Downtown Moonbeam: Ecosystem Grant Draft Proposal

DaBricksz · July 4, 2023, 2:08am

Author - Downtown Moonbeam Team (Nick, Josh, Jagend, YM)
TLDR -
Our primary objective is to elevate Moonbeam’s prominence within the Polkadot ecosystem, positioning it as a central hub for applications and a vital connector to other EVM-compatible ecosystems. This aligns with Moonbeam’s strategic focus on multi-chain interoperability. DowntownMoonbeam (DTMB) has been instrumental in this journey, fostering a network of blockchain builders, founders, and investors, and sparking innovation within the Moonbeam ecosystem.
Looking ahead, we envision Moonbeam as a leading parachain in the Polkadot ecosystem, driving innovative application development, facilitating seamless interoperability, and fostering a vibrant community. DTMB is committed to helping Moonbeam realize this vision by curating compelling narratives, organizing engaging events, and facilitating meaningful community connections.
Our goal is to create a thriving ecosystem where collaboration, innovation, and growth are the norm. By doing so, we aim to amplify Moonbeam’s visibility, attract new participants, and solidify its position as a leading force within the Polkadot ecosystem.
Requested GLMR Grant Amount - [$170,000 in USDC]
Use of Grant -
The grant will primarily be allocated towards sustaining and enhancing DTMB’s operations. This includes maintaining our website as the most comprehensive hub for ecosystem project information, developing new features to foster community interaction and loyalty, marketing campaigns, and creating educational content such as our monthly newsletter.
We also plan to continue hosting regular ecosystem dialogues on Twitter Spaces and offline events, such as the Decoded viewing party, to facilitate community engagement and knowledge sharing. These initiatives will not only strengthen the Moonbeam community but also drive progress in the broader crypto landscape.
A portion of the grant will be used to implement SoulBound NFT Contracts Integration on the DTMB platform. The integration of SoulBound NFTs is expected to enhance community loyalty and engagement, incentivizing users to actively participate in the Moonbeam ecosystem.
Motivation for Grant Amount - Moonbeam community should support this Ecosystem Grant to amplify the growth and activity within the ecosystem, leveraging our team’s expertise and established community connections.
Updates - This section will be updated with any revisions made to the initial Draft Proposal.
Project Overview and Relevant KPIs - Since June 2022, we have curated 330 projects, grown our Twitter to 6.8k followers with 1.6 million organic impressions. Our recent marketing campaign, #MoonbeamIgnite, generated 8.1k retweets and 3.4k likes, and our Moonbeam Penthaus community now counts 285 builders and founders building on Moonbeam.
We showcased 17 “Projects of the Week” and held 19 AMA sessions, solidifying a strong presence and sharing alpha for both emerging and and established projects.
Partnerships and Collaborations: DAM FInance, TeddyDao, Moonfit, Stellaswap, Moonwell, Moonbeam Foundation, Prime Protocol, Omni X, The Quest of Evolution, Bit Hotel, Squid, Axelar, Subwallet, Privadex, BrainDex, Bifrost, Athos, Beamswap, ZooDAO, Exiled Racers, Lido, Zircon, Rango, GLMR Jungle, Enkrypt, Moonsama, Polka Haus, DIA, Noir, Darwinia, Orbiter One etc.
Team Experience -
• Nick — Team Lead: Founding force behind PolkaHaus, an expert in governance and ecosystem topics.
• Josh — Business Development: 7 years of experience in crypto business development, adept in navigating funding opportunities and partnerships.
• Jagend — Community Manager: Creative genius behind thriving crypto meme communities.
• YM — Product & Operations: 7 years of experience in product & operations in Silicone Valley startups.
• Babuya — Full Stack Developer: 15 years of experience in bringing products to fruition. Babuya is also the developer behind the once largest blockchain news platform in China.

Vision Of Success - Our vision of success is to serve as the primary catalyst for vibrant community growth, active project engagement, and fruitful collaboration within the Moonbeam ecosystem. Over the next year, we aspire to achieve remarkable milestones, including the Integration of SoulBound NFT Contracts into the DTMB Platform, a profound impact through our SoulBound NFT-based marketing campaigns, and convincing storytelling to establish Moonbeam as the most exciting hub on Polkadot.
Rationale - Downtown Moonbeam’s work would substantially bolster the Moonbeam Ecosystem. We aim to advance its primary goal of maintaining and growing Activity by facilitating collaborations, driving progress in the crypto landscape, bolstering Moonbeam’s success through curated content and community engagement, and implementing the SoulBound NFT Contracts Integration to incentivize user engagement and upscale future marketing campaigns.
Milestones for Use of Grant -
Milestone #1: Integration of SoulBound NFT Contracts into the DTMB Platform [$80,000 USD]
Objective: Implement direct minting using web3 tools such as ethers.js or integrate with the GALXE API.
Purpose: The primary purpose of this project is to integrate SoulBound NFT contracts into the DTMB platform. By enabling users to mint NFTs based on the projects they vote for, we aim to encourage interaction with Moonbeam projects and foster a sense of community and ownership. Additionally, the unique and innovative use of NFTs as a reward system can serve as a powerful draw to attract users from outside the Moonbeam ecosystem, expanding our user base and enhancing the visibility and influence of Moonbeam.
Milestone #2: Amplifying Partnerships and Collaborations in the Moonbeam Ecosystem [$50,000 USD]
Objective: Strengthen partnerships and collaborations with key players in the Moonbeam ecosystem.
Purpose: Following the successful integration and adoption of the SoulBound NFT Contracts, our next objective is to amplify these partnerships and collaborations within the Moonbeam ecosystem. This involves the development and maintenance of partnerships, including outreach, collaboration projects, and potential co-marketing initiatives; the creation and execution of marketing campaigns, as well as organizing offline events to foster community engagement and promote Moonbeam ecosystem.

Milestone #3: Establishing Moonbeam as a Leading Project within the Polkadot Ecosystem [$40,000 USD]
Objective: Position Moonbeam as a leading project within the Polkadot ecosystem and expand its reach beyond Polkadot.
Purpose: DTMB aims to support Moonbeam in becoming a prominent project within the Polkadot community, enhancing its attractiveness as a parachain and fostering a vibrant and engaged developer and retail community. Moreover, we envision this initiative as a stepping stone for Moonbeam to extend its reach beyond the Polkadot ecosystem and into the broader crypto landscape. Our goal is to facilitate the onboarding of new users, thereby expanding Moonbeam’s user base and influence. In essence, this grant proposal is about creating a symbiotic relationship where both DTMB and Moonbeam can grow and thrive together, contributing to the overall health and dynamism of the Polkadot ecosystem.

jose.crypto · July 4, 2023, 2:13am

hey sir @DaBricksz , this post is really only necessary for ecosystem Grants (those over $250k)

so the correct way to continue with this is by applying a grant via form since you are requesting 170k $

You can read more about the process here:

so I recommend closing this post since it is not valid for the ecosystem grant

turrizt · July 4, 2023, 6:18am

hey Nick, as Jose correctly pointed out, Ecosystem Grants typically exceed $250k. In your case, you are not eligible for an Ecosystem Grant, and you should consider applying for Community Committee Grants instead. Community Committee grants cover amounts up to $250k and are approved by the Community Grants Committee.

furthermore, it appears that your proposal was submitted after the deadline. the deadline was set for 23:59 UTC, but your proposal was submitted at 00:09 UTC.

The screenshot displays the time in EEST. therefore, if we convert 3:09 AM EEST to UTC, the corresponding time would be 00:09 UTC.

now I would like to make my comments about DTMB:

UI: It would be beneficial to ensure that the projects are not distributed in a single column. Instead, organizing them in several adjacent columns could make searching easier.

take the following ecosystem site as an excellent example of how it’s done: Starknet Ecosystem | Discover the future of Ethereum scalability..

furthermore, it seems that some projects in the ecosystem are not being updated, as some no longer support Moonbeam / Moonriver. additionally, the arrangement of projects appears somewhat chaotic. In my opinion, projects with the highest liquidity and activity should be placed upfront to enhance users’ experience when interacting with the ecosystem.

I believe that Moonbeam Ignite has been somewhat of a failure. from personal experience, I assisted participants by answering questions in your channel, where deadlines were frequently changed, and proper support was lacking. moreover, the decision to raffle 100 discount coupons for 8k people resulted in many recipients being unable to utilize them due to excessively high shipping costs. furthermore, the absence of moderation in the channels has enabled users to freely post inappropriate comments and engage in undesirable behavior. these comments include discussions about the number of sybil accounts they possess and the airdrops they can receive in other ecosystems, among other topics. unfortunately, there has been no intervention or moderation to address these issues. consequently, I have observed significant dissatisfaction among users towards Moonbeam following the organization of this event.
From my point of view, it seems that your work as an ecosystem project is carried out solely for show. I have not observed any significant activity or support on your part.

In conclusion, I would be very happy to discover that my initial assessment was incorrect, and to witness a vivid demonstration of activity and updates on your part. understanding the key role that projects like DTMB play in showcasing the diverse aspects of the Moonbeam ecosystem, I believe their active participation and interaction are crucial to its overall success. I look forward to witnessing the positive effect of such an interaction, as it can beautifully highlight the multitude of remarkable projects within the Moonbeam ecosystem

ym4943 · July 4, 2023, 11:30pm

Thank you, Turrizt, for your thoughtful and detailed feedback on our proposal. We genuinely appreciate your constructive criticism and the time you’ve taken to share it.

In retrospect, we acknowledge that the Moonbeam Ignite campaign had its shortcomings, particularly in the areas of real-time updates and NFT redemption. The delay in the Galxe system’s wallet detection for NFT claims was a significant issue, and we take full responsibility for this oversight. We extended the deadline to alleviate stress for participants, but we understand that we must improve our processes for more prompt and effective support in future campaigns.

We also note your comments on the TFA-provided vouchers. These were intended as an additional gift, and we understand that some participants may have preferred different reward options. We will take this feedback into account for future campaigns.

Your suggestions for improving the layout of our ecosystem site are well received. We agree that organizing projects in adjacent columns could enhance navigation, and we acknowledge the importance of keeping project information up-to-date and prioritizing projects based on liquidity and activity. For future product suggestions and ideas, we welcome you to share them in our discord.

We understand your concerns about the moderation of our channels and the behavior of some users. As a community, Downtown Moonbeam aims to strike a balance between fostering open discussion and preventing inappropriate behavior. We do not impose strict moderation rules beyond prohibiting porn, scams, fraud, and racist comments. However, we understand that opinions on moderation rules can vary, and we’re open to feedback on this matter.

Lastly, we want to assure you and the entire community that our work is not just for show. We are deeply committed to supporting the Moonbeam ecosystem and fostering a vibrant community of developers, builders, and investors. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we will use it to improve our services and better serve the ecosystem. Given your passion and insights, we would like to explore more collaboration opportunities between you and DTMB. We believe that your active participation and guidance could greatly benefit our efforts and further enhance the Moonbeam ecosystem.

Thank you for your active participation, and we look forward to more discussions with you.

turrizt · July 5, 2023, 8:03am

hey Ym, Thank You for your thorough and detailed response, I truly appreciate it!

I want to clarify that my intention is not to attack DTMB in any way. Instead, I’m trying to offer constructive feedback based on what I observe. as someone who has invested a lot of time in Moonbeam, I spend about 500 hours a month interacting with the community and the ecosystem. I’m fully committed to the project and genuinely care about the development of our entire ecosystem. It’s essential to me that everyone receives the support they need. moreover, I believe it’s crucial for us to engage with other ecosystems, such as Ethereum L2s / Near / Solana / etc. and establish partnerships and mutual cooperation with them. building strong relationships across different ecosystems is vital for our success, as we can all work together for the greater good.

Expanding beyond the target audience of DotSama ecosystem is something we should consider. therefore, organizing various events and challenges becomes incredibly important. ensuring these initiatives are well-organized, with thoughtful rewards and clear use cases, will make a significant impact. failing in these aspects could harm our reputation, leading to a loss of credibility, and discouraging people from participating in our events.

Sure, feel free to reach out to me. while I may not be an expert in marketing and related areas, I actively gather feedback from the community and have numerous contacts within it. my doors are always open!

In conclusion, I’m incredibly glad that you have taken these points into account and are striving to do better. DTMB stands out as one of the few extensively covering the ecosystem, making your development, various campaigns, and marketing strategies crucial in attracting new users and driving the growth of Moonbeam ecosystem!

ym4943 · July 5, 2023, 5:56pm

Amazing feedback. We totally agree – doing basic marketing stuff is not sufficient anymore; we need to branch out to get folks from other ecosystems, through new campaigns and more exciting narratives! Nick will reach out soon to schedule a chat. Looking forward to connecting!

0x_thiago · July 9, 2023, 7:45pm

Hello team,

Thank you for applying for a grant and your continuous efforts onto our ecosystem.

As previous mentioned by @jose.crypto and @turrizt, your proposal does not comply with Grants Tranche 2 requirements:

this proposal was submitted after the deadline
The amount requested is under the minimum threshold of $250,000.

Please refer to this post and its comment section for further details.

A quick reminder that all teams that seek under $250k grants, they can apply through the community committee grants.

This proposal is now closed.