the investment on a daily basis.
  2. Tax Planning: Knowing daily gains can help anticipate tax obligations.
  3. Transparency and History: It provides a clear overview of the evolution of the investment.
  • Drawbacks:
    None

Pitch to ETF custodians to create Ethereum staking ETFs using Rocketpool as a custodian

Background: With the recent election results leading to what is likely more favorable crypto regulations in the US, it is possible that Ethereum staking ETFs can get approved.
Recommendation: Pitch to ETF issuers to distribute some of their stake with Rocketpool. Either depositing ETH for rETH, or running minipools for higher yield.

Benefits: Massive opportunity for growth of NOs and/or rETH.

Drawbacks: Centralization risk.

Establish DAO Media Identity

Suggestion:
Establish a media identity representing the Rocket Pool Protocol DAO including an X, farcaster, lens etc. accounts operated by nominated members of the pDAO.

Currently communications representing Rocketpool are split into two groups

  • The Official twitter account operated by Rocket Pool Ltd, medium articles & discord announcements from members of the core team.
  • The Rocketpool Intern & individual community advocates on reddit & twitter, most notably Jasper.

The primary source of up to date information regarding the protocol is Rocketfuel, posts from community members with unclear association to Rocket Pool or by asking a question in the discord.

To potential users researching staking options or just those not keenly following the protocol, these are not obvious sources.

The official twitter account had a prolonged setback with which was largely outside of anyone’s control, however even while operating normally this communication
channel is severely hamstrung by a requirement to be very reserved in what it posts.

A media identity which represents the DAO and it’s members could act with much less conservative restrictions on content.

Advantages:

A DAO identity could:

  • Post highly up to date information from an entity with a clear link to the protocol.
  • Post frequently to maintain mindshare & awareness.
  • Directly encourage users to use, mint or swap for rETH.
  • More readily shoutout and encourage the use of partner protocols and rETH integrations.
  • Allow the protocol an opportunity to exhibit some personality.

It would also leave the official account free to focus purely on the technical side of operations.

Disadvantages:

  • Management overhead of nominations & account permissions.
  • Could create confusion which may be taken advantage of by impersonators.
  • Accounts could become compromised or nominated operators could go rogue.
  • Could potentially cause brand damage from loose communications.

Rocketpool LRT (RLRT)

rETH is one of the few LST that don’t have an LRT counterpart, but a lot of rETH is sitting in restaking platforms (15% or so) and widely accepted, but people must deposit themselves.
(to note that marginally ether.fi with WEETHS is depositing to symbiotic rETH vault if steth vault is full)

  • Reccomendation: Implement a simple LRT that deposits in Eigenlayer and Symbiotic (add other restaking entities when appears) after minting rETH. This will leverage incentives and other points programs to boost yield and points. could be permissionless or made by a third party like mellow is doing it for lido steth.

  • Benefits: encourage rETH mints with a twist for more yield and if made by a third party also could attract new liquidity for the product. LRT is cheaper to stake in and easier on taxes (could benefit from this and ask some fees). LRT are very sought after for integrations, could also be a good marketing stunt to have one.

  • Drawbacks: if not permissionless, centralization and have to rely to third party for management