Curia Delegate Proposal
A. Delegation Address: curia-delegates.near
B. Forum Username: Curia
C: Twitter Username: Curia_gov
D: Website: www.curialab.xyz
E. Target Voting Participation: 100%
F. History of Interactions with NEAR Protocol:
Our team members have interacted with the NEAR Protocol in the past, including purchasing NEAR tokens. While Curia Lab is new to formal engagement, we are eager to apply our broad DAO governance, data analysis, and tooling expertise to actively contribute and help shape NEAR’s future through the House of Stake.
G. History of Governance Participation (in NEAR or other ecosystems):
Our team has extensive, hands-on experience in DAO governance and designing governance dashboards for various protocols. We are active delegates in prominent DAOs, including Optimism, Scroll, Arbitrum, 1inch, and Obol. And a core member of our team has been an elected reviewer on Optimism’s Milestones & Metrics Council for over a year and a half, serving consecutively across Seasons 5, 6, and 7. Some of our key past contributions include:
- Obol : We developed Obol Collective’s official Delegate Reputation Score (DRS) and became the official DRS Oracle provider for Obol Collective, which analyzes both onchain and offchain activities to determine each delegate compensation eligibility and staking rewards.
- Optimism : We served as the governance data provider for the Optimism Foundation, assisting with two previous seasons of governance participation retroactive rewards. Our role involved providing reward analysis and helping to verify results based on delegates’ on-chain activities.
- Scroll : For the Scroll Governance Contribution Recognition (GCR) working group, we developed a Forum Score system. This assigns users a percentage score through a formula that quantifies their total contributions to the Scroll forums, ensuring incentives align with compensation.
H. Top 3 Priorities for the NEAR Ecosystem:
We believe the most critical priorities for NEAR’s long-term success are:
- Drive Chain Abstraction: Simplifying the user experience is paramount. We must continue to break down barriers between blockchains, making it seamless for users to interact with NEAR from any ecosystem without friction.
- Foster the AI + Web3 Flywheel: NEAR is uniquely positioned to be the backbone for decentralized AI. We need to empower developers to build AI agents that can securely transact and own assets on-chain, creating a powerful new wave of applications.
- Enhance Core Protocol Performance: To support mass adoption, we must relentlessly pursue scalability and decentralization. This includes faster finality and ensuring the network remains robust and efficient for the next billion users.
I. Reasoning for any past votes in the NEAR Ecosystem:
We do not have a prior voting record within the NEAR ecosystem.
J. Conflicts of Interest:
Curia Lab collaborates with several DAOs, including Optimism, Safe, Arbitrum, and Zksync, to enhance governance processes. We are committed to transparency and will disclose and address any potential conflicts of interest responsibly to ensure impartial contributions to the House of Stake.
K. Answer Hypothetical Delegate Scenario:
What additional information would you need from the proposers to make an informed decision?
A: A proposal to allocate incentives to DeFi protocol users to benefit protocol metrics.
- Specific target protocols, clear baseline metrics, and exact target metrics (e.g., user retention, TVL per incentive).
- Detailed budget, duration, distribution mechanism, and robust sybil-resistance plan.
- Sustainability strategy for engagement after incentives end.
- Comprehensive risk assessment (e.g., mercenary capital, token inflation).
B: A proposal to establish a subcommittee to market the NEAR Protocol to developers and users.
- Detailed budget allocation, proposed team structure with qualifications, and specific marketing channels.
- Clearly defined target developer and user segments with tailored strategies.
- Timeline with measurable milestones and anticipated deliverables.
- KPIs for measuring effectiveness (e.g., new unique developers, active NEAR wallets).
- How it differentiates from existing marketing efforts.
C :A proposal to establish a Protocol-Owned Liquidity position by the House of Stake on major DeFi protocols in the ecosystem.
- Specific target DeFi protocols and assets, initial capital allocation, and active management strategy.
- Comprehensive risk analysis (impermanent loss, smart contract risk, market volatility).
- Projected returns (trading fees, emissions) and justification for POL over other solutions.
- Clear exit strategy and governance framework for managing POL positions.
What key metrics would you evaluate to support or reject the proposals?
A: A proposal to allocate incentives to DeFi protocol users to benefit protocol metrics.
- User Retention Rate: Percentage of incentivized users who remain active post-incentive.
- Capital Efficiency (TVL/Incentive): Growth in Total Value Locked relative to the incentives distributed.
- Cost per Retained User: Efficiency of spending in acquiring and keeping genuine users.
- On-chain Activity: Increase in unique active wallets, transaction count, and volume on target protocols.
B: A proposal to establish a subcommittee to market the NEAR Protocol to developers and users.
- Developer Acquisition: Growth in unique developer addresses, new contracts deployed, and hackathon participation.
- User Growth & Engagement: Increase in active unique NEAR wallets, social media engagement, and community forum activity.
- ROI on Marketing Spend: Efficiency in converting marketing investment into measurable growth.
- Brand Awareness: Metrics indicating increased positive perception and awareness of NEAR.
C :A proposal to establish a Protocol-Owned Liquidity position by the House of Stake on major DeFi protocols in the ecosystem.
- Liquidity Depth & Stability: Impact on trading pair liquidity and reduction in price impact for trades.
- Capital Efficiency & Returns: Revenue generated by POL (e.g., trading fees) versus capital deployed, and impermanent loss tracking.
- Risk Exposure: Monitoring of smart contract vulnerabilities, market volatility, and operational risks.
- Ecosystem Resilience: Contribution to overall NEAR DeFi stability and resistance to liquidity shocks.
How would you ultimately support and vote for these different proposals?
A: A proposal to allocate incentives to DeFi protocol users to benefit protocol metrics.
- We would support if the proposal includes strong sybil resistance, focuses on long-term user retention, has clear and achievable targets, and a well-defined exit strategy that aims for organic engagement. We would be cautious of proposals solely focused on temporary TVL boosts.
B: A proposal to establish a subcommittee to market the NEAR Protocol to developers and users.
- We would likely support this proposal if it presents a compelling strategy with a qualified team, measurable KPIs, and a clear differentiation from existing efforts. Organic growth through awareness and adoption is fundamental for ecosystem health.
C :A proposal to establish a Protocol-Owned Liquidity position by the House of Stake on major DeFi protocols in the ecosystem.
- We would support this proposal only if it demonstrates an exceptionally strong risk management framework, transparent financial modeling showing compelling risk-adjusted returns, and a clear argument for why POL is the optimal solution for NEAR’s specific liquidity needs. The governance for POL management must also be robust and transparent.
L. What is your motivation for becoming a NEAR delegate?
We’re genuinely motivated by NEAR’s vision, especially in chain abstraction and decentralized AI. We want to bring our proven experience in DAO governance and data analysis to the House of Stake, helping NEAR achieve sustainable growth towards mass adoption.
M. Anticipated delegation support (if applicable) (Please describe the anticipated breakdown of delegated voting power, including any relevant self-delegation or large investors/core team members you wish to disclose).
N/A
Self-Assessment Criteria
Total Score (9/10)
A. Experience (2/2)
Curia Lab is a DAO governance enthusiast and analytics team with members in the space since 2019. We’ve built governance tooling, contributed as professional delegate, and support data-driven initiatives for protocols such as Safe, Optimism, and Arbitrum spanning governance, community, and comprehensive DAO data analysis.
B. Diversity of Perspective (2/2)
Curia Lab is a team of seasoned DAO governance researchers, data analysts, blockchain engineers, and developers. This multidisciplinary background allows us to approach governance challenges with a comprehensive and unique perspective, contributing diverse insights to the House of Stake.
C. Alignment with NEAR Ecosystem (2/2)
As professional delegates, our success is intrinsically linked to the health and growth of the ecosystems we serve. We are committed to NEAR’s long-term vision and will benefit directly from its success.
D. Governance Engagement (2/2)
We are highly active delegates with a track record of over 600 proposals voted on across numerous DAOs. We consistently publish our voting rationales and actively contribute to governance discussions, demonstrating a strong commitment to engagement.
E. Conflicts of Interest (1/2)
As a governance and DAO delegate team across multiple ecosystems, including SafeDAO, Optimism, Aribitrum, GnosisDAO, etc. Through these participation, we aim to strengthen governance processes and supporting the long-term resilience of decentralized communities. In cases where conflicts of interest arise, we are committed to full transparency and disclosure to maintain integrity and trust within the ecosystem.
Delegate Code of Conduct
We have read and agree to the NEAR Delegate Code of Conduct.