RAF1 Guide

RAF1 Guide

Welcome to the first iteration of the Retroactive Funding (RAF) program by the Obol Collective! By focusing on public goods infrastructure, we aim to strengthen and promote the Obol Collective’s Decentralized Operator Ecosystem and its ability to scale decentralized infrastructure networks like Ethereum.

The RAF’s first round takes place in Q1 of 2025. RAF1 will allocate 1M OBOL to reward projects dedicated to strengthening and promoting the Obol Collective’s Decentralized Operator Ecosystem.

Are you a person/entity who wants to apply for RAF1? Read our RAF1 application guide.

Are you a Delegate in RAF1? Read our RAF1 delegate guide.

Overview and Timeline of the Obol RAF1

1. Project Applications (Feb 3 → Feb 10) Any project within the scope of the round can participate in this round via Obol RAF app. We suggest that projects read the Application Guidelines before applying.

2. Application Review Process (Feb 6 → Feb 10) The Obol Association will review submissions for spam and fraud.

3. Voting (Feb 10 → Feb 17) Delegates are provided with a RAF1 delegate guide for RAF1 and asked to vote via the Obol RAF app.

4. Results, KYC, and Grant Delivery (Feb 17 → Mar 21) The Association will announce all the selected projects and their funding allocations. RAF recipients must complete a KYC process with the Obol Association.

Impact Metrics - Funding allocation design

The Obol Collective has implemented impact metrics-based evaluation to ensure more informed decision-making during funding rounds. These metrics aim to provide delegates with objective data to assess the impact of each project, enabling them to allocate their votes effectively and in alignment with the Collective’s mission.

• For projects or individuals that increased accessibility, participation, or value within the Obol Decentralized Operator ecosystem, impact metrics include:

  • Staked assets: An increase in staked ETH using the project’s tools or services. (Either running on distributed validators, or more generally.)

  • User growth: Number of new users using the project’s tools or services (e.g. stakers or operators).

• For projects or individuals which contributed to the development or improvement of open-source tools, protocols, or systems, their impact metrics include:

  • Number of lines of code or pull requests merged into relevant repositories.

  • Number of bugs fixed, features implemented, or technical improvements made.