Voting Rationale Thread - RAF1

This forum post serves as a space for delegates to share their perspectives when allocating votes on RAF1.

Participation in this thread is entirely optional. Delegates may choose whether or not to disclose their rationale for their voting decisions.

3 Likes

GM Obol community!

I would like to share my vote details and the rationale behind them.

Software integrations of Obol DVs

Obol DVT Integration into Stereum Open Source Node Operation Software - 100000 votes
Dappnode - 100000 votes

Stereum and Dappnode did a great job integrating Obol DVs into their open-source validator management tools. I believe such tools are essential for the Obol DVs adoption and have made a significant impact.

Ethereum on ARM - 50000 votes

Ethereum on ARM also did a massive job integrating Obol DVs. However, their integration is in the alpha stage now and can not be considered fully delivered. Hence, the lower vote allocation compared to the top members of the category.

Splits - 50000 votes

0xSplits serves as an essential part of the Obol Contributions program. However, the project already got significant funding from other sources. Hence, the lower vote allocation compared to the top members of the category.

Squad Finder - 10000 votes

I really like the idea of the Squad Finder TG bot. However, I have faced some errors while testing it, and the user base is still relatively low. Hence, the lowest allocation in the category.

Telegram alerts bot for at-home DVT Operators - 10000 votes

I find this tool useful but optional. Hence, the lowest allocation in the category.

Community building and engagement

SEEDNodes - 60000 votes

From ny experience and given the data I have regarding the number of the net new Obol DV runners in this community I find this applicant the most relevant in the category.

Rancho Stake - 30000 votes
Bronze Techne Credentials Speedrun - 30000 votes
Chainnodes’ management of Operation Solo Staker - 30000 votes
cp0x - 30000 votes

These applicants also did a great job engaging and educating new participants in the Obol community. However, I have no exact verifiable information about the numbers of net new community members and Obol DV runners affected by them.

Projects that I have not voted for

The other projects in the round have not received votes from me as a delegate due to several reasons:

  • I’m not an expert or have no information about their impact
  • The projects are not directly relevant to the Obol ecosystem
  • I have some form of affiliation with the applicants

Speaking of the projects I would have voted for but had to not because of affiliation:

eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration
Guide to Setting Up a Distributed Lido CSM Validator Cluster with Obol Network

I find these projects really impactful. However, the applicants vgorkovenko and ipetkov are my co-contributors to Lido DAO. I highly encourage other delegates to consider these projects but I can not vote for them from my side.

7 Likes

Hey everyone!

Sharing our rationale + votes:

Dappnode (2000)

Same as @dgusakov. Dappnode has played, and continues to play a crucial role in decentralization and DV growth by enabling individuals and communities to operate nodes more easily, abstracting much of the complexities.

eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration (5706)

The eth-docker team has been consistently dedicated to improving the security of Ethereum’s staking ecosystem. Their expertise in validator infrastructure continues to highly valuable for Obol and for the community.

Bronze Techne Credentials Speedrun (3000)

Led by Stakesaurus, their work and guidance align with Obol’s goals, and we hope to see more initiatives like this. The community is also collaborative and highly transparent.

Rancho Stake (3000)

Committed to promoting Ethereum node culture and exploring different approaches to self-sustaining communities in Latin America. They have helped onboard new participants, strengthening the region’s validator ecosystem, especially in Mexico. Props to them!

ETHVeracruz (2000)

ETHVeracruz has been pushing for Ethereum and DV adoption, primarily through academic initiatives. We look forward to seeing more from them and having them involved in the future.

4 Likes

Hi Obol :frog:,

Here’s how the frog has distributed his votes:

SEEDNodos – 12,500
SEED has been incredibly impactful across LatAm, touching on community, governance, and now nodes. Just a peek at their Telegram will show you the amazing work and engagement they generate.

Dappnode – 12,500
Dappnode offers the most user-friendly interface for running nodes. Their software has significantly simplified my node-running experience and has been a tremendous help in on-boarding non-technical folks.

ETHVeracruz – 11,000
CJValdez and ETHVeracruz have done stellar work evangelizing blockchain technology to students at Universidad Veracruzana and assisting them in running nodes. I’ve personally seen CJValdez bring numerous students to global crypto events, making a real difference.

Ethereum on ARM – 4,000
Ethereum on ARM has made setting up Ethereum L1 and L2 nodes on ARM64 devices much less daunting. I’m also a big fan of their active presence on X.

cp0x – 4,257
A fantastic community known for contributing significantly to user education across various channels.

Protocol Guild – 4,257
They’ve been instrumental in funding core Ethereum contributors, playing a crucial role in consensus projects and enhancing data availability.

Rancho Stake – Abstain
While I’m passionate about the work we’re doing at Rancho Stake, I must abstain from voting due to my co-founder status to avoid any conflict of interest.

5 Likes

Hey all, I just finished voting. And I want to share my rationale + some extra thoughts about the round.

I will not share my exact vote allocation because I do not believe it is relevant to my reasoning. I must also admit that I believe I could have done a better job, but other pressing responsibilities have prevented me from devoting as much time as I feel is necessary to thoroughly evaluate all the projects.

My voting rationale

First, the projects on my ballot (in order of votes allocated)

  1. Nimbus
  2. Erigon
  3. Protocol Guild
  4. Dappnode
  5. eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration
  6. Obol DVT integration into Stereum
  7. GotEth
  8. Solo Staker List
  9. Ethereum on ARM
  10. College DAO
  11. Bronze Techne Credentials Speedrun
  12. ETHVeracruz
  13. Ethereum Mexico
  14. NodeBridge Africa
  15. restake.watch
  16. SEEDNodes
  17. Squad Finder
  18. ETH Daily

Honorable mention to ETH Kipu, that wasn’t in my ballot due to personal COIs, but I believe have a solid education program as well.

As you may notice, there’s a clear distinction of categories within my ranking. Projects 1 to 9 are Infra/Integrations, and the rest can be considered Education & Community.

Starting with the obvious, those have had the most impact in the Decentralized Operator Ecosystem, beginning with client teams, followed by the Protocol Guild (which is valued slightly lower as it’s some sort of intermediary if you will), and followed with integrations and others that are the distributors of that infra in the supply chain of node-running software.

These were followed by projects doing education/community. Most of which even if I believe that they do a really good work, were harder to evaluate due to the indirect effects they have on people (and tbh they didn’t make it that clear on their application either, that’s something to improve for the future).

In general there’s a need for applicants to spend more time and learn how to pitch their projects. Most failed to portray an image that made us, the delegates, have a tangible/measurable understanding of their impact, and therefore we are forced to evaluate with more “vibes” than I would like to—this is specially true for communities, most of which used the usage of the product as a metric of impact; imo completely irrelevant as we should never pay for/subsidize that (except in very specific circumstances and with clear growth targets).

As I offered already, if any project wants to chat about improving, please do reach out. I have a notebook with notes of all the projects, I’ll do my best to contact a few but I can’t really promise that.

Please note that some exceptions apply, namely projects that were ranking higher or lower because particular circumstances (mostly very big or small demonstrated/perceived impact).

For the projects I did not choose & considerations for future rounds

If your project is not on my ranking it’s due to any of the following reasons (or a combination of multiple):

  1. Not relevant to Obol or not enough reasons to justify impact
  2. For profit or sufficiently funded already
  3. Project is too new

I will not expand too much into those as I think they’re pretty self explanatory. I think it’s OK for this first round to be more loose, as it allows for the community and delegates to do their own “value discovery”, and we’re seeing some first signals already.

The fact that there are only 18/46 (39%) projects on my ballot tells we need better filtering—the other 28 projects took significant, and maybe unnecessary time to review. And yes, you can argue I’m strict and picky with my selections (which is true) but from the comments in this thread, I’m clearly not alone.

Also, like I said a few paragraphs above, even for those projects that I did select. Metrics and information was not clear; this is likely a more complex issue to entangle, it’s a mix of improving eligibility criteria to make sure only projects with demonstrable and relevant impact (e.g. directly related to Obol, open-source, min 3 months old, etc) and also round focus (see Optimism doing rounds with different scopes).

There’s also a need for alternative funding routes, some projects shouldn’t be funded by retroactive programs (some may have seen it but I’m not necessarily the biggest RAF bull, sorry). But that’s a conversation we can have another day.

All of these are very early comments, we have to see how the results look like, this is literally day 1. Shoutout to @Eliza, who has been incredibly helpful through the process.

5 Likes

StableLab voting rationale:

We shared our delegation among these projects:

BalkanCrypto newsletter 10,000
Chainnodes’ management of Operation Solo Staker 10,000
College DAO 10,000
cp0x 10,000
CSM rewards calculator 10,000
DAOstar 10,000
Dappnode 10,000
ETH Daily 10,000
Ethereum on ARM 10,000
ethstaker.tax 10,000
Gardeners of the Infinite 10,000
Nimbus 10,000
Node Guardians 10,000
Node Sentinel 10,000
Obol DVT Integration into Stereum Open Source Node Operation Software 10,000
Protocol Guild 10,000
restake.watch 10,000
Web3Privacy Now 10,000
Erigon 10,000
Rancho Stake 10,000
Commit-Boost 10,000
Eth-docker (Obol Charon/Lido integration) 9,936

We prioritized open source projects with past impact record, with positive treatment to underfunded projects.

3 Likes

I finished my vote allocation spreadsheet, feel free to dig into it and leave comments directly in the doc (but I did not really clean it up for public).
My votes will then be soon submitted, but wanted to share my rationale and some general feedback here for transparency as well.

  1. Personal Voting Rationale: :thinking:

While following the guideline, I felt I needed to come up with very personal principles to divide my votes in a specific opinionated way:

  • assume good intentions - if in doubt, give a small contribution as token of appreciation as potential for high upside on motivation and limited downside of imperfect fund allocation
  • overemphazise small grass-roots community efforts vs established teams to grow ecosystem overall
  • overemphazise direct DVT/Obol impact vs general Ethereum projects
  • overemphazise offline connections vs pure online plays, as more effort and more meaningful
  • overemphasize Gnosis Chain specific approach, as spreading DVT beyond Eth Mainnet is important
  • Bonus for applications with detailed lists + links about their work + impact!
    (Your project’s chance to level up here :slight_smile: )

Several projects reached out to me directly in Telegram via people I knew, offering help in case of questions. They likely mainly wanted to draw attention to their application and the existing relationship - not bad per se, but I made deliberate final check to ensure this did not influence my voting.

Trusting the quadratic funding math and democratic process helped me be subjective, also throwing overboard some of my ususal rational/sceptic/perfectionist mind… :see_no_evil:
I obviously had to realize that sometimes I was/am biased by own style / tool preferences / culture/language limitations.

  1. Outcome :trophy:

For details, check my sheet above, but high-level:

  • Dappnode came up highest with ~6% of my votes (but smallest also received min 1.2%)
  • Top category (5 with 26% of total) were all reputable names, with clear and direct impact on Obol ecosystem
  • Mid tier (20 with ~56%) contain e.g. client teams, Protocol Guild, Commit-Boost as important foundation but not specific for DVT/Obol
  • Bottom tier (15 with ~18%) mainly single developers or educators, incl benefit of the doubt
  • excluded only 6 of 46 projects

Specific vote count came via the overall weight allocation to Impact Categories and Level, and then I rounded and adjusted these in a final pass.

  1. Process Feedback: :spiral_notepad:

Generally really good already, and special thanks to all facilitators!
But since I am a process guy and always find things to optimize, I want to mention a few things:

  • Great prep package for RAF1 voters, like the voting allocation helper sheet, delegate guide, Telegram support, etc.!
  • I expected more projects, but glad I did not need to review more! - it cannot grow to more than 40-50 projects, if more applications than not everyone to review everything (instead https://www.deepfunding.org/ or whatever)
  • One option to control # applications is requiring more detailed impact “proofs” - generally very little evidence of impact to be found, very little detailled links, no references etc. For some it seemed my evaluation took longer than their application…
  • It was suboptimal screen layout that the impact metric boxes where cut off, while this was supposedly the main parameter to judge by.
  • Regarding the helper sheet: super helpful! - ideally pre-fill it before with project names, links RAF detail and main project link to save 100 people some work. It also helps avoid potential confusion with demo data. Also maybe make the final vote calculation formula explicit - it only became clear to after dissecting formula and prior I had expected multiplication instead of addition of Impact and Level scores.

In the end, I spend much more time than expected (close to 8 hours?!), but learned about some cool tools and contributions, and how diverse the Ethereum community is, and that there is help available for any home stakers that want to participate in Obol DVT! :muscle:

2 Likes

My Voting Rationale for the Obol RAF 1

GM, everyone! I’d like to share how I approached my voting allocation for this round. After reviewing each project’s impact on Obol’s Distributed Validator Technology (DVT), Ethereum staking, and community-building, here are my key considerations and why I decided to support these specific projects:


1) Obol DVT Integration into Stereum Open Source Node Operation Software
Stereum offers a streamlined interface for deploying and managing Ethereum nodes. By integrating Obol’s DVT, it becomes much easier for individuals to set up reliable, high-availability validator clusters. I see this as a critical step in lowering technical barriers and fostering broader DVT adoption.

2) Dappnode
Dappnode has long focused on making node operation accessible to everyday users. With Obol’s DV technology added to their platform, non-technical stakers can more confidently run secure validators from home, boosting overall decentralization.

3) Chainnodes’ management of Operation Solo Staker
Encouraging individuals to run their own validators is fundamental to a decentralized Ethereum. Chainnodes provides educational resources and practical support for new solo stakers, helping them navigate the complexities of distributed validator setups.

4) eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration
Bridging eth-docker’s proven tooling with Obol’s DVT for Lido stakers enhances reliability and security. This integration empowers Lido node operators with a straightforward approach to distributed validation, ultimately strengthening the broader staking infrastructure.

5) Ethereum on ARM
By making Ethereum (and Obol’s DVT) viable on ARM-powered devices, Ethereum on ARM expands hardware choices for node operators. I appreciate how they cater to decentralized home setups, encouraging more people to participate in securing the network.

6) SEEDNodes
SEEDNodes focuses on grassroots education and onboarding, helping newcomers navigate node operation and governance participation. Their community-driven approach increases diversity within the staking ecosystem, enriching Obol’s user base.

7) Protocol Guild
While not a direct Obol integration, Protocol Guild supports core Ethereum contributors—an essential foundation for all staking infrastructure. Healthy protocol development benefits every layer of the ecosystem, including distributed validation.

8) Bronze Techne Credentials Speedrun
This educational program gamifies node operation and credential-building. It’s a creative way to bring fresh participants into the Obol ecosystem, offering hands-on experience in running distributed validators.

9) Rancho Stake
Rancho Stake promotes self-sovereign node-running, especially within Latin America. By engaging and onboarding new communities, it helps diversify the staker base and fosters strong, localized support networks.

10) cp0x
cp0x provides practical educational content, helping prospective node operators understand the ins and outs of staking. This aligns well with Obol’s mission to lower the barrier for running secure, distributed validators.

11) Guide to Setting Up a Distributed Lido CSM Validator Cluster with Obol Network
A thorough guide that breaks down the steps to pair Obol DVT with Lido. By reducing the complexity of advanced staking configurations, it encourages more operators to explore distributed validators in conjunction with Lido’s infrastructure.


Closing Thoughts
Overall, I wanted my votes to reflect the balance between innovative technical integrations, community-driven education, and accessibility for new or less-technical stakers. Each of the projects above contributes in one (or more) of those areas.

Thank you to everyone involved for driving the ecosystem forward. I’m excited to see how these projects continue to strengthen the Obol community and Ethereum as a whole.

4 Likes

GM friends!
These are the projects I selected for the first iteration of the RAF.

ETHVeracruz
This project has demonstrated a substantial impact in education regarding Ethereum staking. I have followed CJ’s work during the last year and he has helped the ecosystem by training over 300 students.

Dappnode
Dappnode’s work has been invaluable in onboarding new node operators. It has simplified the process for many and lowered the barrier to entry DVT. I believe they have demonstrated a concrete impact in scaling decentralized staking infrastructure.

Nethermind
Nethermind’s reputation in the ecosystem is unquestionable. Having worked with some researchers at Nethermind, I am sure that their deliverables have laid the groundwork to evolve into trustless distributed validation.

restake.watch
They have developed easy to understand risk assessment frameworks for evaluating restaking operations. Their tools actively promote DVT adoption incentivizing security practices.

SEEDNodes
I have been following the evolution of SEED since 2022 and their growth is no surprise. The community engagement they have within the Node ecosystem helps many get onboarded into staking. They are progressing fast in expanding DVT adoption.

CollegeDAO
While I had not seen their work previously, it has been clear that they are expanding DVT education globally. In a similar note to ETHVeracruz’s work, education is a basic step in the growth of distributed validation and ecosystem growth.

eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration
This project has simplified the deployment process for home stakers participating in Lido’s SimpleDVT and CSM modules. It represents important infrastructure development for the ecosystem.

It is clear that each of these projects has uniquely contributed to strengthening the Obol ecosystem through technical innovation, educational initiatives, and infrastructure development.

2 Likes

gm Obol Community, thank you for your patience! I finally managed to carve out some time to share my voting rationale towards the end of my family trip.

I documented my evaluation in a custom table here to share my thought process.

Do note that the table captures my opinion of the impact that each project has created for the Obol Collective and is not a reflection of the project itself. That said, please feel free to reach out to me if you think your project/submission has not been classified accurately.

My voting rationale is described below and I invite the community to share any feedback on my evaluation process so that I may better represent you.

First of all, these are the projects I have allocated my votes to:

No. Project Allocated votes Allocation % Category
2 BlockOps Academy 5228 1% Community
4 Chainnodes’ management of Operation Solo Staker 52276 10% Core Obol Infrastructure
5 CollegeDAO 5228 1% Community
6 Commit Boost 5228 1% Useful tools
8 cp0x 5228 1% Community
12 Dappnode 41823 8% Core Obol Integrators
13 Development of an educational platform on DV 26140 5% Community
14 Erigon 26140 5% Core ETH Infrastructure
17 Eth-docker (Obol Charon/Lido integration) 5228 1% Pull requests
18 eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration 36595 7% Core Obol Integrators
20 Ethereum Mexico 10456 2% Community
21 Ethereum on ARM 41823 8% Core Obol Integrators
23 ethstaker.tax 5228 1% Useful tools
24 EthVeraCruz 20912 4% Community
25 Gardeners of the Infinite 20912 4% Community
27 GotEth 20912 4% Useful tools
28 Guide to Setting Up a Distributed Lido CSM Validator Cluster with Obol Network 15684 3% Useful tools
30 Mission Control: One-Click Obol DVT Deployment & All-In-One Observability 5228 1% Non-core Obol Integrators
31 Nimbus 26140 5% Core ETH Infrastructure
32 NodeBridge Africa 15684 3% Community
35 Obol DVT Integration into Stereum Open Source Node Operation Software 41823 8% Core Obol Integrators
36 Protocol Guild 26140 5% Core ETH Infrastructure
37 Rancho Stake 15684 3% Community
40 SEEDNodes 5228 1% Community
41 Solo Staker List 26140 5% Core ETH Infrastructure
42 Splits 10456 2% Core Obol Infrastructure
43 Squad Finder 5228 1% Useful tools
Total 522,792 100%

Breaking it down by categories

My votes are allocated to categories based it’s priority. i.e., if the higher priority category has many good submissions, then subsequent categories may get fewer or even no votes. That said, there still needs to be “new deliverables” even for high-priority categories during subsequent RAF rounds.

Core Obol Infrastructure (12%)

This is the most important category in my opinion. These projects are crucial to either the success and operations of the Obol Collective or Squad Stakers.

No. Project Allocated votes Allocation %
4 Chainnodes’ management of Operation Solo Staker 52,276 10%
42 Splits 10,456 2%
Total 62,732 12%

Chainnodes’ management of Operation Solo Staker: This program directly motivates new solo stakers and Obol DV Operators to learn how to run an Ethereum node. It also requires massive coordination and troubleshooting support which Chainnodes has done well at. I consider this a core infrastructure of the Obol Collective and allocated 10% of my votes to this submission.

Splits: Although the Splits contracts underpins all Obol DV clusters, I heavily discounted my vote allocations due to prior substantial funding of ~USD 10M, finally arriving at 2%

Obol Integrators (33%)

These projects improve the core user experience of Obol DV Operators and lower the technical barriers to entry. This is the second most important category to me for the first RAF as they have been a key driver of Obol Squad Staking to date.

I reserved 1/3 of my votes to this category and subsequently allocated 8% to each Core Obol Integrator and 1% to a newer project, Mission Control.

No. Project Allocated votes Allocation % Category
12 Dappnode 41823 8% Core Obol Integrators
17 Eth-docker (Obol Charon/Lido integration) 5228 1% Pull requests
18 eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration 36595 7% Core Obol Integrators
21 Ethereum on ARM 41823 8% Core Obol Integrators
30 Mission Control: One-Click Obol DVT Deployment & All-In-One Observability 5228 1% Non-core Obol Integrators
35 Obol DVT Integration into Stereum Open Source Node Operation Software 41823 8% Core Obol Integrators
Total 172,520 33%

Communities (25%)

As a community builder myself, I understand the importance of being on-the-ground to drive the last mile of user adoption. These efforts are often highly demanding on the time and resources of the organisers while offering little options for self-sustenance.

As such, I reserved 25% of my total votes to this category and then further allocating based on:

  1. level of Measurable or Inferable Impact
  2. whether the project is for profit, and;
  3. whether the project has had substantial amounts of prior funding
No. Project Allocated votes Allocation % Category
2 BlockOps Academy 5228 1% Community
5 CollegeDAO 5228 1% Community
8 cp0x 5228 1% Community
13 Development of an educational platform on DV 26140 5% Community
20 Ethereum Mexico 10456 2% Community
24 EthVeraCruz 20912 4% Community
25 Gardeners of the Infinite 20912 4% Community
32 NodeBridge Africa 15684 3% Community
37 Rancho Stake 15684 3% Community
40 SEEDNodes 5228 1% Community
Total 130,700 25%

Useful Tools (10%)

These are tools that also improve the user experience and/or economics of Obol DV Operators, which also drove user adoption.

My allocation for this category is done on a bottom-up basis where the allocation for each submission is based on:

  1. level of Measurable or Inferable Impact
  2. whether the project is for profit, and;
  3. whether the project has had substantial amounts of prior funding

This totalled up to 10%.

No. Project Allocated votes Allocation % Category
6 Commit Boost 5228 1% Useful tools
23 ethstaker.tax 5228 1% Useful tools
27 GotEth 20912 4% Useful tools
28 Guide to Setting Up a Distributed Lido CSM Validator Cluster with Obol Network 15684 3% Useful tools
43 Squad Finder 5228 1% Useful tools
Total 52,280 10%

Core Ethereum Infrastructure (20%)

Finally, I firmly believe that all forms of public goods funding should contribute at least a small portion to core Ethereum infrastructure that are not-for-profit (i.e., the most important public goods). For this category, I allocated the remainder of my votes (i.e., 20%) and did not apply other evaluation criteria for further allocation among submissions.

No. Project Allocated votes Allocation % Category
14 Erigon 26140 5% Core ETH Infrastructure
31 Nimbus 26140 5% Core ETH Infrastructure
36 Protocol Guild 26140 5% Core ETH Infrastructure
41 Solo Staker List 26140 5% Core ETH Infrastructure
Total 104,560 20%

Projects I have not voted for

Some of the common reasons below:

  1. Not relevant to Obol in my opinion
  2. Difficult for me to measure impact
  3. Promises future deliverables (which the RAF application guidelines do not consider)
  4. Already reimbursed substantially for work done
  5. Recused due to conflicts of interests
4 Likes

I’ve allocated my votes based on projects that directly contribute to decentralisation and push forward meaningful innovation in the Ethereum and broader crypto ecosystem. My focus is on infrastructure, tooling, and critical improvements that make decentralised networks more resilient, scalable, and user-friendly. Here’s my breakdown:

Erigon (10,000 votes)

Erigon is one of the most efficient Ethereum clients out there and I see it as critical for Ethereum’s future (and future scalability concerns…) A high-performance client like this improves node operation, reduces storage costs, and helps decentralisation by making it easier to run a full node.

Dappnode (8,000 votes)

Dappnode is doing something incredibly important—making it easier for regular people to run their own nodes. The more accessible it is to run a node, the more decentralised Ethereum (and other networks) become. With centralised staking and hosting providers being a concern, Dappnode allows normies (or semi-normies, at least) to participate in the decentralisation of netwroks.

Nimbus (8,000 votes)

Nimbus is another Ethereum client that plays a crucial role in keeping the network decentralised. Since it can work on low-power devices, it expands the validator pool hugely. Diversity in clients is non-negotiable for Ethereum’s long-term health.

Splits (7,500 votes)

Splits is a super practical and well-designed tool that makes it easy for teams, DAOs, and contributors to automate revenue sharing in a transparent, onchain way. I see this as a a strong building block for onchain collaboration and it’s already widely used in the ecosystem, too.

DAOstar (7,000 votes)

One of the biggest issues in the DAO space right now is fragmentation—different DAOs use different governance frameworks, standards, and tools, making it hard to interoperate. DAOstar is working to fix this by creating common standards that help DAOs function more smoothly together. It’s an unsexy but necessary effort that makes governance across the space more robust and I’ve witnessed the impact of their contributions first hand.

Commit-Boost (5,000 votes)

Commit-Boost works on optimising how Ethereum validators interact with third-party protocols, particularly in areas like MEV. I want to support projects like this that help make Ethereum more modular and secure.

Protocol Guild (5,000 votes)

This one is a no-brainer. The Protocol Guild is an initiative that funds core Ethereum contributors—the people who work on upgrades, research, and ongoing maintenance of the Ethereum protocol. Without them, none of this exists.

restake.watch (4,000 votes)

Restaking has become a huge part of Ethereum’s ecosystem, and while it brings new opportunities, it also comes with risks. restake.watch provides much-needed transparency and analysis around restaking protocols, helping users make informed decisions. I see this as a valuable public good that helps decentralisation by keeping restaking accountable.

Ethereum on ARM (3,500 votes)

Ethereum on ARM is an interesting project because it makes it possible to run Ethereum nodes on ARM-based devices (think Raspberry Pi and other low-power computers). This expands the types of hardware that can support Ethereum, reducing reliance on big data centers (yay decentralisation!) and making it easier for people to run nodes at home.

Mission Control: One-Click Obol DVT Deployment (2,500 votes)

Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) is one of the biggest upgrades to staking infrastructure. It allows validators to work together in a decentralised way instead of running solo.

Research and Specification for Obol V2 (2,500 votes)

Obol’s mission is to improve validator decentralisation, and this research effort is focused on taking that to the next level. Funding research and development ensures that the next iteration of Obol is even better, and Nethermind is a strong provider.

ethstaker.tax (1,500 votes)

Tax compliance is a massive headache for all of us in crypto, let alone solo stakers who are looking to contribute to the decentralisation of ethereum. ethstaker.tax provides tools that help validators manage their tax obligations transparently, removing another friction point for solo staking, something I see as very important to the Ethereum ecosystem.

GotEth (1,500 votes)

GotEth is a public good supporting Ethereum accessibility and usability. While it’s not a core infrastructure project, initiatives that improve network accessibility help ensure Ethereum remains open and decentralised.

College DAO (1,224 votes)

I like that CollegeDAO is one of the few initiatives actively onboarding new technical talent into the space and providing opportunities for college students to get involved with the space, something I definitely would’ve benefited from back then!

Bronze Techne Credentials Speedrun (1,000 votes)

This project is focused on decentralised credentialing, which could be useful in governance and identity systems. Experimental but interesting idea.

My priorities when voting:

  • Alignment with Decentralisation – Prioritise projects that enhance decentralisation and user empowerment within the blockchain ecosystem.
  • Concrete Innovation – Support initiatives that introduce tangible, innovative solutions with real impact.
  • Infrastructure Enhancement – Favor projects that contribute to the robustness, security, and scalability of decentralised networks.

I put my votes toward projects that actually move the needle when it comes to decentralisation, security, and infrastructure. The biggest threats to Ethereum’s future are centralisation (whether that’s through staking, clients, or infrastructure bottlenecks) and a lack of funding for core projects. Every vote I cast is for a project that actively addresses these issues and helps keep the network resilient.

2 Likes

Hi, Obol community. We allocated our voting powers to the below projects and appreciate all the applicants for the RAF1.

Our endorsed RAF1 projects

Project Allocated VP
Commit-Boost 10,000
Chainnodes 10,000
cp0x 5,000
Dappnode 20,000
Erigon 10,000
eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration 8,500
Ethereum Mexico 4,793
Ethereum on ARM 6,000
GotEth 8,500
CSM x Obol Guide 6,000
Mission Control 8,500
Nimbus 10,000
Stereum x Obol 18,000
Solo Staker List 6,000
Nethermind 8,500
SEEDNodes 5,000
Splits 10,000
Squad Finder 6,000
Telegram alert bot 6,000

Rationale for the selection

  • Our evaluation is based on three weighted criteria, with higher emphasis on relevance to Obol protocols and tangible contributions through tools and hardware, and a reasonable weight on community-driven efforts. We have also modified allocated VPs to some projects that have already received a good amount of funding from Obol.
  • As a Lido x Obol Cohort 3 node operator, our firsthand experience in interacting with some of the tools and community efforts helped us evaluate them in an appropriate manner.
  • We prioritize projects that demonstrate clear benefits to the Obol ecosystem and exclude those that, despite potential ecosystem value, lack direct contributions.
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I was unable to participate in this round because at the time of the snapshot I was not in the top 100 delegates, but when the round started I was in the top 100. So this is the first area of improvement (however, I will dive into this in the appropriate space).

This would have been my Voting Rationale if I had participated in this round.

I’d have decided to support these projects because their impact related to Obol and Staking adoption, technical improvements or dependence. There are some projects identified in green that a) their impact to the collective is not clear or b) they have an indirect impact to Ethereum. However I’d have decided to allocate a small portion in this round.

I have added a column on the amount of funding a project has received (1 is less than $10K and 10 is more than $100K), but I am not taking this into consideration because in the future it would be great if this category is separated into the amount of funding a project has received from other sources and the amount of funding from the Obol Collective.

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GM Obol Community! What an amazing experience and honor to be part of the RAF process!! As part of the voting process, I hereby share the rationale behind my vote:

Since RAF1 is all about making ownership in the Obol Collective more decentralized, I based my vote on what I see as the top priorities. Here’s how I ranked them:

  1. Diversifying the collective, considering:
    a) Geographic spread
    b) Local impact
    c) Existing delegation (where applies)
  2. Use cases and real-world application of the Obol Stack
  3. Expanding knowledge and adoption of the Obol Stack
  4. Past funding projects have had
  5. Previous opportunities in ecosystem participation

With these in mind, I grouped projects into five categories and cast my votes accordingly. Here’s a breakdown of the categories and the projects I supported in each:

Education - Top Impact

The education projects I found had the highest, most relevant impact and best example of the Obol Stack use cases were:

  • Bronze Techne Credentials Speedrun
  • College DAO
  • ETHVeracruz: Empowering Students and Academics through Decentralized Staking & Validator Infrastructure in Universidad Veracruzana
  • NodeBridge Africa
  • SEEDNodes

Education - Previous or complementary funding and/or ongoing impact

  • Chainnodes’ management of Operation Solo Staker
  • ETH Daily
  • Gardeners of the Infinite

Tools enhancing accessibility to the Obol Stack

  • eth-docker ↔ Obol ↔ Lido integration
  • Ethereum on ARM
  • Mission Control: One-Click Obol DVT Deployment & All-In-One Observability
  • Obol DVT Integration into Stereum Open Source Node Operation Software

Clients, tools or collectives that complement the objectives of the Obol Collective

  • Erigon
  • GotEth
  • Nimbus
  • Node Sentinel
  • Protocol Guild
  • Research and specification for Obol V2
  • Solo Staker List
  • Splits

Emerging communities & ecosystem projects

For this category, I allocated a smaller portion of my voting power to projects that, while not yet having a significant impact within the Obol Collective, operate in interesting areas and have the potential to grow within its objectives in the coming months.

  • BalkanCrypto newsletter
  • BlockOps Academy
  • Commons Economy Roadmap
  • Cryptosquare
  • IT Times .com - Media Advocacy for Obol Ecosystem Growth
  • Web3Privacy Now

I encourage these projects to further engage with the Obol community, deepen their involvement, and seek support to enhance their contributions.

Conclusion

A huge thanks to the Obol Collective and Tally teams for their support and commitment to improving this process for future iterations.

I also deeply appreciate the people and projects that have entrusted me with their voting power. If you have any feedback or insights on how I can better represent your interests within the Obol Collective, feel free to reach out! See you in RAF2!

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