It’s been a rollercoaster out there (what else is new?), but through all the noise, builders are still shipping, creating, and making an impact. 

Here’s a look at what’s been happening this month in General Magic and across the Giveth Galaxy.

👇

Predicate is a network that enables developers to define programmable, on-chain transaction policies using modular components known as Predicate Functions. These functions are immutable code segments stored on the Ethereum blockchain, designed to evaluate transaction parameters and return a boolean value - either approving or denying the transaction. By combining multiple Predicate Functions, developers can construct intricate transaction rules tailored to specific application requirements.

• Built-in Protection: Stop risky transactions before they happen.

• Smarter Approvals: Use past transaction history, verified credentials, and allowlists.

• Decentralized & Flexible: Policies are enforced by a network, not a single entity.

• Pre-Transaction Policies: Enforce compliance directly within smart contracts.

• On-Chain & Off-Chain Data Access: Utilize transaction history, credentials, and allowlists.

• Trust-Minimized Rulemaking: Policies enforced by incentivized operators

Read more information about Predicate here: https://predicate.io/

We couldn't be more excited for Unicorn.eth - it’s making big moves and we’re so proud to see it grow! 🚀

Unicorn has been accepted into the Orange DAO Fellowship Program, a highly selective 12-week accelerator designed to help top crypto startups grow and thrive. Over the next few months, they’ll be working with mentors, industry leaders, and investors to take Unicorn to the next level.

And the excitement doesn’t stop there - Unicorn is the Official Infrastructure & Wallet Partner for ETHDenver, already onboarding 16,000+ community members and getting ready to showcase its seamless web3 account system.

This month, we’re celebrating Moenick for his outstanding leadership in driving the direction and development of Pairwise, making voting easy and fun.

Moenick is Pairwise’s product manager, products & fintech enthusiast and former contributor of MyDigipay, Tadbirpardaz, and Finnotech.

Thank you for your incredible contributions to public goods!

Allo.Capital is a hybrid organization that combines research, software development, and venture funding to foster a network of innovators focused on capital allocation for the 21st century. 

It supports both builders and funders by accelerating development through funding, education, and distribution.

🛠 For Builders: Get the funding, tools, and support needed to scale and succeed.
💰 For Funders: Back high-impact projects and unlock meaningful returns.
🌍 For Everyone: Gain insights into onchain capital allocation and the future of decentralized funding.

In essence, Allo.Capital is set to lead the way in shaping the future of onchain finance, bringing fresh solutions and opportunities to both builders and funders, while complementing and enhancing the work done by its predecessors. With this approach, Allo seeks to shape the future of capital allocation, supporting real impact and growth in the decentralized economy.

🔄 Pairwise is powering the process in Optimism Deep Funding. This month, builders have been using Pairwise to rate their key dependencies, helping make funding more precise, data-driven, and effective for the entire ecosystem.

💜 Giveth just finished an incredible QF round for public goods, with a huge show of community support. And guess what? Another round is right around the corner. Up next: the ENS x Octant Public Goods QF Round, launching mid-March with an $80K USDC matching pool on Optimism.

🦆✨q/acc Season 2 is here! If you're building on Polygon, this is your chance to get funding, support, and a community that has your back. With a $50K grant, a $250K matching pool, and expert guidance, it’s the perfect launchpad for your project. Apply by February 28.

🦄 Unicorn.eth has been accepted into the Orange DAO Fellowship Program! 🍊 Out of thousands of applicants, they’re one of just 17 projects selected for the 2025 accelerator cohort - a huge milestone for their journey. If you’re at ETHDenver, come find Unicorn.eth, the team will be on the ground all week, meeting builders, sharing insights, and showcasing their latest work.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

As part of Optimism’s Retro Funding: Dev Tooling Mission, the Collective is exploring ways to improve the evaluation algorithm for developer tools. While there’s solid data on how Dev Tools are used, there’s a gap in understanding their actual utility. By allowing Onchain Builders to rate their dependencies, Optimism aims to create better metrics to measure real-world impact. This experiment takes inspiration from Deep Funding’s approach to rating dependencies, using structured comparisons to generate more accurate and insightful evaluations.

At General Magic, we’re excited to be part of this journey. We’re expanding Pairwise to support Optimism’s Deep Funding round, making it easier for participants to engage and contribute to funding decisions in a structured, transparent way.

Beyond Deep Funding, we’ve been deeply involved in Optimism’s ecosystem, supporting projects like:

• Retro Funding Round 4,5 & 6 🔴

• RetroPGF Community 🌱

• Praise 💬

• Giveth

Seeing the evolution of Deep Funding, we’re excited to keep building and improving community-driven funding models that make decision-making more inclusive, data-driven, and scalable.

Deep Funding is a new approach to funding Ethereum’s public goods, designed to support foundational infrastructure, open-source contributions, and critical dependencies that often go unnoticed. Traditional funding models tend to reward projects with high visibility, leaving essential but behind-the-scenes work underfunded. Deep Funding aims to fix this by shifting the question from “How valuable is project A for humanity?” to “For an outcome that benefits Ethereum, how much credit belongs to project A?”

Deep Funding operates through three core components:

• Dependency Graph: A mapped network of Ethereum’s key dependencies and their relationships.

• AI & Human Models: Algorithms and expert-driven assessments that assign value to different dependencies.

• Jury Review: A panel of Ethereum experts that evaluates and validates funding allocations based on structured comparisons.

Rather than requiring projects to apply for funding, Deep Funding proactively identifies and rewards the dependencies that power the Ethereum ecosystem.

Developed by a coalition of innovators including Vitalik Buterin, Gitcoin’s Allo Protocol, Open Source Observer (OSO), VoiceDeck, Drips, Eval Science, Pairwise, and more - Deep Funding is building a smarter, fairer way to sustain Ethereum’s foundational infrastructure.

Learn more about Deep Funding and how Pairwise is participating in our latest blog post 👇

Deep Funding:Transforming Public Goods Funding for Ethereum

Current public goods funding mechanisms struggle with scalability and fairness. Learn how Deep Funding aims to solve this

https://paragraph.xyz

Deep Funding on Optimism is an open experiment, and there are multiple ways to participate and contribute.

📅 Key Dates:

• February 3 - 17: Onchain Builders & Experts submit rankings.

• Data analysis phase: Ratings are processed to improve the evaluation model.

Check out the forum post for full details 👇

Retro Funding: Dev Tooling - Pairwise Ratings

As part of the Retro Funding: Dev Tooling Mission, the Collective will experiment with collecting data on the utility of Dev Tools to improve the evaluation algorithm. This process is heavily inspired by Deep Funding's approach to rating dependencies.

https://gov.optimism.io

If you’re an Onchain Builder, a governance expert, or simply passionate about public goods funding, now is the time to get involved and help shape the future of funding allocation.

At General Magic, our core mission has always been to build governance tools that empower communities to make better decisions. Through Pairwise, we are creating more transparent and scalable ways to allocate resources, rank proposals, and delegate decision-making. Our work with Optimism’s Deep Funding experiment is another step toward improving decentralized governance models.

With more ecosystems experimenting with Deep Funding, we’re witnessing a transformational shift in how public goods and Ethereum infrastructure receive funding. 

💡 If you’re a project, DAO, or community looking to integrate Pairwise into your governance process, let’s connect! 👉 https://pairwise.vote/

This month, we’re highlighting Coordinape, a platform that transforms trust and reputation into on-chain tools for collaboration and innovation.

Coordinape combines decentralized reputation systems with community-driven tools to create an ecosystem of recognition and collaboration.

1. GIVE: The Token of Gratitude
   GIVE allows users to exchange reputation and recognize contributions in on-chain networks of trust. It's a way to appreciate and value efforts, ideas, and skills while building interoperable trust graphs.

2. The Social Oracle
   Coordinape transforms trust into actionable data on-chain. Builders and communities can leverage these decentralized insights to enhance decision-making and strengthen connections.

3. CO Integration
   The new CO token boosts user capabilities within the Coordinape ecosystem. Holders can actively participate in shaping the Social Oracle by adding attestations that enhance on-chain reputation.

Key Features

• Trust Graphs: Explore networks of web3 users and organizations through Farcaster feeds and custom on-chain tools.

• Portable Reputation: Build lasting profiles by bringing GIVE from social networks to on-chain platforms.

• Community Curation: Users collectively curate content and connections without relying on centralized algorithms.

In December, the q/acc round marked a major milestone for community-driven token economies, introducing a fair and innovative approach to supporting Web3 projects on Polygon zkEVM.

The round featured eight startups, offering early supporters the chance to back bold ideas while leveraging mechanisms like augmented bonding curves and quadratic funding.

• Launch of the First Cohort: Projects such as x23.ai, AncientBeast, and BuildPrismo debuted their token economies, setting the stage for Web3’s next wave of innovation.

• Community-Centered Fairness: Individual caps and a $250,000 matching pool amplified contributions, creating equitable opportunities for participation.

• q/acc OGs: Over 1,200 participants joined the first cohort, securing early stakes in tokens designed for long-term impact.

Exciting developments are on the horizon for q/acc participants and supporters:

• Matching Pool Allocation: The $250,000 matching pool results will be published next week, with funds dedicated to provisioning liquidity for each project’s token.

• Token Minting: Tokens will be minted following the matching pool allocation. Participants can find their allocations on q/acc’s site and gain access to exclusive, token-gated project chats.

• DEX Listings: Starting mid-January, tokens like $PRSM and $CTZN will launch on QuickswapDEX, with price floors higher than during the q/acc round.

• Token Unlocks:

  • June 20, 2025: q/acc tokens begin a 6-month streaming unlock.

  • October 29, 2025: Project tokens start a 1-year streaming unlock, ensuring long-term alignment and stability.

This month, we’re shining the spotlight on Nico, our Talent Support Specialist.

As the heart of our people operations, Nico has gone above and beyond to ensure seamless onboarding processes, support our magicians’ development, and maintain a positive environment at General Magic. His proactive approach and dedication have kept our team engaged and thriving.

Thank you, Nico, for your commitment and all the positive vibes you bring. 👏

Charitable Meme Coins
In 2024, meme coins evolved beyond speculation to become tools for public good. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin led this shift, donating $532,398 worth of animal-themed meme coins to an animal welfare charity. He advocated for projects to allocate coins directly to charities or create community-driven DAOs for transparency and engagement. In an April 2024 blog post, he encouraged meme coins to prioritize public goods by donating tokens, using airdrops for equitable distribution, and funding retroactive public goods to align crypto's chaotic energy with meaningful impact.

Robin Hood Games and Public Goods
Vitalik introduced "Robin Hood games"—crypto-based games where players vote on which charities receive proceeds. These games blend fun with social impact, empowering communities to influence funding and pushing Web3 toward inclusive, utility-driven models.

Resurgence of Responsible Crypto Projects
The rise of charity-focused and transparent crypto models reflects a maturing Web3 narrative. Projects with clear societal contributions are gaining traction, shifting the focus from speculation to meaningful impact.

Fading Narratives
Some meme coins faced backlash in 2024 for harmful content or lack of utility, signaling a community preference for projects with defined purposes and public good alignment over simplistic token models.

🔄 Pairwise is currently working on it’s integration into DeepFunding.org - a new method of funding open-source software introduced by Vitalik Buterin.

💜 Giveth has launched recurring donations on Base! Now it’s possible to set automated donations to your favorite eligible projects in USDC, DAI, DEGEN and ETH.

🦆✨q/acc will soon be launching the liquidity pools for the 8 projects that participated in its first round. $PRSM, $CTZN, $X23, $GRNDT, $AKA, $BEAST, $MELS and $ACHAD will be available on QuickswapDEX. 

🦄 Unicorn.eth is getting ready for ETHDenver as their official infrastructure provider. Hear more about how to unlock your ETHDenver adventure in this X space.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

This month, we’ve been hard at work driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and creating tools that empower the Web3 community.

From impactful updates on our core projects to highlights from Devcon in Bangkok, there’s a lot to share. 

Let’s dive in

👇

This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Octant, an exciting platform developed by the Golem Foundation that’s breaking new ground in participatory public goods funding.

Using Golem’s native GLM token, Octant combines staking rewards and community-driven decisions to create a new way to fund impactful projects.

How It Works

• Staking Power for Good: Golem Foundation stakes 100,000 ETH, and a portion of the rewards funds Octant every 90 days.

• Two Reward Streams: The pool is divided into User Rewards for participants and Matched Rewards to amplify donations to public goods.

• Simple Participation: Lock at least 100 GLM, and you’re eligible for rewards. The more GLM you lock and the longer you keep it there, the greater your rewards.

Key Features

• Non-Custodial: Your tokens stay under your control. Withdraw anytime, though your rewards adjust if you unlock early.

• Flexibility: At the end of each funding round, choose to keep your rewards or donate some (or all) to curated public goods projects. Matched Rewards ensure your donations have an even bigger impact.

• Community-Led Curation: The list of eligible projects is shaped by the Octant community. Anyone can propose new projects or themes for future funding rounds.

What’s Happening Now

Since its launch in August 2023, Octant has:

• Distributed 1464 ETH to over 50 public goods projects.

• Rewarded participants with 803 ETH.

• Introduced features like quadratic funding and algorithm updates to improve fairness and impact.

Currently in Epoch Six, Octant’s next Allocation Window starts on January 11, 2025, and new participants are always welcome to join.

Over the past month, we focused on refining key visuals for our core initiatives, including Praise, DeVouch, and Q/acc, ensuring each one truly resonated with the community. These efforts were part of our broader commitment to making our projects as impactful and accessible as possible.

During Retro Funding 6 on Optimism, we proudly supported a variety of groundbreaking projects, all aimed at advancing public goods in the Web3 space. Collaborating with incredible teams, we brought transformative ideas to life:

• DeVouch: Strengthening decentralized communities by enabling verifiable endorsements for trust-building.

• Pairwise: Introducing a novel reputation model using pairwise comparisons to create fairer contributor profiles.

• Praise: Empowering communities to recognize and reward contributions, fostering gratitude and acknowledgment.

• GM GM (Grants Management): Streamlining grant allocation to ensure funds make the greatest impact.

• Citizen Attestations Explorer: Enhancing transparency and accountability within the Optimism ecosystem by making attestations accessible.

• Retro PGF Community: Creating a space for contributors and supporters to rally around the RetroPGF mission and public goods funding.

This month, we’re giving well-deserved recognition to Lliam, our exceptional Head of Marketing.

Lliam has been instrumental in pushing numerous projects forward and providing incredible support to the entire marketing team. His leadership keeps us all accountable and motivated, ensuring we're always on track and aiming high.

Thank you, Lliam, for everything you do! 👏

What Are AI Agents?

AI agents are autonomous software programs capable of making decisions, learning from experiences, and acting independently to complete tasks. Unlike regular bots, AI agents continuously improve through machine learning. For example, they can:

• Manage crypto portfolios by automating trades and optimizing strategies.

• Handle user inquiries for customer support.

• Execute complex tasks like auditing smart contracts or enabling seamless blockchain interactions.

How AI Agents Work

AI agents function through three core processes:

1. Observation: They gather data from various inputs like real-time market trends, user interactions, or blockchain transactions.

2. Processing: Using machine learning and algorithms, they analyze data to determine the best actions.

3. Action: They execute decisions, such as placing trades, responding to queries, or automating blockchain processes.

The Future of AI Agents in Crypto

AI agents have immense potential to reshape blockchain and Web3:

• Decentralized AI Economies: Networks of AI agents could autonomously trade services, manage resources, and form self-sustaining economies.

• Simplified Web3 Adoption: By automating and demystifying blockchain processes, AI agents could make Web3 accessible to everyone.

• Advanced DeFi Applications: Future AI tools could unlock more sophisticated yield optimization, collaborative investing, and risk management strategies.
  

We’ve just returned from an amazing time at Devcon in Bangkok, and what a trip it was! 🌟 We had the best time connecting with the rest of the Giveth Galaxy, collaborating, and sharing laughs with the team.

We were happy to join Giveth at their booth in the Impact Space, where we met incredible people, shared ideas, and soaked up the energy of the Web3 community. 

Take a look at some of the photos from the day and relive the fun with us, we’re already counting down the days until the next one.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

Dive into the highlights and stay updated on all things General Magic. 💫

👇

DeVouch is a decentralized platform that enhances trust in Ethereum project funding through blockchain-based attestations. It leverages Attester Groups, which are identified by on-chain attestation data from EAS.

These groups consist of addresses holding the same types of attestations issued by a recognized authority.

Key activities include:

• Project validation: Trusted attesters vouch for or flag projects.

• Community-driven vetting: Diverse project evaluations from decentralized groups.

• Informed funding: Transparent endorsements guide funding decisions.

It aims to create a trusted, transparent funding ecosystem through peer-reviewed assessments.

Lately, we’ve been diving into various projects that have truly fueled our creativity and excitement. ✨

We’ve been busy creating visuals for some of our key initiatives, like Praise, Devouch and q/acc, by helping these projects stand out and communicate effectively with the community. 

We're excited to announce that we have been working on a RetroPGF website that will serve as a hub for the community to stay updated on all things related to retroactive public goods funding rounds in the Web3 space. This site will provide information, updates, and insights about ongoing and upcoming rounds, ensuring that the community is well-informed and engaged with the development and support of public goods within the Ethereum ecosystem and beyond.

In addition to all of this, we've been continually pushing the boundaries with our creative output, making sure that every project we touch gets the attention it deserves.

Keep an eye out — there’s much more to look forward to, and we’re excited to share it with you in the upcoming months! 😉

Let's give a big round of applause to Freshelle, our top praised magician this month! 🌟

Freshelle has been a true mentor, guiding others in both accounting and web3, while handling finances and ensuring contributors are paid on time. Her efforts behind the scenes are extraordinary, and a testament to her dedication.

She brings calm and patience to challenging payment situations, always staying professional. Plus, it’s a joy seeing her message when payments go through — truly a "yay" moment!

We're incredibly thankful for her contributions, making everything run smoothly! 👏

EAS is a system for creating and verifying attestations (cryptographic proofs of claims like identity, certification, or agreements) on the Ethereum blockchain, removing the need for intermediaries and establishing decentralized trust.

Key features:

• Allows for flexible, multi-layered attestations with metadata.

• Attestations are stored immutably using smart contracts.

• Built for scalability, supporting complex interactions across different industries.

Core concepts:

• Issuance: A party issues an attestation linked to a claim or subject.

• Verification: These claims are verified using cryptographic signatures, ensuring integrity without relying on intermediaries.

• Revocation: Attestations can be revoked, keeping the system transparent.

Applications of EAS:

• Identity verification: Attestations can verify identities without central authorities.

• Certificates and licenses: Institutions can issue certificates (like educational credentials) that can be independently verified on-chain.

• Proof of knowledge/claims: Ensures accountability by issuing and verifying claims like proof of knowledge.

In a nutshell, EAS is highly flexible, supporting various data types and metadata, making it adaptable to a wide range of use cases. 

It is also developer-friendly, offering tools for smart contract integration, allowing developers to seamlessly embed trust mechanisms into their decentralized applications (dApps).

This makes EAS an essential component for building decentralized systems that require verifiable, trustless claims.

🔄 Pairwise is currently refining and preparing its app for the upcoming Optimism Retro Round 5 voting, which will start soon. The team is focused on optimizing the voting experience to ensure a smooth process for badge holders.

💜 Giveth recently concluded its GIV-a-Palooza QF round, empowering projects through community nominations by Giver NFT holders. Additionally, Giveth has launched the GIVbacks V2 Experiment, where every $5 donation to a verified project could win donors up to 250,000 $GIV !

🙏 Praise has just launched a Farcaster Bot that allows you to publicly recognize the contributions of others. After sending praise, you can also mint an attestation using EAS.

🦆✨Q/acc announced its first cohort in collaboration with Polygon! If you missed the X Space where they shared all the details about this exciting initiative, you can still listen to it. Check it out here.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

Dive into the highlights and stay updated on all things General Magic. 

👇

🌟 Public Goods Project of the Month: Regens Unite 

Regens Unite is a global initiative focused on creating and fostering regenerative practices and communities. The organization brings together diverse individuals and groups with a shared interest in sustainability, regeneration, and innovative economic models. 

Some of their key activities include:

1. Events/gatherings: They organize events that combine elements of festivals, conferences, and retreats. These events offer workshops, panel discussions, coworking spaces, and social activities to facilitate knowledge sharing, networking, and community building.

2. Diversity/inclusion: By prioritizing accessibility and diversity, they ensure a balanced representation of voices and perspectives from various regenerative backgrounds.

3. Local and global impact: Regens Unite events aim to leave the locations better than they found them, emphasizing minimalism, recycling, and supporting local economies.

Their ultimate goal is to cultivate a regenerative future by nurturing collaboration and innovation among individuals or organizations dedicated to sustainable and ethical practices.

🪄 Our Magic

Recently we've been working on various projects that sparked our creativity and passion. ✨

First up, we've been putting our creative hats on for the Nimbora! Nimbora needed a new application design to reflect its brand and improve user experience, so we developed two distinct user views - Amateur and Pro. To ensure alignment in design and development efforts, we also conducted a product strategy and planning session with the team to define the vision, features and roadmap.

We've also been busy cooking up a new visual identity for the upcoming BlockSplit conference! Our new concept is going to match the place where it's located, a warm and Mediterranean place - Split! 

🙏 High Praise: Nico

Let's give a big round of applause to Nico, our top-praised person this month! 🌟

Nico has been amazing, earning praise for his exceptional onboarding and ensuring new contributors feel welcome. 

He’s always supportive and responsive, making our team's integration smooth and enjoyable. Nico has also excelled in coordinating, collecting, and arranging buddy reviews for team members, fostering a collaborative environment. Plus, his creative idea of adding a fun bit at the end of our weekly call has been a hit. 🙌🏻

We're incredibly grateful to have Nico on our team, spreading positivity and making our community shine!

🇧🇪🤗 IRL at EthCC

Attending EthCC in Brussels was an incredible experience for our team! We had an amazing time attending talks, participating in side events, and bonding as a team.

Some of the highlights include:

• Griff's Talk: Griff gave an outstanding presentation titled "Bringing Safety & Simplicity to Wallets," featuring the Unicorn.eth wallet. If you missed it, you can watch the recording here.

• Zepti and Anamarija's Presentation: Zepti and Anamarija shared their insights on Pairwise and how it was used in Retro Funding Round 4 as an experimental tool for voting. 

• Regen Village: We also enjoyed hanging out at Regen Village with our regen friends, which was a perfect opportunity for us to connect and relax.

🔍 Deep Dives: RWA

Real World Assets (RWAs) are physical or tangible assets such as real estate, commodities, and bonds, tokenized into digital assets on a blockchain.

Magic of RWAs:

• Enhanced liquidity: Tokenization enables fractional ownership, increasing the liquidity of traditionally illiquid assets.

• Transparency: Blockchain provides a transparent and immutable record of ownership and transactions.

Challenges:

• Regulatory compliance: Navigating legal frameworks across different jurisdictions can be complex.

• Security concerns: Ensuring the security of tokenized assets against fraud and cyber-attacks is critical.

In conclusion, although RWAs have their challenges, this mechanism not only democratizes investment access but also paves the way for a more diversified and inclusive landscape of asset ownership. RWA tokens bridge the old with the new, a more level playing field in traditional financial markets.

As the technology and regulatory frameworks evolve, the adoption of RWAs could become a cornerstone of the digital economy! 💫

🪐 Logs from the Giveth Galaxy

🔄Pairwise Pairwise recently conducted a community signaling experiment in Retro Funding Round 4 (RF4), engaging stakeholders to vote on 230 projects across 11 categories, the experiment provided valuable insights for improving community engagement and decision-making. Read more about the findings here

💜 Giveth Giveth is hosting the GIV-ARB QF Round in collaboration with Thank Arbitrum! This special round aims to supercharge the efforts of Arbitrum builders. It's a fantastic opportunity to support innovative projects and amplify your contributions.

🙏 Praise Praise is running an exciting content bounty program on Farcaster—just cast about Praise and use the Praise bot in the Optimism Discord to participate 

🦄 Unicorn.eth Griff gave an amazing talk at EthCC, highlighting the importance of bringing safety and simplicity to wallets while showcasing the Unicorn.eth wallet. If you missed it, you can watch the recording here.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

 

After months of hard work and dedication, we are happy to announce the launch of our brand-new website and upgraded brand.

Our previous brand and website

Our previous brand was all about being trendy and experimental, reflecting our journey to find our place in the web3 space. It was trippy, flashy, and urban – a mix of everything as we explored different avenues.

We had many services, trying a bit of anything and everything. This unfortunately meant potential leads were often unsure on where we really excelled in, and how we could help them realize their vision and business goals.

This phase allowed us to connect with a diverse audience to showcase our creative side.

Our New Branding and Website

Our new branding reflects a mature and sophisticated product studio and agency. It is designed to embody our commitment to building a free, open and democratic internet in a professional manner.

We have focused on a few select services where we excel, namely:

• Branding & Product Design (Helping projects tell their stories, and design user-friendly and attractive products)

• Grants Management (Helping projects find, apply, and receive grants).

We are also a Product Studio developing a number of in-house projects:

• Praise – A Positive Reinforcement community intelligence tool to improve DAO culture for more recognition and encouragement among members, while improving community insight to build together better.

• Pairwise – An app to make retro funding on Optimism more fun & easy, and increase discoverability for new and smaller projects

• Unicorn.ETH – The safest web3 wallet so newbies and OGs alike can stop getting rugged in the world of web3.

• Swag Shop - Launch your public goods project's merch store effortlessly with zero upfront costs.

Key Changes in Our Branding:

• Logo: We have simplified and cleaned up our logo while maintaining its original essence, modernizing the typeface and transitioning from mixed-case to a full lowercase wordmark - giving it a more approachable look. The iconic magic sparks remained.

• Colors: Our color palette has been reduced and simplified. We've kept only the colors that align with our agency’s core values and personality. Purples for imagination and creativity, teal green for balance and harmony, and the new yellow-green for a fresh jolt of energy. 

• Typography: We have moved from bold, "in-your-face" fonts to more polished and refined typography, pairing the boldly elegant serif font Denton with the incredibly versatile Onest.

• Illustrations: Our illustrations have also been honed in towards a more limited and consistent style, enhancing our visual coherence.

And of course, we couldn’t go out without some cool swag to show off the new brand!

Some t-shirts and holographic stickers already debuted at the BlockSplit 2024 conference in Split, Croatia, and we're eager to roll out more items soon.

New Website Features

Our new website is designed with you in mind.

It features:

• User-Friendly Navigation: Easily find what you're looking for with our improved layout.

• Enhanced Content: Clear case studies and services.

• Mobile Optimization: Enjoy a seamless experience on any device.

We invite you to explore our new website at generalmagic.io and experience this upgrade firsthand!

Your feedback is invaluable to us, so please don't hesitate to share your thoughts! 

Thank you for your continued support. ✨

General Magic

So, without further ado, let's jump right in and explore what's been happening in our community!

👇

Public Goods Project of the Month: Green Pill Network 🟢💊 (@greenpillnet) 

The Greenpill Network is all about using Web3 tech to make the world a better place. Starting in 2022 with a cool book and podcast on web3 and sustainability, they've come a long way! Their podcast, with Bankless, has been a hit, drawing in thousands of listeners per episode. They've even expanded globally with 13 chapters worldwide!

Their goal? 

To make regenerative web3 tools accessible to everyone and fund sustainable development in innovative ways, all while building a strong community.

Our Magic: Rebranding RetroPGF Community 

This month, we've been working hard behind the scenes to make some exciting things happen. First up, we've been putting our creative hats on for the RetroPGF community rebranding. Now it has a fresh new look and feel! And that's not all—stay tuned for the launch of our new website to go along with it.

We've also been busy with design and marketing work for the upcoming BlockSplit conference, happening at the end of May. In addition to our ongoing projects, there's even more excitement building behind the scenes—but shh, it's top secret for now. Keep your eyes peeled because we will start announcing it very soon.

🙏High Praise: Kristina

Let's give a big round of applause to Kristina, our star of the month! 🌟

Kristina has been receiving heaps of praise for her outstanding work in creating those eye-catching graphics you've been loving on our social media and in our projects. She's not just talented but also incredibly helpful and super quick to respond whenever we need her. 

We're incredibly grateful to have Kristina on our team, spreading positivity and making our community shine.

Deep Dives: Liquid Staking 

Let's dive deeper into the fascinating world of liquid staking—a process that revolutionizes how users engage with proof-of-stake (PoS) networks.

At its core, liquid staking involves staking cryptocurrency assets, like ether or solana, in exchange for a tradable asset known as a liquid staking token (LST). This token represents the staked assets and offers users flexibility and liquidity—a departure from traditional staking, which locks up assets until they're unstaked.

Here's how it works:

• Staking Contribution: Users lock up their cryptocurrency tokens in a smart contract or staking platform, contributing to the security and consensus of the PoS network. In return, they earn staking rewards.

• Liquid Staking Tokens (LST): Instead of locking liquidity and claiming yield, users are issued an LST, which represents their staked asset and yield value. These tokens can be freely traded on various DeFi platforms or used as collateral in lending protocols, unlocking their value for additional use within the ecosystem.

Now, let's explore the two main approaches to liquid staking:

• Centralized Platforms: Popular exchanges like Coinbase and Binance offer centralized liquid staking services. Users delegate their assets to these platforms, which handle the staking process on their behalf. While convenient, this method exposes users to counterparty risks associated with centralized custody.

• Decentralized Protocols: Protocols like Lido Finance and Rocket Pool provide decentralized alternatives to liquid staking. Here, users retain full control over their assets and participate directly in the staking process without relying on intermediaries. However, decentralized staking may require users to navigate technical complexities and be mindful of smart contract risks. These complexities provide opportunities for simplified solutions, such as Asymmetry Finance's LST which is weighted among numerous ETH LSTs, encouraging Ethereum decentralization and reducing slippage for the staker.

When considering liquid staking, it's essential to weigh the benefits against potential drawbacks:

• Smart Contract Risks: As with any DeFi application, users are exposed to smart contract vulnerabilities that could compromise their staked assets.

• Reduced Governance Rights: By staking, users may forfeit certain governance privileges associated with their tokens, limiting their participation in onchain governance decisions.

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop! 

Our Swag Shop is filled with items from various Public Goods projects. So, not only can you add a stylish touch to your outfit, but you can also support the mission and purpose with every purchase you make. It's like giving something back in exchange for something great. 🛍

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy: 

🔄Pairwise is participating in the ENS Small Grants Public Goods Round! If you hold ENS tokens, your support could help us innovate and enhance community voting. 

💜 Giveth Today marks the final day to donate in the ENS Builders Round on Giveth🌟 Plus, get ready for the upcoming Galactic Giving QF Round on Arbitrum, launching May 2nd with over $30,000 in matching funds! 🚀 And in exciting news, $GIV has now landed on LBank, reaching an even broader global audience. Stay tuned for more remarkable updates from the Giveth team! 

🙏 Praise announced the launch of its brand-new Bounty Program! This is your chance to shine in their content creation contest, where the top three submissions will be rewarded with 25 OPs each, plus a special NFT. Here is how to participate

🌿Token Engineering QF Grants Round Supported by a $50,000 matching fund, generously provided by TEC and Gitcoin, this round aims to empower projects in research, education, software development, and social infrastructure. Applications are being accepted until April 16, with the donation round kicking off on April 23. Head over to the Token Engineering Grants Portal now for eligibility requirements and application details.

🟡🟣 RetroPGF Community has just released an exciting update: a comprehensive rebranding of their Twitter page! This transformation aims to broaden the scope and cover more RetroPGF initiatives within the ecosystem. 

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

It's hard to believe how quickly the month has passed, isn't it? 

Let's take a moment to catch up on all the highlights and exciting events that have unfolded over the past few weeks 

👇

Impact DAO of the Month: ReFi DAO

ReFi DAO is a community-driven organization using blockchain technology to promote regenerative finance principles worldwide. They empower communities through knowledge sharing, fundraising support, and fostering opportunities aligned with their mission. 

Central to their efforts are ReFi Local Nodes, acting as community hubs for grassroots regenerative initiatives. Through supporting projects and building an online community, ReFi DAO showcases the transformative potential of regenerative economics in addressing global challenges.

Our Magic

We've been on a mission to conduct more UX audits this month, and you can find them in our GitHub repository. Stay tuned for an upcoming article where we'll delve deeper into our findings! Speaking of missions, it's been a busy time as we've submitted mission applications for Optimism Season 5.

Plus, we're currently hard at work on several exciting projects that we can't reveal just yet.

Stay tuned for updates - trust us, they'll be worth the wait!

🙏High Praise:  Krati 

It's that time again when we come together in our #Praise channel to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of our team members.

This month, we're giving a big shoutout to Krati for her outstanding contributions to our community. Serving as our CTO and leading our dev team, Krati skillfully manages and supervises our development projects.

We're truly thankful for Krati's efforts in making General Magic thrive. 

Deep Dives: Account Abstraction

Account abstraction refers to a concept aimed at simplifying user interactions with the blockchain by redefining how accounts are managed and operated. It seeks to hide technical complexities from users, allowing them to benefit from advanced features and functionalities without needing to understand the underlying technical processes. Essentially, it abstracts away the intricacies of account management to provide a more user-friendly and intuitive experience.

Now, let's dig into the basics of account abstraction

1. Understanding Ethereum Accounts: Ethereum primarily operates with two types of accounts - Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) and Contract Accounts (CAs). EOAs are controlled by private keys and are used by regular users to interact with the Ethereum network, while CAs, also known as smart contracts, are deployed on the network and execute predefined code when triggered by transactions.

2. Limitations of EOAs: EOAs have limitations in terms of user-friendliness and functionality. Users need to manage their private keys securely, and losing access to the private key can result in a complete loss of funds. Additionally, EOAs are required to initiate all actions on the network, including transactions and interactions with smart contracts, which can be cumbersome and limit certain functionalities like batch transactions.

3. Smart Contract Wallets: Account abstraction seeks to address these limitations by effectively turning EOAs into smart contracts. This enables the creation of smart contract wallets, where users can benefit from enhanced security features and improved user experience. Smart contract wallets can incorporate advanced security measures such as biometric verification or social recovery mechanisms, reducing the reliance on private keys and mitigating the risks associated with key management.

4. Flexible Functionality: Smart contract wallets offer greater flexibility in terms of functionality compared to traditional EOAs. They can facilitate features like paying transaction fees in various tokens, automating payments, batching transactions for improved efficiency, and setting session-based interactions for specific use cases like gaming or social networking.

5. Progress and Adoption: While the concept of account abstraction has been under discussion for some time, recent developments, such as the authorization of EIP 4337, indicate progress towards its implementation on the Ethereum network. Additionally, Layer 2 solutions like StarkNet and ZK Sync have embraced account abstraction, showcasing its potential to enhance scalability and usability beyond the Ethereum mainnet.

If you're eager to explore further, there's a fantastic workshop centered around the topic of account abstraction.

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop! 

TEC, short for Token Engineering Commons, is on a mission to become the go-to hub for the token engineering community. Their goal? To fund projects, develop best practices, and unite the token engineering field around ethical principles and standards.

And here's how you can support them: Every purchase from our swag shop directly contributes to TEC's mission. So, by snagging some TEC merch, you're not just adding cool items to your wardrobe — you're also helping TEC continue their important work in shaping the future of tokenized economies.

Join us in supporting TEC and their efforts to create a more sustainable and ethical world through token engineering.

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy: 

🔄Pairwise is taking part in the Glo Dollar x Arbitrum QF Round, and your support would mean the world to us! 

💜 Giveth It's been another incredibly eventful month for Giveth! They recently wrapped up a successful QF round with Meta Pool for projects in the APAC region. Plus, they've just announced a new QF round with ENS DAO, happening very soon. Also Giveth just announced that Arbitrum is now live on their platform for all projects and donors.

🙏 Praise has just published a new article to help you master the art of giving Praise. Take a moment to give it a read and discover valuable insights on how to make Praise a regular habit.

🌞Our fundraising team started Office Hours for anyone interested in delving into public goods grants and expanding their knowledge through open discussions.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

In this article, we're diving into what Praise is all about, breaking down how it works and sharing some tips on writing praise that really hits home with your fellow community members. 

What is Praise? 

At its core, Praise is a community intelligence and rewards system designed to strengthen online communities through peer recognition and tokenized incentives. It empowers community members to openly acknowledge and appreciate each other's contributions through simple peer-to-peer messages called "praise statements." These statements serve as a transparent record of community participation, fostering a culture of appreciation, gratitude, and cooperation.

Praise operates as a Discord bot, seamlessly integrated into communities such as Giveth, Optimism, GnosisDAO, General Magic, DAppNode, ShapeShift, RefiDAO, Commons Stack, and many others.

4 steps of Praise

1. Praising: The journey begins with praising - the act of acknowledging and appreciating someone's contributions within the community. Using the Praise bot, community members can easily initiate praise statements by typing commands like "/praise @username" and describing the contribution in detail. Being specific and providing context about the impact enhances the richness of the praise data.

2. Quantification: Once praise statements are submitted, trusted community members known as quantifiers independently review and assign numerical scores based on the perceived impact and value of each praise. This transformation from subjective feedback to objective metrics is crucial for powering community intelligence and rewards systems.

3. Analysis: Praise offers a suite of analytical tools, including an interactive dashboard and custom reporting capabilities, to unlock insights from praise data. These insights provide community leaders with valuable information about community health, participation trends, top contributors, and more, enabling informed decision-making and optimization of incentives.

4. Reward: The final step involves rewarding contributors for their efforts and contributions. Praise provides a user-friendly reward distribution tool that supports various formats, including monetary and non-monetary rewards. Community members can choose from predefined distribution strategies or create their own, ensuring that rewards align with community values and goals.

Crafting Effective Praise

Writing effective praise requires a thoughtful approach that captures the essence of someone's contribution and its impact on the community. Here are some guidelines to help you craft meaningful praise statements:

1. Be Specific: When praising someone, be sure to name the exact contribution you're acknowledging. Providing specific details about their actions or achievements adds depth and authenticity to your praise.

2. Express Impact: Highlight how the individual's contribution has made a difference, either to you personally or to the community as a whole. Sharing the tangible outcomes or benefits resulting from their actions adds significance to your praise
   

Examples of Effective Praise

Let's take a look at some examples of effective praise statements that embody these principles:

As we navigate the intricacies of online interaction, let us remember the transformative power of praise in amplifying voices, building connections and nurturing a sense of belonging.

By embracing the principles of effective praise and leveraging tools like Praise, we can create inclusive and vibrant communities where every member feels valued and empowered to make a difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read our article on mastering the art of Praise! We hope you found it insightful and inspiring.

For an even deeper dive into the world of Praise and how it can transform online communities, be sure to visit Praise website.

Let's continue spreading positivity and appreciation together! 🌟

In this article, we delve into the results of a comprehensive UX audit conducted on the DeBank platform, highlighting key findings and recommendations to enhance usability and overall satisfaction.

Onboarding and First Impression

Upon entering the DeBank platform, users are greeted with an interface that holds promise but falls short in effectively communicating its purpose and guiding users seamlessly through their journey. The lack of a clear tagline leaves users in the dark about the platform's offerings, hindering their ability to immediately grasp its value proposition. Furthermore, crucial information fails to capture users' attention above the fold line, potentially resulting in disengagement as users may not delve deeper for essential details.

To address these issues, we recommend implementing a clear, concise tagline at the top of the homepage to communicate the platform's purpose effectively, prioritizing key information like the tagline and essential features above the fold to capture user attention immediately, and establishing a clear visual hierarchy through typography, color, and layout to facilitate intuitive navigation and content comprehension.

Task Orientation 

DeBank platform faces several low-priority issues that could be improved to enhance user experience. There's an excess of unnecessary screens, causing information overload and a disconnect from users' objectives. To tackle this, we suggest: 

• analyzing existing flows to eliminate redundant steps, 

• implementing progressive disclosure, and 

• providing interactive demos for user experimentation.

Another concern is the fragmented user experience caused by the platform's structure, requiring users to remember information across tasks. Additionally, the onboarding process lacks guidance for first-time users. To address these, we recommend: 

• designing task-driven interfaces, 

• implementing contextual navigation, and 

• maintaining active user sessions. 

These interventions aim to streamline user interactions and enhance satisfaction with the DeBank platform.

Navigation and Information Architecture

In terms of navigation and information architecture, DeBank faces several issues, Including wrong Homepage redirection link, poorly placed navigation tabs, and cluttered content. Recommendations include introducing Home link that actually consistently navigates to a home page, optimizing navigation tabs, and conducting content audits.

Additionally, convoluted information hierarchies and complex navigation paths need streamlining. Providing comprehensive task overviews and ensuring consistent back button behavior are also recommended. These interventions aim to enhance user experience by simplifying navigation and improving overall usability.

Trust and Credibility

DeBank faces a low-priority issue regarding the strategic placement of non-intrusive ads to maintain revenue without compromising user experience. If advertising DeBank should:

• Integrate ads in areas that don't disrupt critical content

• Opt for less disruptive formats like banners or sponsored content

Writing and Content Quality

Addressing another low-priority issue involves optimizing content pages for quick information absorption. By establishing a structured hierarchy of headings and subheadings, content can be visually organized for enhanced clarity. Utilizing various font sizes, styles, or colors to differentiate heading levels aids users in swiftly scanning and navigating the page. This structured hierarchy enables users to focus on pertinent sections aligned with their information requirements, thereby improving the overall user experience.

Page Layout and Visual Design

In the domain of page layout and visual design, DeBank faces medium-priority issues, including ineffective visual hierarchy for next steps and a lack of clear starting points on each page, alongside challenges with consistent use of clickable affordances and grid-based alignment of items. Recommendations include establishing clear visual hierarchies, designating focal points, ensuring consistent use of clickable affordances, and aligning items to a grid system for a structured and engaging user experience.

Search Usability

DeBank encounters various usability challenges related to search functionality, including issues with error messaging, query enhancement, and advanced search capabilities. These challenges hinder users from efficiently finding relevant information and completing tasks. To address these concerns, DeBank should:

• Establish clear visual hierarchies

• Designate focal points

• Ensure consistent use of clickable affordances

• Align items to a grid system

Errors, Help, and Learnability

In terms of errors, help, and learnability, DeBank faces hurdles such as the absence of tutorials and feedback mechanisms for user learning. This deficiency can lead to user frustration and reduced engagement. To mitigate these challenges, DeBank should develop an onboarding process that introduces users to key features and functionalities.

Incorporating "Did You Know?" tips and employing progressive disclosure techniques can further enhance user understanding and encourage exploration of the platform's capabilities.

Transparency of Data Provenance

Concerns regarding transparency of data provenance arise from the lack of clear indicators for blockchain-derived data. Users may struggle to discern the authenticity and reliability of the information presented. DeBank can address this issue by introducing visual indicators to differentiate blockchain data from other sources, thereby enhancing transparency and bolstering user trust in the platform.

Transparency of Smart Contract Events

Insufficient visibility of events, particularly those relevant to developers, poses usability challenges for users. By prominently displaying all events in a dedicated section accessible from the main interface, DeBank can improve accessibility and foster greater user engagement with platform events.

Transparency and Accessibility of User’s Interaction History

Unclear indications of user interaction history storage and the absence of tools for managing interaction history hinder user control and usability. To address these issues, DeBank should communicate storage details to users and introduce user-friendly tools for managing transaction data, thereby enhancing transparency and usability.

Transparency of Code

Challenges related to the transparency of code stem from the absence of indicators for open-source components and unclear indications of data sourced from oracles. By introducing badges for open-source code and clearly indicating data sourced from or influenced by oracles, DeBank can enhance transparency and provide users with valuable insights into the platform's underlying infrastructure.

Permanent Newbie Mode

The lack of multi-level educational content and contextual tooltips limits user learning and exploration.

To address this, DeBank should:

• Integrate educational content

• Develop multi-level resources
  

Gas Price and Transaction Reversal

Challenges related to gas price suggestions and explanations of gas concepts hinder users from making informed decisions regarding transactions. By providing gas price ranges, time approximations, and clear explanations of gas functions, DeBank can enhance user understanding and streamline transaction processes, ultimately improving overall usability and user satisfaction.

The usability score for DeBank, resulting from the comprehensive UX audit, was 75.7%. This score suggests a relatively good level of usability, indicating that users can interact with the platform with relative ease and complete most tasks without significant barriers or frustrations.

https://debank.com

DeBank | The Web3 Messenger & Best Web3 Portfolio Tracker

The real Web3-native messenger and the best web3 portfolio tracker that covers all your tokens, DeFi protocols, NFTs across all EVM chains.

However, there are areas for improvement to further enhance the user experience and align with industry best practices and Web3 usability guidelines.

The UX audit underscores the importance of continuous improvement and user-centric design in decentralized finance. By addressing identified issues and implementing recommended enhancements, DeBank can elevate its platform to new heights of usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction.

For the full audit report of DeBank and access to other valuable resources, visit our GitHub repository.

While it might feel like it lasted four months for some, here at General Magic, it flew by in the blink of an eye. 

Let's dive into all the incredible things we've accomplished together in the past month.

👇 

Impact DAO of the Month: Polygon 🟣

This month, the spotlight shines on Polygon, formerly known as Matic Network, Polygon positions itself as a solution to some of Ethereum's challenges. MATIC serves as Polygon's native cryptocurrency, operating as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain. It governs and secures the Polygon network while facilitating transaction fees.

To understand Polygon, it's essential to grasp Ethereum's trilemma, which revolves around balancing:

• decentralization

• security

• and scalability

Ethereum, while emphasizing decentralization and security, faces scalability issues, resulting in slow and costly transactions. In contrast, Polygon, acting as a Layer 2 blockchain, focuses on enhancing transaction speeds and reducing costs, complementing Ethereum's infrastructure rather than duplicating it.

Our Magic: 

Our team has been hard at work on some exciting projects, although we can't share details just yet. However, we can tell you that our designers and marketing team joined forces to dive into UX audits, we recently completed a thorough UX audit on Arrakis Finance. This platform, known for its trustless market making infrastructure on Uniswap V3, has garnered attention from DeFi enthusiasts worldwide.

https://blog.generalmagic.io

Optimizing User Experience: Key Insights from the Arrakis Finance UX Audit

In our ongoing quest for user-centric excellence in the Web3 landscape, we recently conducted a comprehensive UX audit on Arrakis Finance. This platf...

If you're eager to delve deeper into our findings, including detailed insights and strategic recommendations, please visit our Github repository.

This month marked the beginning of our collaboration with BlockSplit, where we've started working on their social media presence and improving the current website. We're excited to continue these efforts, ensuring everything is in top shape for the upcoming event in May.

And you know what's even better? We'll be hosting a giveaway in the next few months, giving you a chance to snag some tickets and join in on the fun!!

🙏High Praise: Griff 

Let's give a huge round of applause to Griff, our high praise for this month! 

As a co-founder and a key pillar of our community, Griff's contributions are truly outstanding. 

What sets Griff apart is not just his incredible attention to detail and involvement in every aspect, but also his infectious optimism! 

Griff is hands down the most optimistic person we know, and his positive energy never fails to lift our spirits.

From business development to nurturing client relationships. He's not just a strategic thinker but also the heart and soul of our community, filling it with harmony and good vibes.

Griff, thank you for your constant dedication to our collective growth! 

Deep Dives: Client Diversity

Understanding the role of diverse clients in the Ethereum network is crucial for maintaining its resilience and decentralization.

Ethereum clients are essential software applications that implement the Ethereum protocol, allowing users to interact with the network. They handle tasks like executing smart contracts, validating transactions, and transmitting data between nodes.

So why is client diversity such a big deal? 

This multi-client architecture enhances security by reducing the risk of targeted attacks and spreading the network's load across different clients. It also ensures that if one client encounters a bug, the rest of the network can continue operating smoothly while a fix is implemented.

Relying too heavily on a single client, like Geth, which currently dominates around 78% of Ethereum nodes, increases the risk of systemic failure in the event of a bug or exploit. 

By embracing client diversity, Ethereum can improve its resilience and better navigate potential challenges in the future.

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop! 

Support the Future of Giving in Style with Giveth Merch!

This month, we're excited to showcase a range of Giveth merch available in our shop. From shirts and tote bags to mugs and hats, there's something for everyone to enjoy while contributing to Giveth’s mission of transforming the way we fund public goods. 

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy: 

It's been an exciting month for the entire Giveth Galaxy

✨RetroPGF Round 3 Results were announced, and we're incredibly grateful for the support of badgeholders and everyone involved. Praise, Pairwise, RetroPGF community, Public Goods Grant Management, Giveth, Commons Stack, and many other amazing projects we love were recognized for their past efforts.

We also participated in Octant Epoch 2 and extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who allocated their rewards to Pairwise, Praise, and Giveth. 🫶

💜 Giveth achieved significant milestones this month by successfully running two QF rounds, one on Optimism and the other on Polygon, and we believe this is just the beginning. 

🔄Pairwise published a forum post detailing past contributions and outlining potential strategies for the next RetroPGF.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

Today, we are excited to share detailed insights and recommendations from our thorough examination.

Before we delve into the specifics, it's crucial to highlight the platform's usability score of 78.17%. This score signifies that users can navigate the platform with relative ease. However, our audit brought to light areas where thoughtful enhancements could elevate the overall user experience.

1. Onboarding and First Impressions: Crafting a Positive User Introduction

The platform's home page currently lacks a professionally designed layout, impacting the initial user impression and engagement. To enhance this, we recommend streamlining the home page by removing unnecessary elements, implementing a clear Call-to-Action (CTA), and integrating engaging storytelling elements to communicate the platform's mission effectively.

2. Task Orientation and Site Functionality: Guiding Users through a Seamless Journey

Arrakis Finance needs to provide a clearer critical path for users, facilitating a more straightforward navigation experience. To address this, we suggest developing an interactive onboarding process, creating a demo or sandbox environment for users to experiment with features, and implementing a system for progressive disclosure.

3. Navigation and Information Architecture: Improving Clarity in User Navigation

The platform currently lacks visible changes when hovering over clickable elements, affecting user recognition of interactive elements. Recommendations include implementing noticeable hover effects, ensuring clear visual alterations against the background, and maintaining consistency in hover effects across different elements.

4. Page Layout and Visual Design: Fostering Visual Cohesiveness

To address issues of misalignment and visual clutter, we recommend implementing a robust grid system to guide page layout, defining both horizontal and vertical alignments. Ensuring consistent margins and padding around elements contributes to a visually pleasing and well-organized layout.

5. Search Usability: Streamlining Content Discovery

Improvements in search result ranking and displaying a visible count can significantly enhance user experience. Recommendations include presenting search results clearly with essential information and displaying a visible count on the search results page.

6. Help, Feedback, and Error Tolerance: Empowering User Interactions

Arrakis Finance can further empower users by introducing interactive tutorials, providing step-by-step instructions and hands-on practice. Additionally, error correction prompts should be implemented to guide users when their input is potentially incorrect or misspelled.

7. Transparency of Data Provenance: Clarifying Data Sources

To enhance transparency, Arrakis Finance should clearly differentiate data originating from the blockchain and from other sources. Additionally, disclosure of the sources of data obtained from oracles will contribute to a more transparent user experience.

8. Transparency of Smart Contract Events: Illuminating Developer Events

Introducing a clear and consistent labeling system for events primarily designed for developers will enhance user understanding and engagement.

9. Transparency and Accessibility of User’s Interaction History: Bringing Clarity to Transactions

Arrakis Finance can improve transparency by introducing a dedicated and prominently placed section or tab within the application interface that clearly indicates the presence of a transaction history. Additionally, communicating whether the transaction history is stored locally on the user's device or on the server will enhance user transparency and control.

10. Transparency of Code: Fostering Openness

To address ambiguity in open-source code, Arrakis Finance should provide clear documentation explicitly stating which portions of the code are open-source. Indicating the execution environment of the code, whether locally on the user's device or on remote servers, will address concerns related to privacy and security.

11. Human-Readable Hashes Format: Enhancing User Interaction

Improving user interaction with addresses and hashes involves implementing a user-friendly solution to expand full details with a single click or tap. Additionally, introducing an easily accessible "Copy" button or icon right next to addresses or hashes will enhance user convenience.

12. Permanent Newbie Mode: Structuring Educational Content

Arrakis Finance can enhance user education by implementing a two-tiered educational structure with distinct levels focusing on Blockchain basics and Dapp-specific lingo. Creating progressive learning modules that follow a logical sequence will prevent cognitive overload and promote effective knowledge absorption.

13. Gas Price and Transaction Reversal: Empowering User Decisions

In addressing serious concerns, Arrakis Finance should suggest gas price ranges and provide time estimates for transactions. Introducing a transaction reversal mechanism will offer users the ability to undo unintended or erroneous transactions, providing a safety net and enhancing user control.

In summary, our exploration into Arrakis Finance has revealed areas for refinement and improvement to further elevate the user experience. As advocates for seamless and user-centric design, we believe these recommendations will contribute to the ongoing success and evolution of Arrakis Finance in the decentralized finance space.

At General Magic, we're a team passionate about Web3, with expertise in product design, branding and software development.

If you ever want to chat about enhancing the digital world or simply share ideas, we're all ears.

Let's connect and explore possibilities together.

Our team of top-notch Web3 professionals worked closely with Asymmetry Finance to revamp their website, enhancing the staking experience for users. We provided comprehensive web3 design solutions, including the development of a dark mode version of the platform and addressing challenges in implementing the UX flow, pixel-perfect representation, scalability and interoperability.

But before we jump into all of that let’s first introduce you to Asymmetry Finance.

Introduction to Asymmetry Finance

Asymmetry Finance is a protocol on a mission to address the issue of centralization within the staked Ether market by mitigating the risks posed by a dominant Liquid Staking Token (LST) controlling an unsafe amount of Ethereum nodes. The company offers a managed portfolio of liquid staking tokens, leveraging algorithmic strategies to optimize returns across a variety of different DeFi products, with its primary offering being safETH.

The Challenge

In the process of crafting and streamlining decentralized finance and an innovative yield model, the challenge was to present comprehensive data in a user-friendly and engaging manner while prioritizing security and transparency. The goal was to convey information, particularly regarding yield distribution, in a way that's easily comprehensible to everyone and provide clear directions to users on staking and investment decisions.

Our Approach

Asymmetry Finance aims to redefine simplicity in decentralized finance while ensuring security, reliability, and flexibility for its users. To fulfill this vision, we embarked on a journey to enhance Asymmetry Finance's visual identity and user experience, crafting a cohesive and intuitive design ecosystem that aligns with the company's commitment to user-friendly staking solutions.

Brand Concept - Totemic Fragmentations

Our visual concept, "Totemic Fragmentations," embodies the interconnected nature of financial products, symbolizing the derivative stack and the harmonious layers of offerings that function as cohesive building blocks within the Asymmetry ecosystem.

Crafting the Landing Page

The landing page serves as the gateway to Asymmetry Finance's world of decentralized finance, introducing SAFETH and AFETH, two pillars of simplicity and flexibility. SAFETH ensures security and reliability, while AFETH provides the flexibility for optimal returns, showcasing Asymmetry's dedication to empowering users with accessible staking solutions.

Designing the dApp Section

The dApp section features a dynamic switchable tab for staking ETH, receiving safETH or afETH, and tracking staked positions, APY, rewards, and underlying assets, providing users with a seamless and informative experience to manage their staking activities effectively.

Creating a Dedicated Stake Assets Page

A dedicated page was meticulously crafted to explain the functionality and composition of each stake asset, equipping users with comprehensive information to make informed decisions about their staking investments.

Optimizing for Mobile Devices

The designs were carefully optimized for mobile and smaller screens, ensuring accessibility, touch-friendly navigation, and responsiveness, delivering a seamless user experience across various devices.

Introducing Dark Mode

In response to user preferences, we developed a dark mode version of the platform to reduce eye strain and enhance visibility in low-light environments, offering a comfortable and versatile user experience.

Development

The development phase entailed addressing challenges in implementing the UX flow, ensuring pixel-perfect representation, scalability, and interoperability, laying the foundation for a robust and user-centric platform experience.

Impact of Our Work

Our collaboration with Asymmetry Finance involved striking a delicate balance between user education, transparent risk communication, mobile responsiveness, and robust security. The transformation brought to Asymmetry Finance's platform aims to empower users in navigating decentralized finance while ensuring their trust, security, and meaningful participation in the crypto space.

By leveraging our diverse range of web3-related talents and revenue share partnership model, we assisted Asymmetry Finance in creating resources from scratch, designing their product from ideation to prototyping, and making it ready to go-to-market.

In conclusion, our collaboration with Asymmetry Finance reflects General Magic's commitment to providing top-notch Web3 design solutions, empowering projects in the Web3 and Public Goods space to achieve their goals and create greater value for society, while contributing to a brighter future for the Decentralized Web.

But before we unfold the wonders that await, let's take a moment to check back on what was new in the last month of 2023 and wish every one of you a Happy New Year! 

Impact DAO of the Month: Giveth

In the spotlight, this month is Giveth, a community dedicated to Building the Future of Giving using blockchain technology. 🌍✨

At the heart of Giveth's mission is the drive to support and reward the funding of public goods by providing open, transparent, and free access to revolutionary funding opportunities within the Ethereum ecosystem. 🛣💸

Creating a Culture of Giving: Giveth is more than a platform it represents a culture of giving that empowers and rewards those who contribute to projects, society, and the world. The community strives to inspire a collective spirit of support, abundance, and value creation. 

Projects in the GIViverse: While Giveth has many projects within its universe, the core entities are Giveth.io and the GIVeconomy. 🚀

• Giveth.io: A platform where you can donate to projects or propose initiatives in need of funding.

• GIVeconomy: The broader ecosystem, fostering a network of organizations committed to building a transparent, decentralized Future of Giving. 

Recent Impactful Initiatives: Giveth recently orchestrated the "Giving Season" Quadratic Funding Round on Optimism, wrapping up the year with a flurry of impactful contributions.

And guess what? 

To kick off the new year, Giveth is gearing up for another Quadratic Funding Round, this time on Polygon! 

Our Magic 🪄

While December was the month most of our team members went on well deserved holiday we still opened some new projects that we will continue working on during the new year. We've been putting on our creative hats once again, this time diving into cool stuff like designing and spicing up social media for the BlockSplit conference that is set for this May. But wait, there's more! We've also kicked off an exciting project for ENS that we will reveal very soon.

🙏High Praise: Pedro

Big praise to our rockstar, Pedro!🌟 

This guy has been absolutely killing it with all things Notion, making our lives smoother and injecting some serious magic into our workflow.

Pedro, your boundless enthusiasm is seriously contagious, and we can't thank you enough for keeping the vibes positive and the collaboration strong.

Deep Dives: Grant programs in 2024

2024 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for builders and artists in the crypto space, with some standout grant programs that deserve your attention. 

Here's the lowdown on the top initiatives:

🔴 Optimism Foundation - RetroPGF Program

The Optimism Foundation, brains behind the OP Mainnet, is running the RetroPGF program. This funding initiative, launched in 2021, distributes OP tokens for on-chain public goods. The latest round is whopping—30 million OP (around $112 million), welcoming applications from infrastructure contributors to NFT artists. 

🔵 Arbitrum Foundation Grants Program

Arbitrum, Ethereum's go-to Layer 2 network, has an ongoing grants program focusing on developers and builders contributing to the infrastructure layer, tools, and apps. The latest Short-Term Incentive Program (STIPTIP) has added over 21 million ARB to the initial budget, totaling 70 million ARB (about $127 million).

🟣 Polygon Labs Grant Program

Polygon, another Layer 2 scaling solution, has revamped its grant program, Polygon Village, offering more than 110 million MATIC (about $100 million). Using quadratic funding, the program has three tracks, with different stacks providing varying funding amounts.

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop! 

We've spiced up our Merch Shop with some seriously cool additions! Stickers, hats, bottles, shirts and much more to choose from. 

With each piece you snag, you're not only upgrading your style game but also sending love to 7 different Impact DAOs and projects. It's like looking good while doing good.

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy: 

💜Giveth kicked off the festive spirit with a bang, launching a special holiday edition Quadratic Funding (QF) round on Optimism. Giving Season took part from December 19 to January 2.

🔄Pairwise played a role in the RetroPGF Round 3 voting process as a support tool for creating lists.

🌱Trusted Seed community took a unique route in December, steering through the Regen Alliances Unconference. Unfolding across almost the entire month, it was a journey of collaboration and innovation.

🔴 RetroPGF Community was on a mission again! This time, it was all about spreading the good vibes of retroactive public goods funding (RPGF) and shining a spotlight on the incredible projects that hopped on board. 

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄

From groundbreaking projects to the boundless creativity of our community, there's so much to dive into.

Impact DAO of the Month: Octant

We're thrilled to shine a spotlight on Octant, a groundbreaking initiative developed and funded by the Golem Foundation. Octant leverages GLM, an ERC-20 token native to the Golem Network, to experiment with user control, community engagement, and participatory funding for public goods. 

Here's why Octant is a game-changer:

🌐 Platform for Experimentation: Octant provides a real-life environment to test various hypotheses around decentralized governance and rewards active user participation with ETH.

🌟 Dual Rewards System: Octant's reward pool is divided into User Rewards and Matched Rewards, creating a dynamic ecosystem for participants.

💼 User Participation: To distribute Octant funds, users lock a minimum of 100 GLM for a 90-day epoch. The more GLM locked, the more rewards earned, along with increased voting power.

🔐 Non-Custodial Mechanism: Users have full control of their locked tokens and can withdraw them at any time, ensuring transparency and security.

🔄 Interactive Allocations: Users can adjust their allocations based on community preferences during the decision window, adding an engaging element to the process.

🤝 Community Engagement: Public goods projects actively engage with the Octant community to attract donations, fostering a vibrant ecosystem.

Our Magic: 

This month we've been fully immersed in the creation of the RetroPGF community website, a project close to our hearts. 

Additionally, our design team has been weaving their creative magic for Giveth, bringing fresh perspectives and innovation to the forefront. Keep an eye out for these exciting developments and more in the coming updates! 

🙏High Praise: Marko 

Praise to Marko for his multifaceted contributions to our community.

Marko embodies the spirit of stewardship and leadership in our community beyond his role as our design team leader. 

Our design team flourishes under Marko's guidance. In his hands, ideas become tangible works of art. His keen eye for detail and innovative approach ensure that every creation reflects our team's passion and dedication ✨👁🎨

Marko's leadership extends far beyond design; he embodies the true essence of teamwork, compassion, and excellence. We are grateful for his unwavering dedication and the positive impact he continues to make on our community.

Deep Dives:  Exploring Public Goods and Commons in Web3 🌱

In the world of Web3, we're diving into an exciting concept: public goods and commons. These are things that bring big value but often don't get enough support.

Let's break it down!

🧐 Understanding Public Goods and Commons

Imagine stuff that's open for everyone (like clean air) and using it doesn't stop others from using it too. That's what we call a public good. It's the same with things that benefit a whole bunch of people, like fair rules.

❌ Market Hiccups

Regular money systems sometimes struggle to fund these goodies. This leads to problems like some folks benefiting without pitching in (we call them "free riders") and resources getting overused.

🤝 Backing Public Goods

There are two main ways:

1. Team Effort: People and groups come together to support these goodies.

2. Rules in Place: Big players or rules set by leaders make sure these goods get what they need.

🌍 Public Goods in Our Society

Normally, taxes help fund these good things. But sometimes, this top-down approach doesn't always hit the sweet spot for local needs.

💻 Public Goods in the Internet Age

The internet gifted us with digital public goods like open-source software and platforms for sharing knowledge. These have been game-changers! They often get support from generous individuals or big organizations.

🚀 Web3: A New Frontier

Web3 gives us a fresh chance to fund these public goods. Cool tech like tokens and special designs can make sure these goodies get the love they deserve.

👥 Building Together

Web3 is all about community, working smart, and being ready for anything. This has led to new ways of sharing and supporting these valuable resources.

In Web3, we're not just talking about tech. We're talking about how we can make the world better for everyone. The possibilities are huge! 

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop! 

In a world where our choices echo beyond personal style, let your fashion be a statement of your values. 

This is why we're excited to introduce Gravity Swag Shop, a place where fashion and purpose meet and every garment reflects our commitment to the world and social justice.

Step into Gravity DAO's Store, where your style meets your values. Explore our range of products, including t-shirts, hoodies, water bottles, and mugs. Embedding ethical fashion and conscious living into every piece of clothing is part of what we are about. The items you choose will be catalysts for change as you incorporate them into your wardrobe.

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy: 

October has witnessed an incredible surge of energy within the Giveth Galaxy. Our involvement in RetroPGF3 as part of Optimism was a major highlight of this month. Working together, we made an important impact through our collaborative efforts and innovative ideas.

Let's turn our attention to a selection of remarkable events and achievements in the Giveth Galaxy during this month: 

💜Giveth launched its Quadratic Funding round on Optimism on October 9, having 125 verified projects with Optimism addresses, backed by 25,000 DAI in matching funds and $23,000 in contributions from individual donors, all thriving on the Optimism Network!

🙏Praise has continued its work in the Optimism community, making it the 3rd largest praising community.

🔴RetroPGF Community this month was marked by intense dedication.The highlight was the launch of our sleek new website, a central hub for all things RetroPGF. With this page, enthusiasts can learn about winning projects from past rounds of RetroPGF, as well as discover the latest community news.

🔄Pairwise has been hard at work implementing AI-powered categorization techniques for RetroPGF projects, ensuring a more efficient and accurate curation process.

🌱Trusted Seed was one of the projects that participated in the Optimism QF round at Giveth this month. They have also announced the launch of their 3rd edition of the Unconference called "Regen Alliances", a networking and incubation program for new ideas, projects and alliances that will take place during the months of November and December 2023.

🔶 Regen Score is officially live! This innovative tool is dedicated to on-chain regenerative activities linked to public goods. Utilizing a specially crafted scoring algorithm, it assesses individual regenerative actions on the blockchain, promoting trust, active involvement, and democratized governance within the public goods ecosystem. 

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄

Eager to know what's been brewing in our labs?

Le’ts explore our magic!

👇

Impact DAO of the Month: Giveth 💜

Thrilled to spotlight Giveth as our Impact DAO of the Month for September! 🚀

Giveth is a dynamic community dedicated to revolutionizing giving through blockchain technology.

Their mission?

To empower and reward public goods funding with absolute transparency within the Ethereum ecosystem. They've crafted a culture of giving that inspires collective support, abundance, and value-creation, setting a new standard for philanthropic endeavors.

This month, Giveth is on a mission to make a real impact. They're raising crucial funds for Moroccan earthquake victims, where a devastating 6.8 magnitude quake has left nearly 3,000 lives lost and countless more injured. The situation is dire, and Giveth is tirelessly collaborating with local partners to deliver vital aid swiftly.

Additionally, Giveth is standing with Libya in the aftermath of catastrophic floods. The crisis has claimed over 5,000 lives and displaced 34,000 individuals, leaving a profound need for immediate assistance. 

But that's not all! 

Giveth team has announced a new round of Quadratic Funding this time on Optimism. For more info on how the round will work check out the post down below 👇

Giveth

@Giveth

AMAZING NEWS!

We’re launching a Quadratic Funding (QF) round on @OptimismFND network and we'd love to see your public goods projects participating!

Only donations on Optimism will be eligible to be matched w/ additional funding.

How to participate?

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9:09 PM • Sep 27, 2023

Our Magic:

This month, we've been busy using our expertise to enhance user experiences across the blockchain landscape. We are excited to share that we conducted UX audits for some of the most innovative projects on the Optimism network:

• Curve Finance

• Beefy Finance

• Velodrome

• KyberSwap

These audits are a testament to our commitment to ensuring seamless, user-friendly experience in the crypto space.

For the complete presentations and in-depth analysis, head over to our GitHub repository where you can find detailed reports for all four audits.

We've also been hard at work preparing an enriching experience just for you! Mark your calendars for October 12, as we unveil an event tailored to supercharge your Web3 project.

🌟 Marketing for web3: 5 practical tips to help grow your project

Join us for an insightful session where we'll explore actionable strategies to fuel the growth of your Web3 project, DAO, or community. Be prepared for valuable discussions that will propel your initiatives to new heights.

Save the date and keep a close watch for more details!

🙏High Praise: Nico

In this month's Praise spotlight, we applaud Nico for his diverse and exceptional contributions that have added immense value to our community. 

Nico is our go-to person for contributor support tasks, and he displays exceptional dedication and responsiveness. By promoting a positive and collaborative environment within our community, he ensures our contributors receive the support they need.

It's his pivotal role that boosts organizational synergy, fosters teamwork, and creates a positive and supportive atmosphere.

Our community is fortunate to have you as an active member, Nico, and we appreciate your support 🙏✨🎉

Deep Dives: 

Retroactive Public Good Funding (RetroPGF), represents a transformative approach to recognizing and compensating contributors within the Optimism ecosystem. Unlike traditional funding models that operate on a transactional basis, RetroPGF looks back retrospectively to reward individuals for their past contributions, valuing their impact over time.

This innovative concept acknowledges that contributions to a collective effort can have a lasting and compounding effect on the overall success and growth of a project or initiative. RetroPGF seeks to align incentives, ensuring that those who have played a significant role in a project's development and success are appropriately recognized and rewarded.

About the Rounds:

🔴 RetroPGF 1 (Q4 2021): In its inaugural round, Optimism dedicated $1 million to empower projects that made substantial contributions to the Optimistic Ethereum ecosystem. Among 76 nominations, 58 projects were awarded funding, ranging from $14,670 to over $36,919.

🔴RetroPGF 2 (Q1 2023): This round allocated a formidable 10 million OP tokens to fortify public goods supporting the development and utilization of the OP Stack. Demonstrating a commitment to sustainable growth.

🔴RetroPGF 3 (November 2023): Round 3 is set to allocate an impressive 30 million OP tokens to acknowledge contributions instrumental in advancing Optimism's development and adoption.

If you've contributed to the Optimism ecosystem, now is the time to shine! Optimism announced that applications for third round of RetroPGF are officially open and you still have time until the 23rd of October to sign in.

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop!

It is possible to affect positive change through your clothing choice. Get inspired by our exclusive 1Hive collection - fashion for a cause - for the perfect way to elevate your style and support ethical initiatives.

The 1Hive collection not only embraces trends but also promotes fair practices and eco-friendly initiatives. Wearing these pieces contributes to ethical fashion and a sustainable future.

Interested in what we have to offer? Style isn't the only thing here. Delve into a collection where each piece embodies beauty, ethical values, and a shared mission for a better world. 

Ready to make an impact? Dive into 1Hive store today and let your fashion echo your beliefs! 🛍️🌿

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy: 

September has been a whirlwind of activity in the Giveth Galaxy! We've been busy wrapping up the final milestone of our Optimism Mission Proposals. 

It doesn't end there! We also took a dive into the world of Arbitrum Grants this month. It's the first grant funding initiative that uses Quadratic Funding in the Arbitrum ecosystem. 

This means the community has a say in how funding gets distributed, signaling which projects are most valuable to Arbinauts. Both Giveth and Pairwise took part in the Gitcoin Arbitrum grants and we’re very grateful for everyone’s support.

 In Case You Missed It:

🛍️ENS Giveaway!

• Our ENS Giveaway is in full swing, but it ends this Friday at 2 PM CEST. Don't miss out on the chance to snag some exclusive ENS swag.

🌟 Explore Impact DAOs and Projects

• Dive into our curated database of Impact DAOs and discover a world of transformative initiatives. Check it out here: https://impactdaos.generalmagic.io/

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

We are delighted to present to you, once again, the latest developments in public goods and Web3 space.

👇

Impact DAO of the Month: Gitcoin 🟢

This month, we're honored to spotlight Gitcoin as our Impact DAO of the Month.

Gitcoin is a platform that facilitates crowdfunding for open-source software and Web3 projects. It connects developers, entrepreneurs, and creators seeking funding with individuals and organizations willing to contribute. Gitcoin's mission is to empower communities to fund their shared needs. 

Gitcoin's journey began in 2017, aiming to create better incentives for supporting open-source software developers. Over time, this mission has evolved into a dedicated effort to build and sustain digital public goods. Since its inception, Gitcoin has run numerous funding rounds, including the recent GG18 that was held from August 15th to August 29th. 

Gitcoin Grants operates within the innovative framework of Quadratic Funding (QF), a dynamic mechanism we'll delve into further in a dedicated section later in this newsletter.

If you're eager to explore more transformative projects like Gitcoin, don't forget to check out our website's extensive database of Impact DAOs/projects and their remarkable initiatives.

Our Magic: 

August has been buzzing with excitement here at General Magic! We've been hard at work upgrading the ENS Swag Shop to bring you an even better shopping experience.

You can check the new version here: https://www.ensmerchshop.xyz/

But that's not all! In addition to this, we've been working tirelessly on design projects for our friends in the Giveth Galaxy, furthering initiatives that are making a positive impact worldwide. 🌍 

🙏High Praise

This month, we'd like to take a moment to appreciate Ahmad for his diverse contributions within our community.

Ahmad's support in client relationships and legal matters has been extremely helpful, ensuring our interactions are smooth and compliant.

He's always ready to lend a helping hand to his colleagues, providing guidance and answers to improve their work.

Ahmad's efforts in bizdev and his insights in marketing have been greatly appreciated, contributing to our growth and refining our strategies.

We're grateful for Ahmad's versatility and unwavering support. Thank you for being a valuable member of our team! 🙌👏🎉

Deep Dives: 

Have you ever wondered how to fund projects in a way that's both fair and inclusive? Let’s talk about Quadratic Funding (QF), an innovative mechanism that's reshaping the landscape of project funding.

Understanding Quadratic Funding (QF) 

At its heart, Quadratic Funding is a mathematical marvel with a noble goal: to ensure that projects receive funding based on their community support rather than relying solely on deep-pocketed donors.

How Does QF Operate? 

In simple terms, QF pools small contributions from numerous individuals and combines them with a larger matching fund. What's fascinating is that the more diverse the support—meaning more contributors rather than larger contributions—the greater the funding a project can secure. 

Why is QF Significant?

• Equity: QF levels the playing field by offering smaller projects a chance if they garner strong community backing, steering away from exclusive funding sources.

• Inclusivity: Your contribution, regardless of its size, carries weight. This means that everyone has the opportunity to make an impact.

• Transparency: QF's decisions are guided by a clear and objective formula, minimizing biases and ensuring fairness.

• Community Bond: QF fosters collaboration among creators and project supporters, cultivating a sense of unity within the community.

• Resilient Funding: Projects aren't reliant on a single large donor, making them more stable and less susceptible to external shifts.

Projects using QF 

Gitcoin recently completed Round 18 of their Gitcoin Grants program, showcasing their ongoing dedication to web3 funding innovation. Meanwhile, Giveth marked a historic milestone last month by hosting their very first Quadratic Funding (QF) round, affirming their commitment to community-driven funding in the web3 ecosystem.

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop!

If you're seeking ways to stand by your favorite projects, wearing their merch is an impactful choice. 

This month, we're featuring Trusted Seed swag that's all about style with a purpose.

Picture this: Your fashion choices can make a statement. Trusted Seed's collection in our shop embodies sustainability and style, blending them seamlessly.

What's in store? Fresh Trusted Seed designs that not only look good but also support regenerative economies. It's a win-win for your wardrobe and the world.

Ready to make a stylish impact? Explore the Trusted Seed collection today and wear your values! 🛍️🌿

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy:

August was an exciting month for the Giveth Galaxy as we participated in Gitcoin Grants Round 18, joining hands with some incredible projects. 🚀

Let's shine the spotlight on a few standout projects from the Giveth Galaxy:

🌌 Pairwise simplifies community decision-making by presenting users with pairs of options, making it easier than ever to express preferences.

🙏Praise is transforming online communities through gratitude and decentralized insights.

💜 Giveth is a community focused on Building the Future of Giving using blockchain technology. Their vision is to make giving effortless, to reward people all over the world for creating positive change. They've made significant progress in 2023, including the integration of donations on multiple chains and the launch of various features.

🌱 Trusted Seed is a Swiss Association supporting early-stage regenerative economies through token engineering and DAO governance. They're advancing the creation of regenerative micro-economies for public goods.

💚 Commons Stack is innovating at the intersection of culture and token engineering. They provide tools and cultural frameworks for impact initiatives to evolve into decentralized, self-governing communities.

🪙 TEC focuses on token engineering, a discipline essential for building safer and more resilient blockchain systems. 

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

Let's dive in! 👇

Impact DAO of the Month: Bankless Academy 🎓

We are excited to feature Bankless Academy as our Impact DAO of the month! 💡 

Their mission to empower Web3 Explorers resonates deeply with us, and two of our team members had the incredible opportunity to take part in their workshop at ETHBarcelona. 

The "Crypto Compass: Finding your path in Web3" workshop was an amazing experience, bringing together students and OGs in a vibrant learning environment. 🧭

Our team members were impressed by the knowledge shared and the sense of community that Bankless Academy fosters. 

Go follow Bankless Academy, explore their lessons, and embark on exciting Web3 adventures! 🚀 

Our Magic: 

This month has been full of exciting projects for General Magic!  First, we had the pleasure of working with Giveth on their design needs. It's always a joy to collaborate on initiatives that are making a positive impact in the world! 🌍

We also kicked off our work on a Pairwise Mission Proposal for Optimism. We're diving deep into this project to create an awesome voting experience and improve the process for future rounds of RetroPGF. 🌟🎲

Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project coming next month.

🙏High Praise

It's always a joy to look back at the #praise channel and see all the amazing things our team members have achieved. 🌈 

But this month, one person stood out with a whole bunch of well-deserved recognition: Freshelle! 🎉

She has been an absolute rockstar, and we are so grateful for all her hard work and dedication. 💪

Freshelle's expertise in accounting and financial assessments has been a game-changer for us. Her careful analysis of our financials and her smart suggestions for improvement have really helped us make better business decisions. 📈🚀

And let's not forget her amazing support in the community! From making sure everyone gets paid on time to creating a positive and inclusive environment, Freshelle is always there to lend a helping hand. 🌟🤗

Deep Dives

As a part of our Deep Dives series, we are delving into the fascinating world of layer 2 solutions.

What is layer 2?

Layer 2 (L2) is a collective term that encompasses a specific set of Ethereum scaling solutions. Essentially, layer 2 refers to a separate blockchain that extends Ethereum while inheriting its security guarantees. By moving certain transactions off the Ethereum layer 1 (L1), layer 2 networks aim to address the blockchain's scalability challenges and improve its transaction throughput.

Scaling Ethereum with layer 2

Ethereum's success has led to high demand for transactions, causing congestion and soaring gas prices on the Ethereum network. As a result, the need for scaling solutions has become paramount. layer 2 networks step in to increase transaction speed and throughput without compromising Ethereum's decentralization or security. By leveraging layer 2, Ethereum can process more transactions in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

Understanding the Benefits of layer 2 

💸Lower Fees: By bundling multiple off-chain transactions into a single transaction on layer 1, layer 2 significantly reduces transaction fees. This makes Ethereum more accessible and affordable for all users.

🔐Maintain Security: layer 2 blockchains settle their transactions on Ethereum Mainnet, ensuring users benefit from Ethereum's robust security.

🛠️Expand Use Cases: With higher transaction throughput and lower fees, layer 2 paves the way for new applications and improved user experiences.

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop! 

At all the IRL events we attended, we couldn't help but notice the impact of swag in showcasing a community's values.

Your fashion choices have the power to make a difference, the TEC swag is rooted in Token Engineering's vision and the collection is a testament to the power of fashion as a catalyst for positive change. 

Our shop is now bursting with new stunning TEC designs. These fresh arrivals are not just stylish; they are a powerful way to show your support for projects that make a difference.

So, dive into the collection and rock the latest TEC swag to inspire and empower everyone around you! 🛍️💫

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy

July took us from sunny Barcelona to the enchanting city of Paris for Funding the Commons, and what a weekend it was! 🌈

As we set up our RetroPGF booth, we had the pleasure of connecting with the Web3 community and meeting enthusiastic visionaries from all corners of the globe. 🌍

After the weekend of inspiration and connection at Funding the Commons, we continued our journey at EthCC, we were eager to dive into a week of exciting talks and discussions.🗣️💬 

And let us tell you, it didn't disappoint! We had the privilege of listening to Griff talking about Markets for Public Goods, Livia's insights on the Token Engineering Stakeholder Study, Jonas sharing RetroPGF magic, and Justine on Optimism governance. 🌟

The week was filled with countless other fantastic talks and side events that we had the pleasure of attending, making it an unforgettable and enriching experience of learning, networking, and connecting with like-minded individuals.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨

Let's dive in! 🚀

Impact DAO of the Month: 🌟 DeSci World 

We love to highlight the Impact DAOs that inspire us to make the world a better place. This month’s Impact DAO of the month is DeSciWorld. 

DeSciWorld is a community-led initiative dedicated to decentralizing science and research. By providing unrestricted, unbiased, and uncensorable research opportunities, DeSciWorld is breaking down traditional barriers and enabling anyone, anywhere to pursue their passion for science.

Join their inclusive community on Discord to learn, contribute, and be a part of the global shift towards decentralized science. 

Together, let's spread the power of science like wildfire! 🔥

Our Magic: Helping Giveth 🤝

As part of the Giveth Galaxy, our team at General Magic is proud to support Giveth's mission of Building the Future of Giving using blockchain technology. 

For over 2 years, we have been collaborating closely with the Giveth team, providing ongoing technical support and expertise across a range of areas including 🎨 branding, 🌐 UX design, 💻 full-stack development, 🧠 smart contract support, 📣 communications, 👥 hiring, and 📊 HR management.

Recently we had the honor of collaborating with Giveth in designing their incredible Referral Program! 🎉

Our team worked closely with Giveth to create a user-friendly and rewarding experience for supporters. We wanted to ensure that promoting and building the Future of Giving becomes even more exciting and impactful!

Here are the highlights of the Giveth Referral Program:

🔗 Generate your unique Giveth referral link from Chainvine.

🌐 Share your link and spread the word about your favorite fundraising projects.

💰 Earn 50% of the GIV rewards (GIVbacks) when someone donates through your link.

⏳ Enjoy extended rewards for new users (2 weeks) and returning users (24 hours per click).

💪 GIVbacks can be up to 80% of the original donation amount.

🙏High Praise:

Let's give a big shoutout to our very own Zeptimus! 🎉

This month, Zeptimus has been receiving high praise from the community for his tremendous effort in raising funds and applying for grants for our projects. 

He's been a true superstar and we are truly grateful for his hard work and dedication towards advancing the goals of our community.

Deep Dives:

Get ready to dive deep into the world of ReFi! 🌍🌳

ReFi, short for Regenerative Finance, is a groundbreaking movement that is reshaping the financial landscape as we know it. It goes beyond traditional finance and even decentralized finance (DeFi) by placing a strong emphasis on funding projects that have a positive impact on communities and the planet.

At its core, ReFi is driven by the belief that finance can be a force for good. It seeks to redirect the focus of financial systems from profit-oriented endeavors to projects that promote sustainability, social equity, and the common good. ReFi aims to address pressing challenges faced by society, such as climate change, poverty, and inequality, by leveraging the power of money as a tool for positive change.

Discover amazing ReFi initiatives in our Impact DAO landscape. 

General Magic | Solution services for Impact DAOs

@Generalmagicio

Get ready to be inspired

The highly anticipated Impact DAO Landscape v2 is finally here with even more projects that are making a real difference.

See the latest and greatest Impact DAOs driving positive change in the web3 space and learn how you can mint your own NFT!

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3:59 PM • Mar 15, 2023

These projects are driving positive change in sustainability, social impact, and community empowerment. 

Get inspired and learn more about the transformative power of ReFi. 🌱

Show Your Support for Impact DAO Projects with our Merch Shop! 🌟🛍️ 

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our Impact DAO Merch Shop, where you can find a stunning collection of merchandise representing the amazing projects in the space. 😍👕

By rocking our stylish gear, you not only express your love for innovation and positive impact, but you also directly support the missions of these game-changing initiatives.

It's more than just swag; it's a statement of solidarity and a tangible way to contribute to the future we envision. So, don't miss out! 

Head over to our Merch Shop today and grab some incredible merch to showcase your support for the projects shaping a better world.

Logs from the Giveth Galaxy

It's been an exciting few months for the Giveth Galaxy! 🚀

We all participated in Optimism RPGF and Gitcoin Grants Beta round, working hard to get our projects in front of a larger community.

And speaking of grants, our friends over at the Token Engineering Commons just wrapped up their very own grant round! There was $25k in TEC available for public goods projects primarily focused on education, tooling, and research related to token engineering. 

We're always excited to see the ways in which the TEC community is pushing forward the field of token engineering, and we're grateful to have them as allies in the Web3 space.

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and we'll see you next time with more exciting updates!

Best,

The General Magic Team 🪄✨