beneficiary

- Polkadot Cloud launched a new website and brand guidelines.
- The project aims to support decentralized web3 infrastructure.
- It was built with 500 unpaid hours and now seeks funding.
- The website includes tools for developers and enterprises.
- Polkadot Cloud is designed to work alongside Polkadot’s main site.
- The proposal requests $42,330 for past work.
- Future plans include expanding services and open-sourcing the project.

Deciding

small_spender

Flez Retroactive Treasury Request for Polkadot Cloud Website and Branding (Feb–July)

- Pudgy Penguins are cute NFT penguins that became a popular brand.  
- They made toys sold in stores like Walmart and Target.  
- Now they are making a fun mobile game called Pudgy Party with Mythical Games.  
- The game will run on Polkadot’s blockchain for security.  
- They need $2 million for ads, events, and prizes to help the game grow.  
- The game could bring millions of new users to Polkadot.  
- It will launch in September 2025 on phones.  
- Pudgy Penguins and Mythical Games already spent $12 million on the game.

big_spender

# Overview

Pudgy Penguins is the most beloved and resilient brand in NFTs and digital collectibles. For over a year, we have been developing [Pudgy Party](https://pudgy.party), an immersive Web3 Game, in a partnership with Mythical Games, a leading gaming studio on Polkadot. As we are getting close to the game launch, as part of our go-to-market strategy, we would like to tie the iconic Pudgy Penguins directly to the Polkadot ecosystem. Pudgy Party is therefore not just another game; it's Polkadot's gateway to mainstream adoption, transforming it from an infrastructure powerhouse into a leading consumer-facing brand in Web3, that millions of people will interact with daily.

*About the proposer: This proposal is brought to the Polkadot Treasury by Luca Netz, the CEO of Igloo Inc., the company that owns the Pudgy Penguins brand. Luca will be speaking about it on AAG this week – make sure to tune in.* 

## Background of Pudgy Penguins

Pudgy Penguins originated in July 2021 as an Ethereum-based NFT collection of 8,888 uniquely designed, chubby penguin avatars, launched by four college students amid the NFT boom. Initially facing challenges, including community distrust and market volatility, the project was revitalized in 2022 when entrepreneur Luca Netz acquired it for $2.5 million and turned it into a global consumer brand. Under Netz's leadership, Pudgy Penguins expanded beyond digital assets into physical merchandise, including plush toys sold in major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon, generating millions in revenue and establishing it as a pop culture icon. The brand now boasts over 8 million social media followers, a dedicated community-driven ecosystem, and innovative initiatives like the $PENGU token, Pudgy Learn (an educational platform for Web3 concepts through gamified experiences), and the PudgyPals mobile app that bridges physical toys with digital interactions. Achievements include partnerships with major brands, a path to billion-dollar valuation potential, and a remarkable turnaround story that has made it one of the most loyal and viral communities in Web3, often compared to mainstream sensations like Pokémon or Hello Kitty for its cross-generational appeal.

## Mythical Games

Mythical Games, founded in 2018 by industry veterans including CEO John Linden, is a venture-backed pioneer at the intersection of video games and blockchain economics. Besides Pudgy Party – the focus of this proposal – Mythical has developed blockbuster Web3 titles such as NFL Rivals (which surpassed 5 million users), FIFA Rivals (achieving 1 million downloads in record time upon its 2025 release), and Blankos Block Party. These successes demonstrate Mythical's expertise in creating engaging, mainstream-appealing games that seamlessly integrate blockchain for true digital ownership, player economies, and rewards. The studio's track record includes multiple games hitting million-download milestones, strategic licensing deals with global IPs like the NFL and FIFA, and a focus on accessible Web3 mechanics that attract both crypto natives and traditional gamers.



# Details of the Partnership 

The budget requested as part of this proposal, is entirely for go-to-market of Pudgy Party on Polkadot, not for the development of the game, which is already funded from other sources (see budget breakdown below). 

We believe this strategic partnership represents a tremendous opportunity for Polkadot. Mythical's Mythos Chain, which migrated to Polkadot as a parachain in 2024, has brought over 5 million users into the ecosystem while leveraging Polkadot's flexible EVM compatibility and robust security to handle high-throughput gaming applications. Pudgy Party, which will be built entirely on Mythos Chain and powered by $MYTH tokens secured by Polkadot, will combine the community loyalty of Pudgy Penguins with Mythical's game development prowess and Polkadot’s security architecture. Imagine for example, the addictive, multiplayer fun of Fall Guys—complete with customizable Pudgy avatars, chaotic party modes, and real-time competitions—infused with Web3 elements like NFT ownership, token rewards, and in-game asset trading on-chain. Launching on iOS and Android in September 2025, this AAA mobile party game is poised to onboard millions of new users to Polkadot, driving ecosystem growth through increased transaction volume, wallet adoption, and $DOT utility.

By funding this collaboration, Polkadot isn't just supporting a game; it's catalyzing a shift where its advanced technology becomes synonymous with fun, accessible Web3 experiences. Past partnerships, like Mythos Chain's integration bringing 5 million users to Polkadot, have already demonstrated massive returns in user base expansion and network activity. This alliance will deliver similar exponential growth, positioning $DOT as the go-to Layer 1 for consumer-facing applications and yielding long-term value through heightened adoption, token demand, and global visibility.

## **Funding Request**

**Amount:** 2,000,000 USDC

**Use:** 100% allocated to marketing, user acquisition, and tournament prize pools to maximize ecosystem growth and onboard millions into Polkadot. 

This grant is not for development—Pudgy Penguins and Mythical Games have already committed over $10 million to build the game. Instead, it fuels a high-impact go-to-market strategy designed to create viral momentum, drive user retention, and integrate Polkadot branding deeply into the experience. Here's a detailed breakdown of the budget allocation, emphasizing how each component grows the Polkadot ecosystem:

* **200,000 USDC for Paid Media and Online Campaigns (10% of total):** Targeted ads across platforms like Google, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, focusing on Web2 gamers and crypto enthusiasts. This will generate 20M+ impressions, introducing Polkadot as the secure backbone of Web3 gaming. Ecosystem impact: Direct onboarding of 500,000+ new users via in-app Polkadot wallet integrations, boosting $DOT transactions and network fees.
* **400,000 USDC for Influencer and Content Creator Partnerships (20% of total):** Collaborations with 100+ influencers (e.g., gaming YouTubers with 1M+ subscribers and Web3 creators) to produce UGC, tutorials, and live streams. Includes custom Polkadot-branded content highlighting $DOT rewards. Ecosystem impact: Leverages Pudgy's 8M+ followers for organic virality, aiming for 1M+ new Mythos wallets (secured by Polkadot), with cross-promotions educating users on Polkadot's multichain advantages.
* **300,000 USDC for Offline Events and Activations (15% of total):** Sponsorships at major events like Comic-Con 2025 (200,000+ attendees), gaming conventions, and pop-up experiences where attendees can play demos and receive $DOT airdrops. Ecosystem impact: Real-world exposure converts Web2 audiences to Polkadot users, targeting 100,000+ on-site registrations and fostering community events that increase $DOT staking and governance participation.
* **500,000 USDC for User Acquisition Incentives (25% of total):** Onboarding bonuses, referral programs, and "Polkadot Starter Packs" for $DOT and Pudgy holders, including free in-game items and token rewards. Ecosystem impact: Accelerates wallet creation to 5M+ total Mythos users, with seamless $DOT integration driving daily active users and long-term retention through gamified rewards.
* **600,000 USDC for Tournaments and Prize Pools (30% of total):** Funding for global tournaments with $DOT, $MYTH, and $PENGU prizes, including Polkadot-branded leaderboards and events. Ecosystem impact: Engages competitive players, generating 10M+ in-game transactions on Polkadot, while prize distributions incentivize $DOT holding and trading, enhancing token liquidity and value.

**Timing:** Funds will be deployed starting Q3 2025, ramping up pre-launch in August for a September global rollout. Milestones include Polkadot-targeted campaigns, co-branded events, and embedded $DOT branding in all assets to ensure maximum visibility and ROI.

## **Capital Already Committed**

**Mythical Games:** 

* $5,000,000+ in development (core engine, blockchain integration, and gameplay mechanics). 
* $2,000,000+ in initial marketing and user acquisition. 
* $1,000,000 in $MYTH token rewards for early tournaments and prizing over the first two years.

**Pudgy Penguins:** 

* $2,000,000+ in marketing and user acquisition (leveraging brand IP and community channels). Paid marketing, giveaways, IRL Events like Comic Con and others.&#x20;
 **(Comic Con photos:** [**Link Here**](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1s9AZU9IU4btL5S7x_X3G9PszF2St4uuA?usp=sharing)**)**
* $2,000,000 in $PENGU token rewards for tournaments and prizing over the first two years.

**Total Committed:** $12,000,000+ from partners, underscoring their skin in the game and reducing risk for Polkadot while amplifying the grant's impact.



# **Why Polkadot Wins**

Investing 2,000,000 USDC positions Polkadot to reap outsized returns through ecosystem expansion, user growth, and enhanced token utility. Here's why this partnership delivers exceptional value:

1. **Massive Ecosystem Exposure and User Onboarding:** Built on Mythos Chain (a Polkadot parachain since 2024), Pudgy Party secures all accounts, NFTs, and transactions via Polkadot, introducing millions to its tech. Mythos's prior migration brought 5M+ users; this game could double that, driving $DOT demand through in-game utilities and cross-chain features.
2. **Strategic Wallet and Token Integration:** Targeting 5M+ new Mythos wallets, with "Polkadot Starter Packs" offering $DOT rewards to holders. Tournaments funded by $DOT create real utility, increasing staking, governance votes, and network activity—translating to higher token value and fees.
3. **Real-World and Digital Visibility:** Premiering at Comic-Con 2025 with playable demos, plus co-branded events. $DOT branding in marketing assets reaches 50M+ impressions, elevating Polkadot from infrastructure to cultural staple, similar to how Mythos's NFL Rivals boosted its chain's adoption.
4. **Proven ROI from Similar Partnerships:** Mythical's games like FIFA Rivals hit 1M downloads rapidly, while Pudgy's brand has generated millions in merchandise sales. This combo on Polkadot could yield 10x returns in user growth, with metrics like transaction volume surging as seen in Mythos's 5M+ user influx.
5. **Long-Term Strategic Fit:** Polkadot's scalability handles millions of players without congestion, while Pudgy and Mythical's mass appeal bridges Web2 to Web3. This positions $DOT as the "consumer Layer 1," fostering developer interest and ecosystem projects for sustained growth.

## **Success Metrics**

* **User Growth:** 5M+ new wallets; 1M+ daily active users within six months. 
* **Engagement:** 50M+ campaign impressions; 10M+ in-game transactions. 
* **Economic Impact:** $5M+ in $DOT/$MYTH rewards distributed; measurable increase in $DOT holders via analytics. 
* **Transparency:** Quarterly reports on wallet growth, spend and ROI.

## **Governance + Transparency**

* **Gamified Governance:** $DOT and $MYTH holders vote on in-game content, events, and updates via Polkadot's decentralized tools. 
* **Reporting:** Quarterly dashboards on engagement, grant usage, and beneficiaries. 
* **Multi-Sig Wallet:** 15bMnoyrmD876Ud6on2dumVBY5bEwAA6HKVmFCNGLtzWYsUx (2-of-3 threshold: Two signers from Mythical, one from Pudgy).



# **Summary**

Pudgy Party is set to redefine Web3 Pop Culture – addictive, accessible and culturally resonant – co-created by Pudgy Penguins and Mythical Games on Polkadot. This isn't simply a new game on Polkadot; it's Polkadot's opportunity to lead mainstream mobile gaming, onboarding millions while leveraging its superior tech for security and scalability. By approving this go-to-market grant, DOT holders will secure a first-mover advantage for Polkadot in consumer-facing Web3, driving exponential returns through new user influx, token utility, and visibility. Let the cute penguins – the most beloved consumer brand in Web3 – become a new face of Polkadot.

Pudgy Party – Bringing the most beloved characters in Web3 to Polkadot

- Attended Rare EVO event to represent Polkadot  
- Spent 14 hours at the booth over two days  
- Had great talks about Polkadot with visitors  
- Asking for $100/hour for time plus travel and food costs  
- Shared event updates and videos online  
- Worked with others like Mythical Games  
- Looking for future business opportunities

small_tipper

Compensation Request for Polkadot Representation at Rare EVO

- **Project**: Polkadot Staking Dashboard  
- **Goal**: Make staking easier and better for users  
- **Key Features**:  
  - Simple staking for new users  
  - Better rewards tracking  
  - Works on phones and tablets  
  - More languages like German and Korean  
- **Team**: Ross Bulat and Joel Kenny  
- **Funding**: $103,000 for 6 months  
- **Success**: Used by 37,000 people last month  
- **Future Plans**: Add new networks and improve security

medium_spender

![Polkadot Staking Dashboard](https://staking.polkadot.cloud/img/og-image.png)

## **1. Overview**

### **1.1 Proposal Details**

**Proponents:** Ross Bulat and Joel Kenny
**Beneficiary Address:** 12zhXsqUgXp6roXoQvy5XbV5Qw2NpGqha66HuZLkAECNw1qs
**Requested Amount:** $103,000 USDC
**Funding Period**: September 2025 to March 2026 (6 months)
**Track:** Medium Spender

The full details of our proposal can be viewed here: [**Google Docs**](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sqbf6VuxYSGz0-kjHZqkYqQXWNNj96uQVI-PXuLfgXA/edit?usp=sharing).

对于中国用户，我们在 QQ Docs 上也有一份完整提案的副本：[**QQ Docs**](https://docs.qq.com/pdf/DUUhOTE9GY3FYRGZ6?).

### **1.2 Project Summary**

We are pleased to present our proposal for continued development of the Polkadot Staking Dashboard for September 2025 - March 2026. Having successfully completed our previous milestones ([verified via OG Tracker](https://app.ogtracker.io/mediumSpender/1370?tab=progress)), we're confident the Dashboard is well-positioned for its next phase of development.

#### **Key points for this proposal:**

* 6-month timeframe to provide clearer deliverables and reduced treasury risk
* Funding requested in USDC stablecoin per community preference
* Focused development roadmap targeting user experience and critical network upgrades
* Expansion of network support and further (liquid) staking solutions as inflation and other protocol level changes take effect
* Continued commitment to open-source development and community engagement

### **1.3 Previous Success Metrics**

Our team has consistently delivered on commitments:

* **Launched Staking Dashboard 2.0 -** Complete API re-architecture with Dedot integration delivering faster performance and type-safe interactions \[[X Thread](https://x.com/rossbulat/status/1935161401791889441), [Polkadot Post](https://x.com/Polkadot/status/1935778649544049025)]
* **Launched a dedicated home for the Staking Dashboard at** [**polkadot.cloud/stake**](https://polkadot.cloud/stake), created with support from [Flez](https://x.com/iamflez), project lead for the new Polkadot.Cloud website development project
* **AssetHub integration** **-** Support for Westend AssetHub already deployed, with infrastructure ready for Kusama/Polkadot deployment
* **Feature parity maintained** across all supported networks with enhanced reliability through live RPC health monitoring
* **Enhanced pool functionality** - Nomination pool invites and quicker one-click pool joining
* **Advanced nomination management** - introduction of full screen interface, validator search and commission filters
* **Staking API launch** - GraphQL plugin providing instant historical staking data
* **Successful Dedot migration** - A flagship implementation of the next-generation Dedot API
* **Multi-Language & Currency Support** - Offering a more localised Staking experience
* **Active community support** via Discord and email channels
* **Verified completion** tracked by OG Tracker ([OG Tracker Website](https://app.ogtracker.io/mediumSpender/1370?tab=progress))
* **Continued Usage:** 37,000 page visits in the last 30 days

### **1.4 What This Means For Users**

* **Easier staking:** Simpler interfaces for both direct staking and nomination pools
* **Better rewards tracking:** Enhanced features to monitor and collect staking rewards
* **Mobile-friendly updates:** Improved experience on phones and tablets
* **Expanded language support:** Adding new language translations to join existing support
* **Faster loading times:** Technical improvements powered by our Staking API
* **More secure staking:** Enhanced error prevention and user guidance
* **Enhanced support:** Dedicated staking support via email and Discord channel for rapid assistance

### **1.5 Why the Staking Dashboard**

* **Primary desktop staking gateway**: tens of thousands of users rely on the dashboard as their main staking interface monthly
* **Reference implementation for the ecosystem**: Many users who haven't adopted newer solutions still rely on Polkadot.js wallet integration with the Staking Dashboard, making it the trusted reference point for "set and forget" staking strategies
* **Competitive advantage over alternatives**: Mobile wallets lack comprehensive analytics, staking on exchanges sacrifices decentralization, and native wallet staking offers limited feature sets compared to the dedicated staking interface
* **Educational platform**: Users learn staking mechanics through hands-on experience with validator selection and nomination pools
* **Accessibility bridge**: Simple mode onboards newcomers while advanced features serve power users
* **Global reach**: Multi-language support and various supported fiat currencies remove barriers for international users
* **Open-source ecosystem benefit**: Transparent development enables community contributions and third-party integrations

## **2. Development Roadmap**

### **Core Maintenance & Protocol Adaptation**

#### **Priority: Critical**

**1. Respond to protocol-level changes and Proof of Personhood rollouts where it pertains to staking.**

With the active exploration of Proof of Personhood (PoP), specifically for the purpose of backing validators and reducing the DOT required to be locked, there could be repercussions for the Staking Dashboard roadmap as and when these protocol level changes roll out. The Staking Dashboard may need to roll out PoP support in some form, but this is to be determined based on protocol developments.

In addition to PoP, staking changes at the protocol level will roll out over time. 2-day unbonding is an upcoming change, in addition to inflation and max supply cap changes that will affect both the Staking Dashboard and Staking API.

**2. Continue dependency updates to keep the codebase up to date.**

Critical to keep Staking Dashboard up to date using industry-standard dependencies as they are updated.

**3. Continued hosting of the dashboard on staking.polkadot.cloud.**

Continue serving as the primary staking interface for the Polkadot ecosystem.

**4. Continue management of the Staking Dashboard Discord channel and email support.**

The launch of the Staking Dashboard Discord channel has been a resounding success. With easy access to the team and same-day support responses, we have been able to support user queries and fix issues when they arise. Non-staking related queries often crop up on our channel (e.g. how to withdraw DOT into fiat currency), where we also attempt to provide guidance. We see the Discord channel as a vital support resource for the foreseeable future.&#x20;

Email support was also rolled out in the previous proposal period and is also being used by users. We aim to maintain both support channels in this next funding period.

### **Hardware Wallet Enhancement and Simpler Transaction Signing** 

#### Priority: High

**5. Ledger Flex & Stax support.**

Ledger Stax and Flex are the latest generation of Ledger hardware devices. To keep the dashboard relevant and up to date, Ledger Flex and Stax support should be added along with UX improvements such as per-device icons that will make the UI more intuitive.

**6. Improved transaction signing / submission UI.**

The transaction sign / submit button is embedded throughout the Staking Dashboard. This component also hosts the estimated tx fees, whether there is enough DOT to pay for transactions, and the name of the signing account.

This transaction submission UI has not evolved much over time as dashboard form factors have expanded (canvas, full screen interfaces, modals, cards). We’d like to further improve this component by optimising its design depending on the housing component, and dynamically adjust submission text to match the transaction context. This will streamline and simplify transaction signing for users.

### **User Experience Improvements**

#### Priority: High

**7. Further enhance Simple Mode, making it easier to onboard new stakers. Further differentiate advanced mode with more complex metrics.**

Simple Mode simplifies the dashboard by hiding complex UI and streamlining the nominator setup process. We envisage more opportunities to improve simple mode, such as the following:

* Combining the Nominator and Pools page into a single “Stake” page. 
* Moving reward metrics to the Overview page, combining all staking-related metrics into the Overview page.
* Remove unnecessary network statistics that casual or new stakers will not appreciate.

**8. Improved UI aesthetics and theme alignment to better align with polkadot.cloud branding.**

With the launch of the best-in-class Polkadot Cloud landing pages, at [https://polkadot.cloud/](https://polkadot.cloud/), the Staking Dashboard can now take inspiration from this theming and design philosophy to match its theming with the overarching Polkadot Cloud Platform. In addition to amending the theme colours and other theme elements such as spacing and rounding, we have identified a number of UI elements that can be simplified, requiring less styling and doing a better job at utilising space. 

* Amend light and dark themes to align more with main Polkadot.cloud website design.
* Simplify applicable UI elements by requiring less styling while using space more efficiently.
* Refresh icon and simple chart aesthetics to be more eye-catching and modern, aligning with polkadot.cloud’s 3D logo and icon design.
* Align favicons to match the Polkadot.cloud platform, and establish design guidelines for hosted app favicons.

All changes in this action item should be applicable to any Polkadot Cloud hosted app.

**9. Visual progress tracker for unbonding periods, with improved UI/UX.**

A common request has been to improve the unbonding / unlock chunk UI in the Dashboard. This can be achieved with visual progress tracking and more eye-catching countdowns. With the 2-day unbonding also rolling out soon, it is prime time for this component to be overhauled.

### **Network & Language Expansion**

#### Priority: Medium

**10. Onboard Paseo testnet as an additional network.**

Westend RPC and light client connections often disconnect, due to unstable node support. In addition to this, Westend is now not reflective of Polkadot / Kusama staking setups (e.g. Westend has over 60,000 nominators, with less than 1% supply staked). For these reasons, a more stable testnet should be supported in the Dashboard. Paseo is the most suited test network to resolve Westend drawbacks, and needs to be supported in both the Dashboard and Staking API.

**11. Onboard** [**Vara Network**](https://vara.network/) **as additional solo chain network, and expand Staking API to support it.**

The previous proposal period saw the successful migration to the Dedot API, which has allowed fully typed, multi-network support in the Dashboard. With this huge infrastructure boost, the Dashboard is now in a position to support more than the current networks (Polkadot, Kusama, Westend, Paseo).

To improve discoverability of other networks and their staking features, they can be directly supported in the Dashboard. In addition to this, developers no longer need to fork the Dashboard codebase to add support for new networks - networks can now be supported directly in the main Staking Dashboard repo.

**12. Complete German & Korean support, and introduce more languages if community contributors show interest.**

After successfully onboarding Spanish localisation in the previous proposal, along with refreshing the help resources, we would now like to push localisation efforts further by introducing German and Korean support, with our traffic analytics demonstrating clear demand from these regions to warrant development.

### **Advanced Features**

#### Priority: Medium

**13. Liquid staking support **[**(As outlined in this poll)**](https://x.com/rossbulat/status/1903035881306595679)

With potential decreases in staking rewards as inflation is tackled, users may explore alternative options to sustain competitive staking yields. One way to tackle this is to introduce liquid staking support directly into the Staking Dashboard. We envisage a solution whereby a user can split their staking portfolio into native DOT staking and liquid staking, depending on their risk appetite. 

We would like to explore rolling out UI directly in the Staking Dashboard to support liquid staking, with Bifrost as our first protocol of interest.

**14. Expand notifications with more staking activity.**

A notifications bell was rolled out in the previous proposal period, that displays nomination pool invite notifications if visited from an invite URL. With the Staking API now established, more notifications can be delivered to the Staking Dashboard pertaining to the connected active account. This is an opportunity to further personalise the Dashboard and deliver more historical notifications to the user.

In addition to the new notification UI, this action item also requires an authentication method in the same fashion that platforms like PolkAssembly use to enable user logins with their wallets. By signing an authentication token with a Polkadot account, the user proves who they are, and notifications can be safely delivered to their Dashboard thereafter.

**15. Improve Mimir SDK support.**

[Mimir](https://mimir.global/) is currently hosting an outdated fork of the Staking Dashboard in its app catalogue. To prevent the need to maintain a fork, we would like to integrate Mimir’s SDK directly into the main staking dashboard deployment.

### **Further Codebase Formalisation**

#### Priority: Medium

**16. Further codebase formalisation: Modularise page sections into re-useable components.**

With the addition of Simple Mode and our ambitions to improve it, modules from one page now need to be used in more than one page. e.g. displaying reward graphs and metrics in the Overview page when Simple Mode is turned on. As a result of this requirement, there is an opportunity to formalise components at the page level, making entire modules re-usable. This not only improves reusability of components, but can also further separate concerns by using props rather than relying on recursive hook usage in the module’s child components.

### API & Developer Resources

#### Priority: Medium

**17. Improve Staking API documentation and API reference material for apps to integrate.**

The Staking API has been a resounding success since it launched, dramatically speeding up the Staking Dashboard syncing and response times to various features, all the while being treated like a plugin, so the Dashboard can still function without the Staking API enabled.

We now would like to take this initiative further by introducing official documentation of the GraphQL interfaces, along with API key support and throttle protections for other applications to leverage the Staking API.

**18. Roll out health monitoring RPC endpoints.**

Open up useful API endpoints to expose RPC providers and their health metrics, with a focus on onboarding more hosted apps. Create accompanying documentation and API Key infrastructure / throttle limits to onboard clients.

## Community Impact & Involvement

For detailed community impact information, visit the [Full Proposal: Community Impact & Involvement](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sqbf6VuxYSGz0-kjHZqkYqQXWNNj96uQVI-PXuLfgXA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.7u97x4wh6r1b) section.

## Team

For detailed team information, visit the [Full Proposal: Team](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sqbf6VuxYSGz0-kjHZqkYqQXWNNj96uQVI-PXuLfgXA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.f2ubhwui4mxz) section.

## Budget

For detailed budget information, visit the [Full Proposal: Budget Breakdown](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sqbf6VuxYSGz0-kjHZqkYqQXWNNj96uQVI-PXuLfgXA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.3zpqy4gdfvps) section.

## Conclusion

The Polkadot Staking Dashboard has established itself as essential infrastructure for the ecosystem. This focused 6-month proposal ensures continued excellence while introducing meaningful improvements that benefit both new and experienced stakers.

With a proven track record, experienced team, and clear deliverables, we are confident in delivering significant value to the Polkadot community. The requested funding represents efficient allocation for maintaining and enhancing critical ecosystem infrastructure.

***

*Questions? Comments? Give us your feedback!*

*Kind Regards,*

*Ross Bulat and Joel Kenny*

Polkadot Staking Dashboard: September 2025 – March 2026 Funding

- Nova Wallet is a popular app for Polkadot, with 100+ networks.  
- It helps users stake, swap, and vote easily.  
- Over 13 million DOT is staked through Nova Wallet.  
- It adds new features like 1-click swaps and multisig wallets.  
- Nova Wallet is open-source and free for users.  
- The team also builds other tools for Polkadot.  
- This proposal asks for funding for past 7 months of work.  
- Users can test features before voting on the proposal.

**Nova Wallet 7th Proposal: Retroactive Reimbursement: 1-Click Cross-Chain Swaps, Multisigs, Extended Ledger Support, Polkadot Vault v7.0 Support, Unified Address Format, Off-Ramps, Price Charts, DApp Browser Improvements, and more!**

<img height="351" width="624" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcM6N0UEkkbnM7CymOzEOgMQzPI3vHJj3np9sn0fNQuPM3vzYsMNeAuXuTbyTR8ml5dShPQz6Yttv_tFw0q_GwSE4fHrEz5HBolM4X2Z-XNzlpnndkZjS4LhVAdWd3Hn25sPjoK?key=LrrlcDVerpkrJSIx3L3V5g" />

**Full proposal:** [Nova Wallet 7th Proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDfBq4U2N0wdUJ08IjPA6EgaGHmf3XTNeosjq-vRHXA/ "Nova Wallet 7th Proposal")

**Feature set of the proposal** (see [proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDfBq4U2N0wdUJ08IjPA6EgaGHmf3XTNeosjq-vRHXA/)):

* 1-Click Cross-Chain Swaps
* Multisig Wallets
* Extended Ledger Support (Flex, Stax, Nano S Plus)
* Polkadot Vault v7.0 Metadataless Signing
* Unified Address Format
* Off-Ramp Support
* Token Price Charts
* DApp Browser Improvements
* XCM Improvements
* Runtime Improvements
* Community Requested Features
* Self-funded features: Debit Cards, MYTH Staking
* …and more (See [Deliverables Table](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDfBq4U2N0wdUJ08IjPA6EgaGHmf3XTNeosjq-vRHXA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.lll6yfsfk59f) in the [full proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDfBq4U2N0wdUJ08IjPA6EgaGHmf3XTNeosjq-vRHXA/))

### 1. Context of the proposal

<img height="351" width="624" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf9S3gC4VoUpT60pAQF4NdxwXWyv_jPaPtlJXoZKdfaJUHwTckPnTTa0pLSCbsOz8wEyXMUkSG9DiixFcKBuqDeK3BIlK_L_7W7Jz24S43V9uCUiRMM1IZRdIKxeS9wxYgI9tqoGg?key=LrrlcDVerpkrJSIx3L3V5g" />

[Nova Wallet](https://novawallet.io) is secure, open source, and is the leading app for the Polkadot ecosystem:

* 🌌 **100+** Polkadot eco & EVM networks 
* 👑 **1-Click Onboarding** with Google and Apple accounts
 ☁️ Secure **Cloud backups** to sync across multiple devices
* 💳 **On-ramp** & **off-ramp** support, including Mercuryo x Nova Wallet **Polkadot debit card**
* 🥞 **Staking**: 14+ options including DOT, KSM, AZERO, GLMR, and more!
* 🙌 **Super simple staking** supporting both **Nomination pools** and **Direct staking** with our 2-in-1 flow & **analytics** and **alerts**
* 🔀 **1-Click in-app Swaps** with **430+** Cross-chain channels
* 🙋🏼‍♀️ **1-Click Voting with SwipeGov**, **OpenGov, Agile Delegations,** & **Gov v1** support
* 🗣️ Support for **14 Languages**
* 🌐 **Seamless Multi-tab** **DApp browser** supporting the Polkadot JS & MetaMask protocols 
* 🔗 **WalletConnect v2** support
* 🖼 Access to RMRK, AssetHub, KodaDot **NFTs**
* 📱 **Hardware wallet** support for Polkadot Vault, Parity Signer; Ledger Stax, Flex & Nano X
* **🙆 100 000+ monthly active users** on both iOS & Android
* 🔔 **Push Notifications** for staking, balances, governance, and announcements
* 💲 Support for **Price Charts**, **multiple Fiat currency** displays
* 🤝 Support for **Multisig Wallets** and **Proxy accounts** (Delegated Authorities) 
* 📶 **Network Management:** add any Substrate/EVM chain, manage nodes

### 2.1 Adoption 

Nova Wallet is the most popular Polkadot ecosystem wallet in terms of on-chain metrics on multiple fronts. If we look at staking, currently **over 13.4 MILLION DOT has been staked with Nova Wallet by over 12.3 THOUSAND users** – this is a 39.6% increase in total stake through Nova Wallet since our last referendum. For nomination pools, **Nova Wallet’s nomination pool has 10,281 nominators**, which represents **\~26.9% of all nomination pool stakers.** Nova Wallet's validators have **2053 nominators** – which represent around **\~6.9% of all direct staking nominators**.\*\*\*\* Overall, **\~18% of all DOT stakers are staking via Nova Wallet.** It is important to note that currently, 49% of all DOT is staked, meaning it remains the most popular use case for DOT holders, and each wallet’s total stake through their platform remains a solid non-gameable metric to measure adoption. 

It is also possible to determine the **popularity/market share of different wallets** within the Polkadot ecosystem when it comes to in-app swaps, thanks to **Hydration’s referral code** mechanism. In terms of **total users** that have used one of the ecosystem wallets to carry out swaps within the wallet’s UI, **Nova Wallet referral codes account for a \~71.5% share of total referral codes used**. In terms of volume generated through the use of referral codes, **Nova Wallet’s total volume is 132.8% higher than the next ecosystem wallet**. 

### 2.2 Sustainability & Revenue 

A frequent question from voters is “What is Nova Wallet’s path to self-sustainability?”. This is a question that affects all wallet providers, not just in the Polkadot ecosystem, but in web3 as a whole. The most common ways for wallet providers to achieve self-sustainability are by charging their users additional fees once they have gained a sufficiently large user base. The most common example of this is how MetaMask charges an additional 0.875% fee to its users when they utilize its built-in swap feature, instead of going to any DEX dApp. This is not the path that we want to follow at all, and instead, we have been busy with other paths to some level of self-sustainability whilst not taxing users:

* Novasama Technologies hosts **5 active Polkadot validators** (one of which is part of the web3foundation’s Decentralized Nodes initiative).
* Novasama Technologies hosts **6 active Kusama validators.**
* Novasama Technologies hosts a **Mythos validator** – this has allowed us to implement Mythos-specific features **without charging the Polkadot treasury.**
* Nova Wallet participates in **Hydration’s referral code system**, generating fees without adding an additional tax to users.

It is also important to note that there are community validators, which are not affiliated with Novasama Technologies, that have remained in the active set thanks to receiving nominations from Nova Wallet users, thanks to our validator algorithm. 

These sources of revenue have allowed us to begin developing features for Nova Wallet without any burden to the Polkadot treasury. The first such feature is our debit card implementation, which was [released in June 2025](https://x.com/NovaWalletApp/status/1929886140670034164). 

We will continue to explore additional revenue streams that can help subsidize the development of Nova Wallet whilst trying to reduce the expenditure from the Polkadot treasury, whilst not taxing our users. 

### 2.3 Why Retroactive?

This is a **retroactive proposal** for the past 7 months’ worth of development carried out for Nova Wallet. Due to the evolving nature of Polkadot, with **frequent runtime updates**, it was decided to request funds retroactively again. The roadmap for Nova Wallet is always publicly visible at [novawallet.io](http://novawallet.io). The necessity to move to retroactive payments starting from our last treasury proposal was due to it **not being possible to determine ahead of time the amount of work that we have to carry out to ensure that breaking changes do not impact our user base**. As the most popular wallet in the Polkadot ecosystem, ensuring that our users have the best possible user experience is paramount. As such, we will work towards a general roadmap, **introducing cutting-edge features** just like those we have become known for over the past 3 years, whilst also ensuring that our products face no issues due to unforeseen circumstances such as breaking changes caused by runtime upgrades. This also **allows the community to validate our work** by testing these new features **before deciding on their vote** on our treasury requests.

### 2.4 Our Goal & Additional Contributions to Polkadot

Our goal for Nova Wallet is to **build and maintain a high-quality, open-source, community-focused, and feature-rich mobile application** that has no network biases and can function with no limitations/restrictions. **Nova Wallet is the leading app in the ecosystem** by the following criteria:

* Feature set & high quality (reliability, security, performance, usability)
* Total number of active users
* Amount of Staked tokens to Nomination Pools and Validators
* Amount of users & total volume using an application's built-in swap feature

Apart from developing the open-source Nova Wallet [iOS](https://github.com/nova-wallet/nova-ios-app) & [Android](https://github.com/nova-wallet/nova-android-app) mobile applications, our team is **consistently contributing to the Polkadot ecosystem** by providing open-source SDKs, design assets, knowledge-sharing sessions, and infrastructure. Examples include:

* Substrate SDKs for [iOS](https://github.com/nova-wallet/substrate-sdk-ios) and [Android](https://github.com/nova-wallet/substrate-sdk-android) development
* [Nova Utils GitHub](https://github.com/nova-wallet/nova-utils) — metadata & configs for networks, DApps, cross-chain transfers
* SubQuery API projects [developed](https://github.com/nova-wallet/subquery-nova) and [hosted](https://nova-wallet.github.io/subquery-nova/) by the Nova Wallet team, including a [Governance-focused project](https://github.com/nova-wallet/subquery-governance)
* [Nova Assets Figma](https://www.figma.com/community/file/1039874427311142565) — design assets: Polkadot eco tokens, networks, DApps, etc.
* [Hosted metadata portal](https://nova-wallet.github.io/metadata-portal/#/polkadot) for Polkadot & Kusama ecosystem networks — metadata portal for Polkadot Vault and Parity Signer hardware wallets
* [Polkadot in Action](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi8ol7g_VgHE6ODDyvaWyLn-JhFIiERB_) — a series of videos & articles focused on onboarding people to help utilize the power of Polkadot & Kusama ecosystem through the Nova Wallet
* [Delegate Registry](https://github.com/nova-wallet/opengov-delegate-registry) — an open-source repository for Delegates to fill out their information to attract more delegations through the Agile Delegation feature

More Polkadot user-facing products by Novasama & partners:

* Designing and Developing [Telenova](http://t.me/telenova_app_bot)
* Designing and Developing [Nova Spektr](https://novaspektr.io/) — an all-in-one desktop app for the Polkadot ecosystem
* Developing the [Polkadot App](https://x.com/Polkadot/status/1811342289735655651)
* Developing the [Web3 Citizenship App](https://youtu.be/MrWioikibEI?t=2104)
* Developing and Maintaining [Polkadot Vault](https://vault.novasama.io/) (starting from 2025)

Find out more about the **products Novasama develops** in our [2024 end-of-year blog post](https://medium.com/novasama-technologies/novasama-2024-year-of-growth-d0c915fb7fe1).

<img height="351" width="624" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfyphbvEC1ck5S6LCD5XIv71V1vBGe_PpHamN7U96xwZ3MA6hF65Qiz1AqdA6egxJKwgqQyFxEwCyvxuaCA77ZOUH8DYTWKkkICmMFq_DGLBRejzgy3yOM34kPQzG4RWpORXMP1?key=LrrlcDVerpkrJSIx3L3V5g" />

     This proposal covers the **retroactive reimbursement of deliverables for 7 months** as detailed in the [Deliverables Table](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDfBq4U2N0wdUJ08IjPA6EgaGHmf3XTNeosjq-vRHXA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.lll6yfsfk59f) in the [full proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDfBq4U2N0wdUJ08IjPA6EgaGHmf3XTNeosjq-vRHXA/).

**Please feel free to review the full proposal:** [Nova Wallet 7th Proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDfBq4U2N0wdUJ08IjPA6EgaGHmf3XTNeosjq-vRHXA/)

Nova Wallet 7th Proposal: Retroactive Reimbursement: 1-Click Cross-Chain Swaps, Multisigs, Extended Ledger Support, Polkadot Vault v7.0 Support, Unified Address Format, Off-Ramps, Price Charts, DApp Browser Improvements, and more!

- **Goal**: Improve OpenGov by reducing spam and increasing proposal quality.  
- **Changes**:  
  - Higher deposits (10 DOT submission, higher decision deposits).  
  - Fewer active proposals at once (from 160 to 15).  
  - Easier to cancel bad proposals.  
  - Faster decision time (14 days → 3 days).  
- **Tracks Affected**: Treasury, small/medium/big spenders, canceller.  
- **Why**: Saves time, reduces voting fatigue, and funds better projects.

wish_for_change

[WFC] OpenGov Adjustments - 2025

- Upgrading system chains to version 1.6.1  
- Asset Hub will stay on version 1.6.0  
- Fixing XCM version subscriptions for some chains  
- Bundled to avoid multiple votes  
- Fellowship is voting to approve  
- Scheduled for block 27476030

whitelisted_caller

[Whitelisted Caller] Upgrade remaining system chains to 1.6.x and fix XCM version subscriptions

- Gossamer is changing its focus to help Polkadot-SDK instead of making a new client  
- They want $815,358 USDC split into 3 payments over 6 months  
- Will work on 7 important tech areas with Parity  
- Team has experience from past Polkadot projects  
- Updates will be shared monthly on GitHub and social media  
- Contact info provided for questions  
- Full details in their online document

# Gossamer's Contributions to Polkadot-SDK v2 [Q3/Q4 2025]

***
**NOTE ON REFERENDA UPDATE:**
This is a new proposal intended to replace [Ref 1688](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/1688)
Following extensive consultations with Parity and the Polkadot community, we have introduced several key improvements.
- Payouts were split to bi-monthly retroactive milestones
- New sections were added: 
    - [Payout structure](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.zihpmukcwwqo).
    - [Detailed milestone delivery description](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.k50syyfoxl24)
    - [FAQ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cQIW1woTu_Sv0WWFOvvdqOtyE8pOjA6UCW8SJht3Ygg/edit?usp=sharing) with addressed and frequently asked questions from previous referenda
***

**Total Requested amount for 3 milestones:** 815 358 USDC
**Milestone 1:** *271 786 USDC*. Payout on: 10/09/2025
**Milestone 2:** *271 786 USDC*. Payout on: 10/11/2025
**Milestone 3:** *271 786 USDC*. Payout on: 10/01/2026


**Beneficiary address:** 149mJjdQjEBMHHbWDjbLJ7X4e95ps6L35DZVaBzn1raR1EVQ

**Short description:** *Gossamer was originally envisioned as a Go-based implementation of the Polkadot Relay Chain Validator, contributing to the decentralization and resilience of the network through client diversity and broader technological accessibility. Our team, deeply committed to the Polkadot ecosystem, built Gossamer as an alternative full node and validator client to help ensure the robustness of the protocol.*
**However**, as the ecosystem's needs have changed, it's become clear that alternative client development is not currently a top priority. In light of this, we’ve made a strategic decision to shift our focus from developing an alternative client to contributing directly to the existing Rust-based SDK implementation. This change aligns with both the direction of the ecosystem and our desire to maximize our impact on Polkadot’s core infrastructure.
Following consultations with Parity, we have defined a set of objectives that our team will focus on over the next six months. These efforts, in close collaboration with Parity, will leverage our experience to contribute to the Polkadot-SDK's most critical areas, helping to strengthen, optimize, and scale the protocol at its foundation. 


**Project Category/Type:** Software development

Website: [ChainSafe](https://chainsafe.io/)


# Context of the Proposal
The Gossamer team at ChainSafe is a group of technical experts engaging in protocol-level implementations for the Polkadot ecosystem. The team has formerly received funding from the Web3 Foundation and the Polkadot Treasury and has also been temporarily self-funded through ChainSafe.

This proposal is a request for **six months** of funding **(equally split to bi-monthly milestones)** from the Polkadot Treasury for the collaboration of the Gossamer team and Parity to work on the Polkadot protocol's (polkadot-sdk) pressing needs. The ecosystem is rapidly evolving, and a lot of change is to be expected. We are therefore adopting a six-month proposal cycle to maintain agility and responsiveness to best serve the ecosystem.

In this funding period, as detailed in Section 2 (Scope of Current Proposal), we will dedicate resources to the needs of the polkadot-sdk by addressing key technical priorities identified in collaboration with Parity. Our focus will be on areas where our team’s expertise can deliver the greatest impact - enhancing scalability, performance, and protocol robustness. This marks a natural evolution of our role within the ecosystem, transitioning from client diversity through Gossamer to strengthening the core infrastructure that supports the Polkadot network. Our focus will be on areas where our team’s expertise can deliver the greatest impact - protocol development. 


[Read Full Proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?usp=sharing)

### Proposal navigation:
1. [Context of the proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.1zo0zjb0dkcb)
    1.1 [About ChainSafe and the Gossamer Team](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.r1h6b13lq78y)
2. [Scope of Work](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.tedpurhasj4m)
    2.1 [Approval-checking rewards](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.x1josl2ojaib)
    2.2 [Parachain runtime upgrades off-chain R&D](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.nqm39yktcxlf)
    2.3 [Optimizing the dependency footprint](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.my8bqjnnp9yw)
    2.4 [WebRTC transport for browser-based LightClients](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.kga70qtz590a)
    2.5 [Speculative Availability](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.15uubdryyvph)
    2.6 [Polkadot network chaos testing and DDoS protection](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.vho01ny786cg)
    2.7 [Smart Contracts Infrastructure Integration (Foundry-Polkadot)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.5vx3cbqx85rw)
3. [Budget and payout structure](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.a3ezu9wj57t)
4. [Progress, Updates, and Milestones Delivery](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.k50syyfoxl24)
5. [Contacts](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.iarcw3apjmva)
6. [FAQ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgR_3EzP6t6Jp3gdODPjfLtsSg3ys6b9h2nMHhvtlEI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.3hloucbpfhjf) including the community questions and our answers from the previous referenda


**Contact:**

Kyrylo Pisariev, Senior Engineering Manager, kirill@chainsafe.io, @p1sar:matrix.org
Peter Kalambet, Head of Protocol, peter@chainsafe.io, @peter:dod.ngo
Belma Gutlic, VP of Engineering, belma@chainsafe.io, @morrigan.iv:matrix.org

**Progress and Updates:**

- Monthly progress reports ([GitHub discussions](https://github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer-parity/discussions), [X](https://x.com/ChainSafeth), [polkadot forum](https://forum.polkadot.network/c/ecosystem/24/none)) 
- GitHub code progress ([Github Project](https://github.com/orgs/ChainSafe/projects/62))
- Presentations at Polkadot events
- Documentation updates

Gossamer's Contributions to Polkadot-SDK v2 [Q3/Q4 2025]

This proposal is about giving extra money to the people who help keep the Polkadot community safe and friendly. These helpers are called moderators. They make sure new people are not scammers and help everyone understand how things work. There are 10 moderators now, but there used to be more. They work on places like Discord, Element Telegram, and Reddit.

The proposal asks for $169,632 to keep paying the moderators for one more year, from September 2025 to September 2026. There is a document with more details about the proposal and how the moderators work. There is also a place where you can see how the money was spent before. The people who make this proposal hope you will help and give your ideas.

Moderation Team Bounty Top-up

- Requesting Tranche 3 of pre-approved funding  
- Funds will cover costs for the Scalability Hackathon  
- Also supports the final accelerator stage  
- Time-sensitive to invite recent hackathon winners  
- Full proposal details available in a linked document  
- Funding request follows original proposal terms

We would like to claim Tranche 3 of a pre-agreed funding (see [here](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/703)) to cover the costs of the recently finished Scalability Hackathon and fund the final stage: an accelerator. This is time-sensitive as we'd like to invite most of the recent winners from the hackathon.

Full proposal is [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P-LiroEAL1Sdqum-vsHug1ab2lPFjETWOAoh6fNkLxg/edit?tab=t.0).

As per our proposal, the funding request is as follows:

![Screenshot 2025-08-11 at 10.54.11.png](https://i.ibb.co/k6kHMScw/Screenshot-2025-08-11-at-10-54-11.png)

Encode Club Tranche 3 Funding Request

- Snowbridge needs to fix a failed payment from earlier.  
- The payment failed because there wasn't enough USDC in the treasury.  
- The system thought the payment worked, but it didn't.  
- They can't try again because the system marked it as done.  
- The original payment was approved here: [link](https://polkadot.subscan.io/treasury_spend/29).  
- The payment looked successful on Polkadot: [link](https://polkadot.subscan.io/extrinsic/25613045-2?tab=event).  
- But it failed on AssetHub: [link](https://assethub-polkadot.subscan.io/block/8652209?tab=event\&event=8652209-7).  
- They are asking for the same amount again: **312,500 USDC**.

This proposal is to replace and recover a failed treasury spend that Snowbridge submitted earlier this year. The spend was for a past proposal that failed because at the time when it was claimed, there was not enough USDC in the Asset Hub treasury.

The claim extrinsic was successfully submitted to Polkadot, but then when the XCM was sent to AssetHub to transfer the funds, the transfer failed due to insufficient USDC.

Unfortunately, we cannot retry the claim since Polkadot marked it as successful, even though the XCM failed.

The original approved treasury spend is here: [https://polkadot.subscan.io/treasury\_spend/29](https://polkadot.subscan.io/treasury_spend/29)

The **treasury.spend** extrinsic that succeeded on Polkadot: [https://polkadot.subscan.io/extrinsic/25613045-2?tab=event](https://polkadot.subscan.io/extrinsic/25613045-2?tab=event)

The corresponding XCM message that was processed *(and failed)* on AssetHub due to insufficient USDC: [https://assethub-polkadot.subscan.io/block/8652209?tab=event\&event=8652209-7](https://assethub-polkadot.subscan.io/block/8652209?tab=event\&event=8652209-7) - the XCM message queue was processed correctly, but within the event one can see that the message itself was not successful.

This proposal creates a new spend, the same as the original one, ie, **312,500 USDC**

Replace and Recover Failed Treasury Spend

- Snowbridge is a bridge between Polkadot and Ethereum.  
- It has been working well for over a year with no problems.  
- It is now used by 24 parachains, wallets, and apps.  
- It has over $75M in value locked, making it the second biggest in Polkadot.  
- The team wants to improve it with faster transfers and better tools.  
- They are asking for $2.8M to fund the next year of work.  
- Some money is for past work, and some is for future improvements.

**Update Aug 5th:**

This is a new proposal is intended to replace our previous [ref ](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/1682 "1682")[1682](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/1682 "1682"). We have made some changes to address feedback that we've received. The changes are as follows:

* The majority of funds are paid in stablecoins.
* Our runway payment is split into 2 payments, now with only the first half up front and the remaining half in 6 months.
* Our failed payment has been removed from this proposal and will be submitted in a separate proposal.

Our final payment on-delivery has been left as is in DOT at \~116k DOT. This should still only be paid out if we complete all our milestones on time and the payment can be cancelled by OpenGov at any time before then if they’re not happy.

We believe that keeping this in DOT signals our team’s commitment to DOT’s success - asking for DOT is an economic risk that the team willingly makes to enhance incentive alignment. The DOT amount is also far smaller than in our original proposal and will not have a significant impact on the treasury’s DOT holdings.

The updated summary is below, and the updated full proposal is here: [https://www.notion.so/snowfork/Snowbridge-2025-2026-Stabilized-246296aaabef8082b1b4cb6597207c74](https://www.notion.so/snowfork/Snowbridge-2025-2026-Stabilized-246296aaabef8082b1b4cb6597207c74)

***

Snowbridge, a trustless Polkadot-Ethereum bridge, has been now been live for over a year, running successfully with **no onchain issues and zero onchain downtime**. With our launch, we shifted to doing extensive marketing and business development work — the main milestone in our 2024 proposal was to successfully integrate with 6 parachains and we’ve radically surpassed that milestone:

* Snowbridge now has integrations with \~**24 parachains, wallets, apps, and other services** across the Polkadot ecosystem.
* Snowbridge has also grown to over $75M TVL, the **second highest across all protocols** on the Polkadot network.
* Snowbridge has seen an additional \~$15M in growth over the last month since our last failed proposal and we expect growth to continue further through the year.
* Snowbridge has become a **key piece of infrastructure** for most of the top products in the Polkadot ecosystem including Hydration, Asset Hub and Mythical:

[<img height="351" width="702" alt="i1.png" src="https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2F8gvSSSjk%2Fi1.png&w=3840&q=75" />](https://i.ibb.co/8gvSSSjk/i1.png)

This proposal is for a roadmap for the next year that covers:

* Deploying V2, an overhaul of our protocol with many new improvements
* Adding support for major Ethereum L2 chains
* Support for single-click, multi-hop swap and bridge transactions
* Simplifying the SDK developer experience and documentation
* Optimizing our light client for faster, cheaper bridging - down to 1-2 minutes for Polkadot -> Ethereum transfers.
* Giving OpenGov new superpowers that it can use to poach liquidity from Ethereum products
* Ramping up support for stablecoins and improve the UX of stablecoin-based payment flows
* Improving our consumer-targeted marketing efforts
* Improve the decentralisation of our off-chain components
* Continuing to operate, secure and keep the bridge up to date

The cost for this roadmap is **\~$1.87M.** The proposal also includes an additional **$937.5k** retroactive payment for completed past milestones. This brings the total cost of this proposal to **\~$2.8M**.

The roadmap payment is split into an advance payment and a completion payment in 1 year based on successful, on time delivery.

The full breakdown of these roadmap items, as well as details on the cost and payment structure is in our full proposal here: [https://www.notion.so/snowfork/Snowbridge-2025-2026-Stabilized-246296aaabef8082b1b4cb6597207c74](https://www.notion.so/snowfork/Snowbridge-2025-2026-Stabilized-246296aaabef8082b1b4cb6597207c74)

Snowbridge 2025/2026 Stabilized (v3)

- The project will last **6 months**.  
- It focuses on growing Polkadot’s community in **Africa**.  
- So far, they have:  
  - Engaged **3,000+ people** in person.  
  - Hosted **45+ events**.  
  - Onboarded **20+ participants** to a program.  
- The goal now is **retention** (keeping people involved).  
- They updated the plan based on **feedback**.  
- More details are in the linked document.

**Duration:** 6 months 

**Updated: Re-community feedback**

In our last proposal, we gathered feedback on compensation, milestones, and scope. Opinions varied; some felt the proposal was too ambitious for its duration, while others thought it wasn’t ambitious enough. We also heard from community members and fellow agents who wanted clearer KPIs, updated compensation details, and more committed hours.

We reflected on this feedback and we have updated the following parts of the proposal:

* **Shortened duration:** The proposal now spans **6 months** instead of the original timeframe.
* **Success metrics/KPIs:** These are now clearly outlined in the milestones section.
* **Updated compensation:** We’ve reduced the number of roles and focus countries, increased commitment hours for the team, and ensured rates are fair and in line with similar initiatives and other rates globally.
* **Scope:** The scope remains the same, but we’ll roll it out in smaller, intentional steps, scaling as we deliver results, reflected in our updated KPIs.





**Short description**

(Updated) Continued support of dedicated agents focused on building and growing Polkadot’s builder and community presence in Africa.

In the past 6 months, Polkadot Africa has focused on activating local communities through high-quality events, developer engagement, and grassroots education through online workshops and online bootcamps. 



**So far, we've achieved the following in the past 6 months:**

* Engaged 3,000+ people in person.
* Hosted 45+ [events](https://lu.ma/PolkadotAfrica?period=past) across multiple countries. With different types of meetups.
* Onboarded 20+ PBAx participants and 5 currently accepted to PBA Bali!!!
* Participated in the global Encode x Scalable hackathon. Some of our community members won OpenGuild bounties.
* Hosted Runtime developers' calls. Thereby, attracting builders to contribute to the Polkadot SDK.
* Steadily streamlining resources for the community through our [website](https://www.polkadot.africa/).
* Grown our online community to 1,000+ active members.



This proposal seeks **6 months** of funding to expand on that momentum, shifting from **activation** to retention.

**Category**: Developer community, Community Building, Growth and Products.



You can read more [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xyuWgny58mWhG_Gs0_EjgYkT-Sq3IrJZpb2TNGfIDmk/edit?usp=sharing "here").

Polkadot Africa Builder and Community growth continuation.

- WAGOI helps drivers control their car data using Polkadot wallets  
- It follows new EU rules starting in November 2025  
- First version will connect 2,500 cars and make 20,000+ transactions monthly  
- Could grow to 2.5 million wallets if 1% of EU drivers join  
- Builds a mobile app to view car data and manage permissions  
- Uses Moonbeam first, then moves to Polkadot  
- Costs $330,000 for this first phase  
- All code will be open for everyone to use

![Sign-in-preview-horizontal.png](https://i.ibb.co/zWZzLJLN/Sign-in-preview-horizontal.png)

Here is the full proposal : [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YyrYuTVqHvlVlfXIzk1zGZILzGyF83yzXOZKAWM200w/edit?tab=t.0](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YyrYuTVqHvlVlfXIzk1zGZILzGyF83yzXOZKAWM200w/edit?tab=t.0)

### **TL/DR**

WAGOI is building the first EU-compliant, wallet-based data access platform for connected vehicles, launching ahead of the EU Data Act (November 2025). European drivers will gain control over their vehicle data via Polkadot wallets, turning every car into a gateway to on-chain activity. Our MVP targets 2,500 vehicles and will generate 20K+ transactions monthly. With only 1% EU market adoption, that translates into 2.5M wallets and over 20M transactions/month. WAGOI is a regulatory-aligned, real-world DePIN case driving measurable Coretime consumption, wallet growth, and transaction volume - all critical KPIs for Polkadot. Code will be open-sourced.

The **EU Data Act,** enforced in November 2025, mandates that drivers must gain access to the data generated by their own vehicles. However, no consumer-friendly product exists today that makes this data available in a transparent, consent-based, and compliant way. WAGOI turns every vehicle into a Polkadot-connected node, using blockchain for secure consent, data sharing, and real-world utility. This is the moment to position Polkadot at the center of Europe's upcoming data economy.

### **Why this proposal**

This submission is a direct successor to[ Proposal #1593](https://polkadot.subsquare.io/referenda/1593), which received zero "No" votes from any Decentralized Voices. Unfortunately, just 3 days before voting closed, wallet **14DN** cast a decisive “No” with **18 million DOT**, killing the proposal without transparency, dialogue or any feedback.

This raises a critical question:  **Is Polkadot only funding infrastructure, while ignoring user-facing applications?**  That would be ironic -  especially considering **Polimec’s** recent [public comments](https://x.com/polimecprotocol/status/1949800707357327671?s=52) highlighting the ecosystem’s **critical lack of real users**.

*“Building on Polkadot brought substantial technical advantages, but also came with the challenge of a growing but currently non-existent user base, which limited the scale and achievable revenue we could realistically reach at this stage.”* 

Without users and real transaction volume, even the best tech means nothing. Polkadot needs adoption, not just innovation.

After attending the Web3 Summit in Berlin, I was approached by a surprising number of people who wanted to talk about the WAGOI project.  That led to some deep brainstorming with people in the ecosystem. The big question: **How do we move forward and capture market momentum -  especially with the EU Data Act just around the corner  -  without requesting the full funding upfront?**

*So we flipped the model…*

In our previous proposal, we had already outlined scheduled payments (2 times $330,000 USDC) but this time, we’re moving forward with a fully **phased approach** to ensure greater alignment with ecosystem needs. We are starting with a clean mobile app and smart contracts on Moonbeam (*Until Polkadot Asset Hub is ready on Polkadot mainnet*). The idea is to let the 1,000+ people on our waitlist experience the core value of WAGOI: data ownership, connected vehicles, and wallet-based access.

Yes, that means stripping out things like the marketplace (for now), but after speaking with a wide range of people across the ecosystem, it’s becoming clear this might just be the **right** approach. Prove traction first  -  then roll out the rest. And make all code open-source for community use.

### **Why Polkadot**

Polkadot needs:

* More wallets
* More Coretime sold
* More on-chain activity

WAGOI delivers all three:

* **Wallets**: Every driver onboarded = new wallet
* **Transactions**: Every consent or update = transaction
* **Data Use**: Smart contracts mediate usage rights

### **The bigger picture**

Europe is enforcing the EU Data Act in November 2025, mandating user control over connected car data.

This opens a **€750B+ market** where WAGOI positions Polkadot as the **default trusted infra** for compliant vehicle data sharing.

With 250M+ vehicles in Europe, capturing even **1%** means:

* 2.5M new on-chain wallets
* Millions of recurring transactions (consents, service contracts, reward payouts)
* Real-world utility beyond DeFi/DePIN speculation

This is just the beginning. Once we validate user traction and core functionality, we will progressively layer in components like the data marketplace. These next phases can be proposed through future Treasury requests, and we are committed to exploring models where the ecosystem directly benefits, including mechanisms for revenue sharing with the Treasury itself.

Legal requirements drive these wallets (EU Data Act), tied to high-value real-world assets (cars), and offer ongoing utility for users and businesses. That’s a much stronger foundation than most DePIN or DeFi projects launching today.

*On-chain transaction comparison :* 

| Metric | 2025 (MVP Phase) | 2026 (1% EU Phase) |
| ---------------------------- | --------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| Wallet-Connected Vehicles | 2,500 | 2,500,000 |
| DID Registrations | 2,500 (one-time) | 2.5M (one-time) |
| Monthly Consent Updates | 2,000 | 2M |
| Data Access Requests (Tx) | 5,000 | 5M |
| Reward Token Transfers | 7,500 | 7.5M |
| Smart Contract Executions | 1,000 | 1M |
| Read/Write Operations (est.) | 75,000 Reads / 7,500 Writes | 75M Reads / 7.5M Writes |
| Estimated Monthly Tx Volume | 15,000–20,000 | 15–20 million |

If we use 50.000 vehicles as an example,\*\* the total monthly transaction volume would be  : 

| Source | Volume Estimate |
| ----------- | -------------------------- |
| Consumers | 300,000 tx/month |
| B2B Clients | 51,000–85,000 tx/month |
| Total | \~350,000–385,000 tx/month |

This means **\~4.2 to 4.6 million tx/year** just from this early growth phase ! 

### **What we will build**

![wagoi-powered-by-polkadot.png](https://i.ibb.co/rfN5XR4G/wagoi-powered-by-polkadot.png)

A full **WAGOI mobile app** in **Flutter**, linked to core web3 components like smart contracts or wallets, providing the following core MVP features:

1. **User Onboarding** – Create a profile&#x20;
2. **Vehicle Data Integration** – Users can link their connected vehicle and view their own car data in the app.
3. **Open-source Codebase** – All code will be published under a permissive license.

The budget for the mobile app development was already communicated in our previous proposal (mobile app development - see [link](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1djEBO7R7iu0JAFGNIYgCkWKw3LOOk6URLnr_-5_TjRQ/edit?tab=t.0)) 

Since smart contracts are not live on Polkadot mainnet yet, we are going to test smart contracts on Moonbeam to handle consent logic & rewards. This approach allows us to thoroughly test and validate all functionalities in a working environment before deploying to Polkadot. So we can ensure everything works as intended. Based on the [latest announcement](https://forum.polkadot.network/t/polkadot-hub-decision-prioritizing-growing-ecosystem-3rd-party-providers-inc-defi-asap-through-evm/14130), they should be live in December. 

### **The Budget**

We made a conscious decision not to exceed **$330,000 USDC** in this proposal,  the same amount that was originally scoped as the **first milestone** in our earlier proposal.

This also means we’re operating on a **tight budget** for this phase to get the core components up and running. Unlike isolated tools, our solution has many integrated parts :

* We need **API connections** with car brands
* A **backend** to securely handle and store the data
* And a **mobile app** to bring the data to life for users

With our new approach we are delivering value upfront and aiming to build enough traction and trust to return to the Treasury later this year -  likely in **November**, when the **EU Data Act** goes into effect.

We hope the community recognizes our commitment.

In reality, Phase 1 requires more than **$330,000**, but since that was the amount allocated for Milestone 1 in our previous proposal, we’ve chosen to stick with it.

This decision involves real risk on our side, but we’re willing to take it to demonstrate our **commitment and confidence** in delivering results. We believe in this product, and we know we can execute.

### **Long-Term vision**

The full WAGOI platform was outlined in our previous proposal. That larger vision  -  which our advisory board still fully supports  -  remains the direction we're heading.

But we understand that bold ideas need to be built step by step, especially when only a few can see the bigger picture from day one. That’s why we talked with so many people and this is a strategic first move:  to let interested users experience the **seamless simplicity of a mobile app** with **integrated Web3 functionality**.

This proposal is low-cost, low-risk, fully open-source, and high-impact.

WAGOI is a regulatory-aligned opportunity to bring millions of real users into the Polkadot ecosystem. It’s how you create Coretime demand, wallet growth, and genuine DePIN traction

It’s the kind of **user-centric, EU-aligned, high-utility initiative** Polkadot should be known for, especially at a time when tangible traction is more valuable than abstract vision.

***

**Huge thanks to everyone who shared feedback and supported us during the creation of this proposal - and to those who voted on the previous WAGOI submission.**

We truly appreciate your trust, and we hope to earn your support once again.
If you have any questions or need more context, we’re always here to chat.

**As always, stay decentralized!**&#x20;

WAGOI - Empowering drivers through data sovereignty.

- PlutoFramework is a tool to make Polkadot mobile apps faster and cheaper  
- It's already used in real apps like realXmarket  
- Helps new developers build Polkadot apps easily  
- Includes many ready-to-use features for apps  
- Team wants to keep improving it for everyone  
- Needs funding for future work and equipment  
- Created by experienced developers  
- Aims to bring more apps to Polkadot mobile users

PlutoFramework Retroactive grant proposal

- Polkadot needs upgrades to handle more transactions and keep parachains running smoothly.  
- The Quadrivium team will work on 5 key improvements for Polkadot-SDK.  
- These include faster data storage, better testing, and ensuring parachains stay online.  
- The team built KAGOME, a Polkadot client already used on the mainnet.  
- Parity and Web3 Foundation will help guide and review the work.  
- Funding requested: $288,000 USDC.  
- Quadrivium paused KAGOME development after a rejected proposal but still wants to help Polkadot.  
- The team specializes in blockchain tech and has deep Polkadot knowledge.

Quadrivium Polkadot-SDK improvements proposal 1

- The Gossamer team is asking for 815,358 USDC to work on Polkadot's core technology.  
- They originally built a Go-based Polkadot client but are now focusing on improving the existing Rust-based system.  
- The team will work closely with Parity (Polkadot's main developers) for six months.  
- Their work will help make Polkadot faster, stronger, and more secure.  
- They have experience and have been funded before by Web3 Foundation and Polkadot Treasury.  
- The team will share updates monthly on GitHub and social media.  
- Contact details for the team leaders are provided.

**Requested amount:** 815 358 USDC

**Beneficiary address:** 149mJjdQjEBMHHbWDjbLJ7X4e95ps6L35DZVaBzn1raR1EVQ

**Short description:** *Gossamer was originally envisioned as a Go-based implementation of the Polkadot Relay Chain Validator, contributing to the decentralization and resilience of the network through client diversity. Our team, deeply committed to the Polkadot ecosystem, built Gossamer as an alternative full node and validator client to help ensure the robustness of the protocol.*
**However**, as the ecosystem's needs have changed, it's become clear that alternative client development is not currently a top priority. In light of this, we’ve made a strategic decision to shift our focus from developing an alternative client to contributing directly to the existing Rust-based SDK implementation. This change aligns with both the direction of the ecosystem and our desire to maximize our impact on Polkadot’s core infrastructure.
Following consultations with Parity, we have defined a set of objectives that our team will focus on over the next six months. These efforts, in close collaboration with Parity, will leverage our experience to contribute to the Polkadot-SDK's most critical areas, helping to strengthen, optimize, and scale the protocol at its foundation. 

**Project Category/Type:** Software development
**Website:** [ChainSafe](https://chainsafe.io/)

# Context of the Proposal
The Gossamer team at ChainSafe is a group of technical experts engaging in protocol-level implementations for the Polkadot ecosystem. The team has formerly received funding from the Web3 Foundation and the Polkadot Treasury and has also been temporarily self-funded through ChainSafe.
This proposal is a request for six months of funding from the Polkadot Treasury for the collaboration of the Gossamer team and Parity to work on the Polkadot protocol's (polkadot-sdk) pressing needs. The ecosystem is rapidly evolving, and a lot of change is to be expected. We are therefore adopting a six-month proposal cycle to maintain agility and responsiveness to best serve the ecosystem.
In this funding period, as detailed in Section 2 (Scope of Current Proposal), we will dedicate resources to the needs of the polkadot-sdk by addressing key technical priorities identified in collaboration with Parity. Our focus will be on areas where our team’s expertise can deliver the greatest impact - enhancing scalability, performance, and protocol robustness. This marks a natural evolution of our role within the ecosystem, transitioning from client diversity through Gossamer to strengthening the core infrastructure that supports the Polkadot network. Our focus will be on areas where our team’s expertise can deliver the greatest impact - protocol development. 
[Read Full proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?usp=sharing)

### Proposal navigation:
1. [Context of the proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.1zo0zjb0dkcb)
    1.1 [About ChainSafe and the Gossamer Team](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.r1h6b13lq78y)
2. [Scope of Work](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.tedpurhasj4m)
    2.1 [Approval-checking rewards](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.x1josl2ojaib)
    2.2 [Parachain runtime upgrades off-chain R&D](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.nqm39yktcxlf)
    2.3 [Optimizing the dependency footprint](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.my8bqjnnp9yw)
    2.4 [WebRTC transport for browser-based LightClients](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.kga70qtz590a)
    2.5 [Speculative Availability](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.15uubdryyvph)
    2.6 [Polkadot network chaos testing and DDoS protection](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.vho01ny786cg)
    2.7 [Smart Contracts Infrastructure Integration (Foundry-Polkadot)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.5vx3cbqx85rw)
3. [Budget](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vuJwHbSQcx001KPLBjLfYsMQZFZCWaI2azETVs2T6II/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.a3ezu9wj57t)

**Contact:**
- Kyrylo Pisariev, Senior Engineering Manager, kirill@chainsafe.io, @p1sar:matrix.org
- Peter Kalambet, Head of Protocol, peter@chainsafe.io, @peter:dod.ngo
- Belma Gutlic, VP of Engineering, belma@chainsafe.io, @morrigan.iv:matrix.org

**Progress and Updates:**
- Monthly progress reports ([GitHub discussions](https://github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer-parity/discussions), [X](https://x.com/ChainSafeth)) 
- GitHub code progress ([Github Project](https://github.com/orgs/ChainSafe/projects/62))
- Presentations at Polkadot events
- Documentation updates

Gossamer's Contributions to Polkadot-SDK [Q3/Q4 2025]

- PolkaBiz helps Web3 startups grow on Polkadot.  
- They picked 15 teams from 30+ applications for a special grant program.  
- They held a fun pitch contest for these teams.  
- Made a new website called Founders Portal for builders to connect.  
- Over 30 people signed up on the portal.  
- They helped teams even after the program ended.  
- Asking for $62,000 for their work from May to July 2025.

# Introduction

The first PolkaBiz retroactive proposal for January-April 2025 (ref [1544](https://polkadot.subsquare.io/referenda/1544)) was already approved by the community. 

The current, second,  retroactive proposal is for the months of May to July. 

PolkaBiz fills a critical gap in the Polkadot ecosystem by scouting, curating, and accelerating early-stage Web3 startups. Where other ecosystems often throw money at the problem, PolkaBiz brings structure, quality, and hands-on mentorship to unlock real potential.

At the end of this quarter, PolkaBiz reviewed over 30 startup applications for the founders' grant for the Web3Foundation, selected 15 promising teams for intensive support, and concluded the program with a high-energy pitch contest judged by industry experts.

Beyond mentorship, PolkaBiz also introduced post-program follow-ups and successfully launched the [Founders Portal](https://app.polkabiz.eu/signup?to=450)  -  a dedicated space for builders to connect, collaborate, and grow together.

To date, over 30 individuals have signed up and created accounts, with several already showcasing their startups on the platform. The goal is simple: create a dynamic hub where founders building on Polkadot can discover synergies and share progress.

<img height="335" width="602" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXffdd6AumYZ4tIA0TO7CQc4MKddeHdXTw0HjFfBOCxrzo6YPTPtD8QJGw2kPy4E35JCMuX3FNbq0ul34wNxsZSgf9fCjDXXQJ6g6Cnups43gf6-ef9tQpi8mnairHH3hbJG9MJbSQ?key=vjcfykHWMOfkrUpGiwqYcw" />

<img height="325" width="602" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXclbLHHK1I2DfRNyCMtameyFLZYowx_RopJ2W1KE_HG19qF1Sqy6hkAgqaSXN9_phr9DNeQkQadhNpZlnKqcb2k1i4w59T8Y3e9W4GnoMvhf2dVfgxNEuqVrjagt-yIs1IEjJnrLQ?key=vjcfykHWMOfkrUpGiwqYcw" />

PolkaBiz plays an essential role in strengthening the Polkadot ecosystem by mentoring founders, guiding startups, and supporting flagship initiatives such as PBA, PBA-X, Web3 Foundation's Founders Grant Program etc.

The results speak for themselves: we consistently receive strong feedback from both partners and the startups we work with. Our team is deeply passionate about driving ecosystem growth and remains committed to this mission.

This proposal seeks retroactive compensation for the significant efforts and outcomes delivered during this period,  recognizing both the operational execution and the direct impact made.

## Work Completed (May–July 2025)

1. **Web3 Foundation Founders Program**
 * Reviewed over **30+ applications** for the invite-only Founders Grant
 * Selected and mentored **15** promising teams
 * Organized a professional **pitch event** with community judges. See snippets of all the pitches here: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL\_8FVl5sQhnffeXoiG7He6KjkCykiQQhK](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_8FVl5sQhnffeXoiG7He6KjkCykiQQhK)&#x20;
2. **Portal Development - now live!**&#x20;
 * Launched the[ **PolkaBiz Founders Portal**](https://app.polkabiz.eu/signup?to=450), an open-access hub where founders connect, learn, and showcase their projects
 * Between May and July, we developed and fine-tuned this. It required significantly more work than anticipated.&#x20;
 * Over **30 registered builders**, with multiple startups already listed
3. **Continued 1:1 Mentorship**
 * Provided **post-program support** to selected teams
 * Helped startups iterate, refine, and prepare for grants and accelerators

All of this, including the administrative efforts to manage startup cohorts and program logistics,  was delivered **without upfront funding**, to prove our impact and create a **long-term value funnel for Polkadot**.

## Requested Budget

In the [original proposal](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/1504), we outlined a retroactive compensation model of **$62,000 per quarter**. Based on that structure, this request covers the months of May, June, and July 2025, totaling $62,000 for the work delivered during that period. 

**Here is the full document:** [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D0FfnsJpQwx\_Evap4vwjOI2cQhwzBR7PB57PTFDLijE/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D0FfnsJpQwx_Evap4vwjOI2cQhwzBR7PB57PTFDLijE/edit?usp=sharing)&#x20;

PolkaBiz Retroactive Treasury Request May - July 2025.

Update Aug 5th: We have created a new proposal that addresses much of the feedback for this proposal here: [https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/post/3313](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/post/3313)

Please check out our new proposal

Replaced by: https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/1695

- SubWallet is a popular wallet for Polkadot and Kusama, working on browsers, phones, and web.  
- It has over 1 million active users and supports 150+ networks.  
- Key features include staking, swapping tokens, and managing multiple accounts easily.  
- The team improved usability with one-click swaps and easier fiat-to-crypto conversions.  
- They completed many updates, like unified accounts and better notifications.  
- Future plans include multisig wallets and support for new Polkadot upgrades.  
- The team is asking for funding for past work from August 2024 to March 2025.  
- SubWallet is active in the community with AMAs and partnerships.

[Retroactive] SubWallet Development from August 2024 to March 2025

- Clarys.AI helps people in Polkadot OpenGov save time and make better decisions.  
- It quickly shows important details about proposals so you don’t have to search manually.  
- It can save over 80% of the time spent on research.  
- The AI is trained only on Polkadot data for accurate, trusted answers.  
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- Clarys.AI checks proposals for trustworthiness and finds similar ones.  
- It helps voters, curators, and DAOs make smart choices faster.  
- The first version was approved by the Web3 Foundation.

## **Why do we need Clarys.AI?**

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If you're a bounty curator, DV or active OpenGov participant and this sounds familiar, Clarys.AI is built for you.

We aim to reduce governance fatigue, save you time and help you make informed, confident decisions with less effort.

Full Proposal here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s2\_7hop5-3FbCNBOHOfYzzn7ZbRKrXfh/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s2_7hop5-3FbCNBOHOfYzzn7ZbRKrXfh/view?usp=sharing "Full Proposal here")

Short deck: [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1W\_sX\_sFMIrLkN4Zruhp4IPl2Rkd-6NZW/edit?usp=sharing\&ouid=118149997340957465621\&rtpof=true\&sd=true](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1W_sX_sFMIrLkN4Zruhp4IPl2Rkd-6NZW/edit?usp=sharing\&ouid=118149997340957465621\&rtpof=true\&sd=true)

## Key Benefits of using Clarys.AI in Polkadot OpenGov:

* **Instant Access to Critical Proposal Data:** Discover and understand on-chain proposals and off-chain bounty submissions in minutes, no more manual digging or fragmented sources.
* **Achieve Over 80% Time Savings:** Streamline your governance research workflow and reclaim hours, focus on strategy, not information gathering.
* **Trusted Intelligence, Purpose-Built for Polkadot:** Make decisions based on a reliable AI trained exclusively on Polkadot-specific data, your single source of truth for OpenGov.
* **Structured, Actionable Governance Insights:** Receive OpenGov data pre-categorized and organized for clarity, speed and confident decision-making.

## What is Clarys.AI?

[https://clarys.ai/](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/post/Clarys.AI "https://clarys.ai/")[ ](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/post/Clarys.AI "https://clarys.ai/")is an AI assistant that supports governance stakeholders by enhancing **decentralized decision-making** within OpenGov, Polkadot’s pioneering decentralized governance platform. 

In summary, [Clarys.AI:](Clarys.AI:)

* Enhances decentralized decision-making by analyzing both on-chain and off-chain data.
* Where off-chain data is being sourced from Bounty submission processes, discussion posts, AAG discussions and more.
* Clarys.AI aims to improve the quality, transparency and accountability of Polkadot’s governance processes.
* It helps OpenGov **stakeholders** (DOT holders, bounty curators, DVs, DAOs) answer key questions such as:
 * Is a proposal accountable and trustworthy?
 * Are there similar proposals to this one?
 * What proposals exist in a specific category?
 * Are there connections between proposals, e.g., via wallet addresses?

Clarys.AI is built to revolutionize the **governance decision-making process by significantly reducing the time and complexity** involved in **sourcing, structuring and analyzing critical data**, enabling stakeholders to make informed, strategic and **high-impact voting decisions** with unprecedented efficiency.

The first version of Clarys.AI **was successful delivered and approved as an MVP by the Web3 Foundation’s Decentralized Futures program**, you can read the[ intro article here.](https://t.co/BhxNc2pure) 


Full Proposal here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s2\_7hop5-3FbCNBOHOfYzzn7ZbRKrXfh/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s2_7hop5-3FbCNBOHOfYzzn7ZbRKrXfh/view?usp=sharing "Full Proposal here")

Short deck: [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1W\_sX\_sFMIrLkN4Zruhp4IPl2Rkd-6NZW/edit?usp=sharing\&ouid=118149997340957465621\&rtpof=true\&sd=true](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1W_sX_sFMIrLkN4Zruhp4IPl2Rkd-6NZW/edit?usp=sharing\&ouid=118149997340957465621\&rtpof=true\&sd=true)

CLARYS.AI Beta Product Development

- **Who:** Subsquid Lab  
- **What:** Helps Polkadot and Kusama with data storage  
- **Why:** Supports important apps and tools  
- **Growth:** More data and workers in Q4 2024  
- **Improvements:** Better indexing and new features  
- **Cost:** $308,704 USDC for services and work  
- **Data Served:** Over 11 TB for Polkadot chains  
- **Workers:** 1,600 nodes storing 900 TB

Summary

**Proponent:** [Subsquid Lab Official](https://polkadot.subscan.io/account/13bfKSQXoBn3AMLtZaW6BKv797fqZzsD3PYF6xpJDir3tdoE) - 13bfKSQXoBn3AMLtZaW6BKv797fqZzsD3PYF6xpJDir3tdoE

**Beneficiary:** [Subsquid Lab Official](https://polkadot.subscan.io/account/13bfKSQXoBn3AMLtZaW6BKv797fqZzsD3PYF6xpJDir3tdoE) - 13bfKSQXoBn3AMLtZaW6BKv797fqZzsD3PYF6xpJDir3tdoE

**Contact Details:** 

Subsquid Labs GmbH

6300 Zug, Switzerland

[mf@subsquid.io](mailto\:mf@subsquid.io) 

**Short description:** Ongoing development and maintenance costs for public SQD Archives, providing critical data infrastructure for Polkadot and Kusuma and other public Substrate-based chains in Q4 2024.  

**Archive raw data:** [Archive Infrastructure metrics](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Rj_-4KqM2BZ7pHptIBryLZqcOmiQqi7PdFjBLcN25w4/edit?usp=sharing) - October, November, December

**Requested amount:**  **$308,704 USDC**

**Previous proposals:** [https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/1526](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/1526)


Motivation
==========

**A) Archives** 

SQD Archives are a vital component of the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystem’s data infrastructure, offering scalable access to historical on-chain data for public Substrate-based chains. These archives serve as performant data pipelines for major dApps, APIs, and developer tools, supporting critical ecosystem projects such as:

* Tanssi Network
* Talisman Wallet
* Polimec
* Polkassembly
* Apillon
* Hydration
* Giant Squid API (maintained by LimeChain, see details below)
* SubWallet 
* FiDi
* KodaDot
* RMRK
* ChainSafe (in particular the Multix multi-sig, as well as other projects)
* Phala Network
* Stellaswap
* Polkascan 



By providing free indexing services for the following public chains, SQD lowers barriers for developers and projects building on Substrate, fostering innovation and adoption:



* polkadot
* kusama
* asset-hub-kusama
* asset-hub-polkadot
* bridge-hub-polkadot
* collectives-polkadot
* Westend

Despite transitioning to a fee-based model for private data services to ensure sustainability, SQD remains committed to covering infrastructure costs for public archives, ensuring open access to indexed Substrate Events, Extrinsics, Storage Items, and EVM logs. This commitment aligns with Polkadot’s vision of a decentralized, accessible ecosystem.



**B) Contribution**

During Q4’2024, we made significant contributions to the Polkadot ecosystem: 

* Infrastructure Scaling: Expanding archive capacity to meet growing data demand. 
* Squid SDK Enhancements: Introducing advanced indexing features, including support for new Substrate pallets and improved error-handling mechanisms. 
* Decentralized Network Growth: Increasing SQD Worker Node participation to enhance network resilience. 



# Achievements

**Growth in Archival Data Demand, Network Expansion and Further Decentralization**

In Q4 2024, demand for archival data grew steadily, rising from 11.35 TiB to 11.68 TiB. At the same time, the number of active Worker Nodes in the SQD network increased from 1,139 in October to 1,600 by the end of December—a 40.47% increase. This expansion strengthens the SQD network’s infrastructure, contributing to greater decentralization and resilience across the Polkadot ecosystem.


By the end of 2024, the SQD network had scaled to approximately 1,600 active Worker Nodes, securely storing around 900 TB of data and serving roughly 11 TB daily. This robust, decentralized infrastructure significantly enhances data processing and storage capabilities, delivering improved security, fault tolerance, and scalability for the Polkadot network.



**Squid SDK improvements empowering Polkadot Developers:**

* **Additional unique support for Revive pallet:** Enabling the tracking of contracts deployed to the PolkaVM. 
* **Indexing efficiency upgrades:** Implementation of a novel mechanism to skip and log problematic blocks-those containing invalid or non-decodable data on Substrate based chains, ensuring uninterrupted indexing and improved resilience of the data pipeline. 


# Statistics and data

# <img height="300" width="506" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXda1vvLuOKXie21IM_SFp3-hpyGOgBOpFgnvro0LUpZ_h8cP2mebYkvRF09fLj0nygGv-LKRBQkfQqn_nG8aap9Xtb3HrM3vL15id14SlJ30MGY6S-W_YrkFSvrzO_jEIkMQYjrJg?key=OtINmgDGvVWqK5axEzaXJs4e" />

Over the course of Q4 2024:

* Served a total of **11,668,177,888,249**  (\~10.06 TiB) of data from substrate based chains.
* Served **2,336,249**  archive requests from substrate based archives.
* The highest daily total data transfer recorded for Substrate was **382.57 GiB** within a single 24-hour period (2024-10-05).



## Cost Breakdown

This proposal encompasses the combined costs for running Archives for Polkadot, Kusama, and other public chains, along with the development contributions, amounting to a total of **$308,704 USDC**   [Raw data can be seen here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Rj_-4KqM2BZ7pHptIBryLZqcOmiQqi7PdFjBLcN25w4/edit?gid=466566330#gid=466566330)



The proposal is submitted towards the Polkadot treasury. Here is a summary of the running costs for Archives, in a tabular format:

| Service | Cost | VAT 8.1% | Subtotal |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------- | ----------- | ----------- |
| Compute Engine (GCE) | $92,630.90 | $100,134.00 | $100,134.00 |
| OVHCloud | $28,419.03 | $30,720.97 | $30,720.97 |
| Networking | $2,963.02 | $3,203.02 | $3,203.02 |
| Kubernetes Engine (GKE) | $436.23 | $471.56 | $471.56 |
| Cloud Storage (GCS) | $63.21 | $68.33 | $68.33 |
| Cloud SQL | $396.38 | $428.49 | $428.49 |
| Cloud DNS | $18.01 | $19.47 | $19.47 |
| Cloud Logging | $13,506.84 | $14,600.89 | $14,600.89 |
| Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) | $2.99 | $3.23 | $3.23 |
| Artifact Registry | $336.01 | $363.23 | $363.23 |
| | | | |
| Engineers & Maintenance\* | $144,000.00 | $155,664.00 | $155,664.00 |
| Total | | | $305,677.20 |

Contribution costs:

| Service | Cost / h | Quantity | VAT 8.1% | Subtotal |
| ---------------------------- | -------- | -------- | --------- | --------- |
| Revive pallet support | $100.00 | 16.00 | $1,729.60 | $1,729.60 |
| Indexing efficiency upgrades | $100.00 | 6.00 | $648.60 | $648.60 |
| Product management | $100.00 | 3.00 | $324.30 | $324.30 |
| Project management | $100.00 | 3.00 | $324.30 | $324.30 |
| Total | | | | $3,026.80 |

SQD (fka Subsquid) - Public Data Indexing Infrastructure for Polkadot and Kusama (Q4 2024)

- A person participated in 348 Polkadot OpenGov proposals.  
- They voted 120 times in favor (AYE), 138 times against (NAY), and 88 times abstained.  
- They left 107 comments on proposals.  
- Their goal is to help Polkadot stay fair and decentralized.  
- They are asking for 1 DOT for each participation, totaling 348 DOT.  
- They believe Polkadot needs more transparency and better communication.  
- They want more voices to be heard without fear.  
- They shared a detailed list of all their votes and comments.

Rejected

big_tipper

Retroactive - 8 months of participation

Executed

- **50,000 DOT loan** helped start the Spacewalk bridge for Stellar ↔ Polkadot transfers.  
- **Vortex** (a fiat off-ramp) now lets users swap Stellar stablecoins into **EUR, ARS, BRL** and has processed **$1.5M+**.  
- A **BRL corridor** was added using **BRLA.digital** to cut costs.  
- More **collateral-free paths** are being worked on.  
- **Proposal:** Extend the loan by **6 months (to Jan 2026)** to avoid disrupting transfers.  
- The **DOT stays staked** and will be returned once new routes are ready.  
- **Vote Aye** to keep the bridge running smoothly while new paths are set up.

**Context**

* In [Referendum #748](https://polkadot.polkassembly.io/referenda/748) the Treasury loaned **50 000 DOT** to Pendulum so the Spacewalk bridge could post 200 % collateral for Stellar ↔ Polkadot transfers.


* Since then the bridge has gone live and SatoshiPay released **Vortex**, a fiat off-ramp that lets users swap Stellar-based stablecoins into **EUR, ARS** and **BRL** (via Moonbeam for EVM chains). Vortex has now cleared **more than US $1.5 million** in transactions across Europe and Brazil.


* To cut collateral costs and improve efficiency, an **alternative BRL corridor** has already been enabled by routing transfers through the Polkadot-native **BRLA.digital** stablecoin on Moonbeam.&#x20;


* **Work under way** on further collateral-free paths across networks



**Ask**

We propose a **symbolic Treasury motion with a 1 DOT transfer to the Treasury** that signals an extension of the existing 50 000 DOT loan by **six months (to 31 Jan 2026)**. Repaying now and re-requesting later would force a temporary scale-down of bridge capacity and interrupt EUR/ARS fiat ramps.

* The DOT stays in the same multisig and remains **staked** as vDOT during the extension.


* We want to extend the loan duration by six months so that we can keep the current paths via Spacewalk operational, while we are establishing other collateral-free routes for Vortex. Principal will be returned once collateral-free routes fully replace the original Stellar vaults.



Please **vote Aye** if you support keeping the loan active so the bridge and Vortex off-ramp can continue to operate without disruption while alternative routes are finalised.

Extend 50 000 DOT Collateral Loan for Spacewalk Bridge (Ref #748) – 6-Month Roll-Over

root

staking_admin

treasurer

lease_admin

fellowship_admin

general_admin

auction_admin

referendum_canceller

referendum_killer

OpenGov Referenda

Origin able to dispatch a whitelisted call.

Origin for signaling that the network wishes for some change

Origin able to cancel slashes and manage minimum commission.

Origin for spending up to 10,000,000 DOT from the treasury as well as generally administering it.

Origin for managing the composition of the fellowship.

Origin able to spend around 250 DOT from the treasury at once.

Origin able to spend around 1,000 DOT from the treasury at once.

Origin able to spend around 10,000 DOT from the treasury at once.

Origin able to spend around 100,000 DOT from the treasury at once.

Origin able to spend up to 1,000,000 DOT from the treasury at once.

OpenGov Referenda

Referenda Tracks