Lido Alliance Grant Proposal

The [EGG] Lido Alliance Grant Funding proposal seeks to continue the activities of the Lido Alliance BORG through 2025, aligning with GOOSE-2

tldr

• Continue Alliance BORG activities through 2025 in line with approved guidelines

Basic Data

Field	Description
Proposal Name	Alliance BORG 2025
Which of the following GOOSE goals is your proposal advancing?	Lido Alliance BORG is a Cayman Foundation organized to endorse, amplify and stand behind builders driven by the same vision of decentralized validation, and a universally accessible, censorship-resistant Ethereum. Advancing mainly "Expand stETH’s Ecosystem with a Diverse Product Line" from GOOSE-2
Organization description	Cayman Foundation founded after an affirmative DAO vote, currently serviced, following Borg approval, by Captain Nemo
Proposed scope of work	Scouting, research, due diligence calls, coordination with Lido contributor organizations and Alliance partners, initial discussion, application support
Objectives	Expand Alliance to 8+ total members, Support growth and adoption of stETH within existing Alliance set
Total Budget Request	300k DAI (or USDC, USDT hereinafter)
Best-before date	31-Dec-2025

Substantiation for request

The Lido Alliance initiative launched last year and has already succeeded in enlisting projects that subscribe to Lido ecosystem valuesand support the growth of the Lido ecosystem. Current DAO-supported members include: Drop, Mellow, Bolt

Relative to the 125k DAI request approved for half a year, the BORG has incurred expenses of approximately 100k DAI so far, largely related to setup and administrative fees which are not expected to recur in 2025, and a further 25k DAI earmarked for incurred expenses related to third party engagements

• The budget request is intended to cover:
  1. Operational overhead (Administrative expenses, director fees, software infrastructure)
  2. Growth initiatives and project discovery (Outreach and primary sourcing of high-potential projects, ongoing support to existing members)
  3. Evaluation and pipeline management (Due diligence screening, external security ratings and advisory)
• Composition of request:
  1. 200k DAI - third-party service contracts for full-time contributor team, third-party due diligence support and other agencies
  2. 25k DAI - administrative expenses
  3. 75k DAI - operational overhead necessary for execution, including marketing engagements and communication
• Slight increase of 50k DAI relative to original expectations behind higher than expected projected expenses for comprehensive security due diligence on prospective applicants

Goals

• Plan to expand Alliance to 8+ total members by end of 2025 provided we can ensure:
  1. Compliance with the security checklist
  2. Expand stETH’s Ecosystem with a Diverse Product Line (explore collaborations with a broad range of DeFi applications)
  3. Establish an open market for validators (explore collaborations that can expand the range of opportunities for node operators that are part of Lido ecosystem)
• Support the growth and adoption of stETH within the existing Alliance ecosystem

Reminder

LDO holders hold the right to make the final decision on each new potential member of the Alliance by participating in Snapshot vote.