# Newsletter Issue #5 *Stay updated with the latest news insights, community highlights, and product updates in our weekly newsletter* By [Popula](https://paragraph.com/@popula) · 2024-01-15 --- Welcome to Issue #5 of the Popula newsletter. We hope your 2024 is off to a great start! This week, we dive into intriguing developments in the world of public goods, which we are also fostering at Popula. We will also share updates from our community and announce some exciting upcoming events! Yours sincerely, Popula Team * * * ### **Ecosystem and Industry Insights** **_Building Public Goods_** _Popula is committed to building public goods for the NEAR ecosystem and beyond. Specifically, Popula’s community factory enables anyone to launch a sovereign community in a free (aside from the gas fee required by the NEAR protocol) and permissionless fashion._ * [**Over $100m distributed in Optimism RetroPGF round 3**](https://optimism.mirror.xyz/37Bgum6MfTJWDuE41CH9RXSH5KBm_RCL5zsSFeRZl4E) RetroPGF is Optimism’s program to fund public goods in the ecosystem, and it rewards positive impact in categories like OP Stack, Governance, Developer Ecosystem, and User Experience. Optimism aims to build a self-sustaining economic system, experimenting with RetroPGF's scope and structure. The success is credited to badgeholders, infrastructure builders, and the engaged community. [ ![](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/86ZyDCRUU52QPqDU-iWgK.png?height=720&width=1440) https://optimism.mirror.xyz Announcing RetroPGF Round 3 Recipients -------------------------------------- 501 builders, writers, creators, educators, and contributors from across the Optimism ecosystem have been allocated a portion of 30M OP! RetroPGF Round 3 rewarded contributors for the impact they provided to the Optimism Collective across four categories: OP Stack, Collective Governance, Developer Ecosystem, and End User Experience and Adoption. ](https://optimism.mirror.xyz/37Bgum6MfTJWDuE41CH9RXSH5KBm_RCL5zsSFeRZl4E) * [**Scott Moore’s Mutualist Future**](https://zine.zora.co/scott-moore-gitcoin?utm_source=forefront.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=a-trustless-ecosystem) This is a great conversation between ZINE’s Yana Sonoskaya and Gitcoin co-founder Scott Moore about public goods, bridging the degen/regen divide, harnessing our collective intelligence, and the inherently political nature of crypto. * [**Positive Sum Worlds: Remaking Public Goods**](https://otherinter.net/research/positive-sum-worlds/) [ ![](https://otherinter.net/positive-sum-worlds-twittercard.png) https://otherinter.net Positive Sum Worlds: Remaking Public Goods ------------------------------------------ An era of global protocols requires a visionary redefinition of public goods, in service of others. ](https://otherinter.net/research/positive-sum-worlds/) **_Online interactions_** * [**From ‘Likes’ to ‘Comments’: How Popula Adds Meaning to Online Interactions**](https://medium.com/beepopula/from-likes-to-comments-how-popula-adds-meaning-to-online-interactions-aaf7674ae228) In the ever-evolving landscape of online interactions, how we express support and engage with content has transformed significantly. Social platforms have made it effortless to “Like” and “Comment” posts, often requiring nothing more than a simple click. Popula, a platform that values quality content and meaningful conversations, has introduced a unique twist to these actions. [ ![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1200/1*L0ur6pcJd0WHu7xsA1Vb9A.png) https://medium.com From 'Likes' to 'Comments': How Popula Adds Meaning to Online Interactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the ever-evolving landscape of online interactions, how we express support and engage with content has transformed significantly. Social platforms have made it effortless to "Like" and "Comment"... ](https://medium.com/beepopula/from-likes-to-comments-how-popula-adds-meaning-to-online-interactions-aaf7674ae228) **_Share your thoughts or comments on_** [**_Popula_**](http://popula.io)**_!_** * * * ### Popula **Spotlights and Community Updates** Have you seen the Popula Man designed by one of our very own community members? It's seriously cool! You can tell they've put a lot of thought into it - the detail is just amazing! This isn't just a piece of digital art, it's a shout-out to the talent we've got in our community! [ ![](https://paras-ipfs.paras.id/bafkreiemuvjo7uelo45cod7k2cqmtt6vanpfckqchpq2rdyf4kgmiqqqde) https://paras.id Popula Man - Paras ------------------ Popula Man from collection Art by sanam1027.near. Just an Art Related to Popula ](https://paras.id/token/x.paras.near::501710) **_Upcoming AMA with NEAR Vietnam Hub_** Exciting news for this week! We are hosting an AMA session with the NEAR Vietnam Hub. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to engage directly, ask questions, and learn more about our initiatives and our 2024 directions! The session is scheduled for January 18th at 1pm UTC. Interested participants can join us on Twitter at [@NearVietnamHub](https://twitter.com/NearVietnamHub). Don't forget to mark your calendar and prepare your questions ahead of time. We look forward to seeing you there! **_Campaigns_** [**Popula Zealy Sprint**](https://zealy.io/c/popula/questboard) [ ![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1200/1*iwIrufTX77Q_h2H-y_mqKg.png) https://medium.com Popula Zealy Sprint #1 is here! Earn Rewards & Have Fun! -------------------------------------------------------- HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🐉 As we embark on the thrilling new chapter of 2024, we're pleased to announce that the very first Popula Zealy Sprint is launched! 🎉 It's time to start your adventure into Popula... ](https://medium.com/beepopula/popula-zealy-sprint-1-is-here-earn-rewards-have-fun-b9452b09f286) **_Community of the Week_** [**Paras-Arkana**](https://popula.io/c/paras-arkana.community.popula.near): Paras is an NFT marketplace for digital collectibles, focusing on supporting and developing crypto-native IPs. They create new exclusive IPs to design unique experiences for comics, games, and toys. Arkana, a co-membership platform powered by web3 technology, embodying the spirit of openness and collaboration from the web3 network and integrating it into web2 businesses. If you are interested, [join](https://popula.io/c/paras-arkana.community.popula.near) the community! ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/2c33e99c825374187afcab504a17861a.png) **_Communities on Popula_** * [Near Inov8](https://popula.io/c/near_innovate.community.popula.near) * [Creatives DAO](https://popula.io/c/creativesdao.community.popula.near) * [marmajgaming](https://popula.io/c/marmajgaming.community.popula.near) * [Proof of Vibes](https://popula.io/c/proofofvibesnea.community.popula.near) * [NEAR & Aurora Defi](https://popula.io/c/near-defi-tokenisation.community.popula.near) * [QSTN](https://popula.io/c/qstn.community.popula.near) * [NEKO](https://popula.io/c/neko.community.popula.near) * [NEAR Indonesia](https://popula.io/c/near-indonesia.community.popula.near) * [Cheddar Defi](https://popula.io/c/cheddar-defi.community.popula.near) * [Nearchan Simps](https://popula.io/c/nearchan.community.popula.near) * [TAN](https://popula.io/c/tan.community.popula.near)🤎[FAM](https://popula.io/c/tan.community.popula.near) * [HEROES BUILD](https://popula.io/c/heroes-build.community.popula.near) * [JUMP Defi](https://popula.io/c/jump-defi.community.popula.near) * [Paras-Arkana](https://popula.io/c/paras-arkana.community.popula.near) * [Play Ember](https://popula.io/c/play-ember.community.popula.near) * [Meteor Wallet](https://popula.io/c/meteor-wallet.community.popula.near) * [El Cafe Cartel](https://popula.io/c/el-cafe-cartel.community.popula.near) * [NEAR Korea DAO](https://popula.io/c/near-korea-dao.community.popula.near) * [NEAR NFT Work Group](https://popula.io/c/near-nft-work-group.community.popula.near) * [gojo academy](https://popula.io/c/gojo-academy.community.popula.near) **_Explore these communities and share your posts with us for potential inclusion in future newsletters._** * * * ### **Behind the Scenes and Product Updates** **January:** [**Gas free exploration, Lucky draw and more!**](https://medium.com/beepopula/popula-update-gas-free-exploration-lucky-draw-and-more-january-c2f01a4327cd) This update introduces several new features including a Gas free mode for gasless interactions, a 'Lucky Pot' feature that rewards successful referrals, a trending search list for discovering popular communities, and unread indicators for new posts or updates. Other improvements include a smart editor for more intuitive content display and enhanced poll features. Click [here](https://medium.com/beepopula/popula-update-gas-free-exploration-lucky-draw-and-more-january-c2f01a4327cd) to read more. [ ![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1200/1*u3bLyZtCtmiKSSK6SXOG7A.png) https://medium.com Popula Update: Gas free exploration, Lucky draw and more! | January ------------------------------------------------------------------- We are pleased to announce the release of new updates, as we have always valued your feedback and opinions. Let's explore the new features we have this time: In order to alleviate gas related fee... ](https://medium.com/beepopula/popula-update-gas-free-exploration-lucky-draw-and-more-january-c2f01a4327cd) [**Street interview: How To Get Involved In Web3?**](https://youtu.be/JnaWmtcChkc) Curious about diving into the world of Web3? It can be a fascinating journey but knowing where to start can be tricky. Let's explore the insights and recommendations from seasoned professionals. Their advice could be your roadmap into Web3. Watch it [here](https://youtu.be/JnaWmtcChkc)! [![](https://paragraph.xyz/editor/youtube/play.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnaWmtcChkc) **_Follow our socials and get in touch for questions or real-time updates._** * * * 🐝**Explore more about** [**Popula**](http://popula.io/) **or join** [**Popula Community**](https://t.me/populacommunity)**. We always welcome questions, suggestions and feedback!** ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/1d60a028c2bd6df003b84605071681ea.png) [Website](https://popula.io/) | [Telegram](https://t.me/populacommunity) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/beepopula) | [Discord](https://discord.gg/NGQwjnMUBa) | [Medium](https://medium.com/beepopula) | [Github](https://github.com/beepopula) | [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyHQDgYQZpgwOC4Ulm3A9w) --- *Originally published on [Popula](https://paragraph.com/@popula/newsletter-issue-5)*