Epoch Zero Funding Hub
Below you will find a short explanation of how each of the 10 projects participating in Epoch Zero and how they intend to spend the funds they receive from your vote:
1. Clr.fund - clr.fund
Clr.fund, is a protocol for efficiently allocating funds to public goods that benefit the Ethereum Network according to the preferences of the Ethereum Community through quadratic funding (QF). Clr.fund strives for credible neutrality, decentralization, permissionlessness, trustlessness, and pseudonymity.
They intend to use the funds allocated in Epoch Zero to further improve the deployment of QF rounds and the onboarding process for round participants and donors. As the Ethereum ecosystem continues to grow, there are new opportunities to experiment with QF as a curation and funding mechanism and clr.fund hopes to remain as a technical partner with our communities and iterate towards helping our product be self-service
2. DAO Drops - daodrops.io
DAO Drops is a retroactive public goods funding mechanism that leverages the wisdom of the crowd to distribute a funding pool to a range of projects and individuals in the Ethereum ecosystem. DAO Drops would be using the funds from Epoch Zero for a mix of development and operational costs of running the DAO Drops Round 2 and for the distribution pool itself.
DAO Drops takes retroPGF one step further by assigning the responsibility of impact evaluation to thousands of pseudonymous addresses based on past on-chain activity, using data on governance participation. Round 1’s data came from Deep DAO, smart contract deployments from Galxe, and ecosystem event attendance from POAP to assign voting power to over 30,000 addresses. Round 2 will include on-chain activity from more projects based on recommendations from participants and supporters in Round 1, for example, addresses that have proven personhood, participation in commons-focused DAOs, contributors to RossDAO, AssangeDAO, and POAPs from a wider range of events.
The UI looks like a fun video game, to increase participation and accessibility. Outreach for project/individual nominations reached to diverse geographic areas and pockets of the ecosystem that might be lesser known.
3. Drips - https://www.drips.network/
Drips is a new protocol on Ethereum, designed to enable direct public funding to open source software projects. It features an optimized system for streaming and splitting tokens, aiding contributor payments, vesting, and memberships. The Drip List, a unique component, curates Ethereum addresses, ENS names, and Git repositories, making project recipient lists permanent and public.
This tool encourages users to discover and support projects in need within their ecosystem. It creates an environment where creators can signal to other supporters by curating and providing context about recipients.
The Epoch Zero funds will be allocated to the dependencies of candidate projects in this round. Drips intends to demonstrate how dependency funding can work with its system, ensuring all funds are allocated to chosen dependencies, fostering new cultural norms in the crypto space.
4. Ethereum Cat Herders - Ethereumcatherders.com
Ethereum Cat Herders has supported Ethereum Protocol development & process improvement since 2019. We facilitate communication, collaboration, and community engagement during network upgrades. Funds from the Octant Epoch Zero would ideally go towards:
- Creating educational content such as PEEPanEIP
- Funding EIP Editors
- Developing & maintaining bots to support EIPs GitHub repository.
- Documenting Ethereum’s public meeting notes
5. ETHStaker- https://ethstaker.cc
ETHStaker aims to support stakers by creating educational content, such as maintaining their Knowledge Base, publishing the Rhino Review newsletter, and producing staking-related videos.
Funds from the Octant Epoch Zero would ideally go towards two initiatives:
- Funding educational content and incentivizing community members to continue creating content that helps the community as a whole is an ongoing process and we support these community members all throughout the year.
- Live events. The Devconnect 2022 Staking Gathering cost in excess of $240k to put on - in an effort to make the event as accessible as possible, we refunded tickets for attendees last year. We’re on a tighter budget this year and would love to be able to provide the opportunity again for the Ethereum community to get deeper in the weeds with staking at Devconnect, especially home stakers.
6. Giveth - https://giveth.io/
Giveth empowers changemakers with evolutionary funding and plans to allocate the funds received from Epoch Zero as follows:
- 30%: Giveth operations
- 70%: Quality Funding (QF) matching pools
This distribution strategy aims to balance our operational needs with our commitment to supporting impactful projects within the Giveth ecosystem. The 30% allocation will be used to sustain our operations and the remaining 70% will be dedicated to the QF matching pools, benefiting Giveth recipients.
7. Gitcoin - https://gitcoin.co
Gitcoin tools empower community-led funding and trustworthy digital experiences. Any funds that are sent will be split 50/50 between:
- Their matching pool
- Their treasury
Their matching pool funds are exclusively reserved for Gitcoin Grants and the grantees participating in the program. On occasion, these funds are also used for public goods projects, like the upcoming Funding the Commons hackathon and residency.
Their treasury is what they use to power the program and continue building the technology that enables it (which is also public goods!).
This 50/50 split will help them not just fund amazing projects within Web3, but will also help us keep the lights on so that we can keep funding these amazing projects.
8. Kernel - Kernel Community | Kernel
Kernel, an educational community focused on web3, envisions utilizing funds received from Epoch Zero to support their unique peer-to-peer network. With each block accommodating 250 individuals for an 8-week period, Kernel aims to provide an inclusive learning environment for individuals at all levels of expertise in blockchain technology.
The funding will be directed towards enhancing the educational experience, fostering collaboration, and enabling participants to contribute to building a better web. By allocating resources to curriculum development, community support, and platform enhancements, Kernel aims to empower its members to actively participate in the web3 ecosystem and drive meaningful change.
9. Protocol Guild - https://protocol-guild.readthedocs.io
The Protocol Guild is a collective of Ethereum contributors who work together to enhance the core protocol. Any funds received from Epoch Zero will support their efforts. The Guild has a unique system where sponsors can directly provide financial support to its members, enabling them to continue their work on Ethereum and contribute to the greater good of the ecosystem.
Funding from Epoch Zero would directly support the ongoing Protocol Guild mission. Their goal is to find a fair and secure way to fund those who contribute to the protocol, ensuring its ongoing development and success. Their approach aims to trustlessly fund protocol contributors and explore exposure to the success of the application layer.
10. Supermodular - https://supermodular.xyz/
Supermodular is dedicated to cultivating a more regenerative digital frontier, fostering positive-sum outcomes and collaboration within the web3 ecosystem. Their SuperModule Incubation Program (SIP) supports the development of regenerative web3 projects, focusing on self-sustainability and creating value for both investors and humanity. The project is engaged in software development, exploring innovative solutions and partnerships to enhance the web3 ecosystem.
Additionally, they are actively involved in events and initiatives that spread awareness and promote the adoption of regenerative crypto. They are also working on educational resources to guide individuals in transitioning from web3 newcomers to active participants in the regenerative web3 movement.