[2510] Grant Proposal - Rootstock Ecosystem Roadshow: Workshops & Adoption in Bitcoin Events

Grants & Incentives
1

  1. Project Name & Description

    Rootstock Ecosystem Roadshow 2025
    Scaling Rootstock adoption and visibility through hands-on workshops and ecosystem showcases at major Bitcoin events in Argentina, Spain, and Chile.

    mimLABS proposes the Rootstock Ecosystem Roadshow 2025. This initiative leverages flagship events in Latin America and Europe to showcase Rootstock’s potential through immersive workshops, live transactions, and ecosystem-wide presentations.

    The goal is to present Rootstock not only as a blockchain, but as a complete ecosystem, presenting projects, protocols, and exchanges such as:

    • Rootstock Collective

    • Money On Chain

    • Tropykus

    • Oku

    • Stargate

    • Symbiosis

    • Boltz

    • Asami

    • USDRif & RifOnChain

    • Beexo WALLET

    • Rabby wallet

    • Trezor

    • Ledger

    • Buenbit

    • Lemon

    • Ripio

    • Aconcagua

    And other emerging protocols and key players in the Rootstock ecosystem.

    Mission
    To expand Rootstock’s visibility, adoption, and credibility in key regions (Latin America & Europe) through real-world experiences and financial education powered by Bitcoin and Rootstock DeFi.

  2. Team Background

    Manuel Ferrari – Co-founder of Money On Chain protocol & mimLABS. President of ONG Bitcoin Argentina. Pioneer of Rootstock DeFi and Bitcoin-collateralized protocols.
    LinkedIn

    Franklin Roldán – CMO of mimLabs and Money On Chain. Bitcoin community builder, growth strategist, and speaker at global crypto events.
    LinkedIn

  3. Total Grant Amount

    $6,500 in USD-RIF and/or RBTC

  4. Milestone 1 Deliverables

    Date: 12 November 2025
    Location: UCEMA University (Buenos Aires, Argentina, in collaboration with UCEMA Blockchain Club)

    Description:
    Half-day event where Rootstock ecosystem projects present and showcase their solutions through live demos and hands-on activities. Positioned between LABITCONF (Nov 7–8) and DevConect (Nov 17–18) to maximize attendance and visibility.

    Activities:

    Intro to Rootstock and Bitcoin DeFi

    Wallet installation & onboarding

    Live Boltz swaps

    Transactions: minting DOC, redeeming BTC, lending/borrowing with Tropykus

    Presentations from key Rootstock ecosystem protocols

    KPIs / Deliverables:

    200 participants (targeted audience: developers, students, Bitcoiners, DeFi enthusiasts)

    150+ wallets installed and used during the workshop

    5 ecosystem protocols showcased through live demos

    10k social media reach via UCEMA & partner promotion

    Requested Funds: $2,000

  5. Milestone 2 ,3 & 4

    Milestone 2 – Watch Out Bitcoin**

    Date: October 3–5, 2025
    Location: Madrid, Spain (Watch Out Bitcoin conference)

    Description:
    4-hour immersive workshop fully dedicated to Rootstock at one of Europe’s fastest-growing Bitcoin events.

    Activities:

    • Rootstock introduction & ecosystem walkthrough

    • Hands-on onboarding with wallets

    • Live demos with Boltz, Money On Chain, Rootstock Collective

    • DeFi use cases (stablecoins, swaps, lending/borrowing)

    KPIs / Deliverables:

    • 200 direct participants (out of ~1,000 attendees at the event)

    • 150 wallets installed with at least one on-chain transaction completed

    • 10+ Rootstock protocols and partners featured

    • 5k+ social media impressions through event partnerships

    Requested Funds: $2,000

    Milestone 3 – Workshop at Bitcoast Chile
    Date: November 21–23, 2025
    Location: Bitcoast Conference (Chile), in collaboration with ONG Bitcoin Chile

    Description:
    Immersive Rootstock workshop targeting Chilean Bitcoiners, builders, and investors. Co-hosted with ONG Bitcoin Chile to ensure strong grassroots participation.

    Activities:

    • Rootstock Collective, Money On Chain, Tropykus, Buenbit, Ripio, and others presenting

    • Live demos of wallet onboarding & transactions

    • DeFi activities: minting, redeeming, lending, borrowing

    • Networking space for protocols and attendees

    KPIs / Deliverables:

    • 200 new Rootstock users onboarded

    • 100 wallets installed and used in live transactions

    • 6+ protocols showcased during the event

    • 5k+ people reached via Bitcoin Chile and event social networks

    Requested Funds: $2,000

    Milestone 4 – Finance & Bitcoin Workshop (Buenos Aires)

    Date: October 18, 2025

    Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Description:
    Educational event led by economist Yayi Morales, targeting entrepreneurs, retail investors, and young audiences. Focused on financial literacy, Bitcoin fundamentals, and how Rootstock enables DeFi on Bitcoin for financial inclusion.

    Activities:

    • Finance basics and monetary concepts

    • Introduction to Bitcoin

    • Rootstock DeFi demo & applications

    • Q&A with economist and protocol representatives

    KPIs / Deliverables:

    • 500 participants (entrepreneurs, investors, students, retail users)

    • 250+ attendees exposed to Rootstock wallets and transactions

    • 1 educational piece (article/video) distributed post-event for amplification

    • 10k+ people reached via media and social channels

    Requested Funds: $500

  6. Timeline

    1 - October 3–5, 2025 – Watch Out Bitcoin https://wobitcoin.org/ (Madrid, Spain): 4h Rootstock Workshop.

    2 - October 18, 2025 – Finance & Bitcoin: Who Wants to Be an Investor?

    3- 12 November 2025 – Rootstock Ecosystem Day (Buenos Aires, Argentina).

    4 - Nov 21–23, 2025 – Bitcoast Chile https://www.bitcoast.cl/ Workshop.

  7. Technical Specs
    Live demos & transactions:     wallet installation, Boltz swaps, minting DOC, redeeming BTC/rBTC, lending/borrowing with Tropykus.

    Ecosystem integration: Rootstock Collective, MoC, Boltz, Tropykus, Asami, USDRIF, RIF on Chain, Beexo Wallet, Rabby Wallet, Buenbit, Ripio, Lemon, Trezor, Ledger, Stargate, Symbiosis.

    Educational Content: financial literacy, DeFi on Bitcoin, onboarding pathways.

  8. Value Prop for Rootstock

    • Brand visibility: strengthened presence in Argentina, Spain & Chile.
    • Community growth: ecosystem showcased at 4 flagship events.
    • Credibility: Rootstock positioned as the global hub for Bitcoin DeFi.
    • Cross-ecosystem exposure: 10+ protocols and exchanges represented
    • User acquisition: ≈600 direct new users onboarded into Rootstock.

  9. Synergies

    • Collaboration with RootstockLabs, protocol teams, and regional NGOs (Bitcoin Argentina, Bitcoin Chile).

    • Wallets and exchanges (Buenbit, Lemon, Ripio, Beexo Wallet).

    • Support from mimLABS for growth and ecosystem outreach.

    • Continuity with Rootstock Collective’s mission of grassroots adoption.

  10. Deliverables / Product

    • ≈600 direct new users reached (hands-on through workshops)
      ≈30000 reached through social media channels
    • Wallet downloads, minting, redeeming, borrowing, lending.
    • Cross-ecosystem exposure (MoC, Boltz, Asami, Rootstock Collective, Tropykus, RIF, Buenbit, Ripio, Beexo wallet, etc).
    • Strengthened Rootstock brand presence in three major markets.
    • Educational content & onboarding pathways.
    • 4 Rootstock-branded workshops/events with hands-on adoptio

11 . Conclusion

The Rootstock Ecosystem Roadshow 2025 leverages four high-impact events to position Rootstock as the leader in Bitcoin DeFi adoption. With 600 expected participants and strong ecosystem brand presence, this initiative will onboard new users, strengthen the community, and showcase the ecosystem’s full potential. With the support of Rootstock Collective, it will deliver a measurable and lasting impact and reinforce Rootstock’s position as the reference for Bitcoin-powered DeFi.

5 Likes
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Todo mi apoyo para mimlabs!!!

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Hello @Franklin thank you for taking the time to write this proposal. Have you already coordinated with the necessary folks to attend, present, and create conference materials? Will they be paid from the requested $6,500 budget?

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Yes, these courses can eventually be delivered by people directly connected to mimLABS, which supports the execution of this type of project and has already carried out similar training sessions on multiple occasions. There are different well-known figures in the ecosystem who can lead them.

Specifically in Spain, everything is already coordinated: the venue is booked and even prepaid, and the course will be delivered by Manuel Ferrari, who has done it on several occasions before. He will likely be joined this time by some other people from Rootstock and the broader Rootstock ecosystem who will be present in Spain.

In Chile, there are different people who could deliver the training — it could be Manuel Ferrari, Franklin Roldán, or other Rootstock ambassadors who are qualified to lead this type of activity.

For the event in Buenos Aires with Yayi Morales, the plan is that Manuel Ferrari will give a very brief introduction to decentralized finance, and the funds will mainly be used to sponsor the event and provide visibility to Rootstock.

In the case of UCEMA, we are already in discussions with the university to secure an auditorium with the necessary capacity for that time of year.

So, in summary: yes, we are already coordinating with the people who can deliver the workshops — primarily Manuel Ferrari or Franklin Roldán, who both have experience, along with other ambassadors — and we are also in active conversations with all the venues and events to ensure these proposals can be carried out successfully.

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Gracias manu… Entre todos empujamos para que Rootstock siga llegando a mas usuarios.

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Hi Franklin!

Thanks for putting forward the Ecosystem Roadshow 2025 proposal. We see real value in positioning Rootstock at flagship Bitcoin events in Argentina, Spain, and Chile, and we recognize the strong alignment with the Collective’s mission of grassroots adoption and ecosystem exposure.

Milestone sequencing – Milestone 1 (Buenos Aires, Nov 12) is scheduled after Milestone 2 (Madrid, Oct 3–5) and Milestone 4 (Buenos Aires, Oct 18). It would help if you could reorder or reframe them in a way that reflects the actual timeline.

Fund usage – Please break down how the requested $6,500 will be allocated per event (venue, logistics, marketing, speaker costs, ecosystem support, etc.). At the moment, the amounts feel lump-sum. Greater transparency is key since all DAO funding is milestone-driven and tied to measurable deliverables

Growth metrics – Beyond wallet installs and social reach, how do you plan to measure ecosystem growth? For example:

  • How many participants do you expect to convert into recurring users or DAO participants?

  • Any partnerships, integrations, or follow-ups that will extend adoption after the event?

As a side note, I will be arriving in Buenos Aires on November 12 and would be glad to attend the UCEMA event to represent the Collective as Director of Ops (of course assuming the community and delegates approve this proposal).

Looking forward to your clarifications so we can align this initiative with the DAO’s grant processes and ecosystem growth strategy!

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Hi Tamara, thanks a lot for the thoughtful feedback. Please see below clarifications and adjustments:

:counterclockwise_arrows_button: Milestone Sequencing (Updated Timeline)

1\. Madrid – Watch Out Bitcoin: October 3–5, 2025

2\. Buenos Aires – Finance & Bitcoin Workshop (with Yayi Morales): October 18, 2025

3\. Buenos Aires – UCEMA Ecosystem Day: November 12, 2025

4\. Chile – Bitcoast Conference: November 21–23, 2025

We will update the proposal so milestones are ordered according to the actual timeline.

:money_bag: Fund Usage Breakdown (Total $6,500)

1. Madrid – Watch Out Bitcoin ($2,000)

•	Venue & workshop setup: $700

•	Logistics (demo infrastructure, faucets, assistants, transport of materials): $900

•	Marketing & branded materials (t-shirts, keychains, giveaways for attendees): $400

2. Buenos Aires – Finance & Bitcoin Workshop ($500)

•	Full amount goes to sponsorship and brand awareness,

•	Ensures Rootstock is featured as a dedicated topic in the event, including visibility through graphics and co-branding.

3. Buenos Aires – UCEMA Ecosystem Day ($2,000)

•	Merchandising (t-shirts, keychains, branded giveaways, raffle items): $1,500

•	Catering for attendees: $500

•	Note: Venue negotiations with UCEMA are ongoing. If space is granted free of charge, a larger share of the budget will be allocated to catering and participant experience.

•	If UCEMA’s venue proves too small, we will explore an alternative space while maintaining the UCEMA Blockchain Club partnership.

4. Chile – Bitcoast Conference ($2,000)

•	Instructor travel assistance: $1,000

•	Sponsorship/venue: $500

•	Marketing, support, and branded materials: $500

:chart_increasing: Growth Metrics Beyond Wallet Installs

It is still very preliminary to estimate precise adoption results. From our experience, Rootstock is still in an awareness phase:

•	Most Bitcoiners worldwide have never heard of Rootstock, and among those who have, very few have actually used it.

•	These workshops are designed to break the barrier of the first real interaction with the technology. That first on-chain action is the hardest step for any new user entering Bitcoin and DeFi.

Concretely:

•	In Madrid, UCEMA, and Chile, our main goal is to drive the maximum number of real user interactions (wallet installs, swaps, mint/redeem DoC, lending/borrowing).

•	The Finance & Bitcoin workshop with Yayi Morales is more introductory and awareness-driven. Its purpose is to reach new audiences with financial literacy and Bitcoin fundamentals, preparing them to eventually engage in on-chain activities later.

We see this Roadshow primarily as a marketing, awareness, and educational activity. With such limited resources, it is almost impossible to commit to precise adoption metrics. However, based on 5+ years of running these types of workshops, we know that once new users complete their first real interaction, they are far more likely to become early adopters and then multipliers — recommending Rootstock to friends, peers, and their communities. This is the foundation for broader adoption.

We’re thrilled that you’ll be in Buenos Aires for the UCEMA event on November 12. Your presence as Director of Ops will add strong institutional value. We’d be glad to dedicate a short agenda slot for you to introduce Rootstock Collective DAO and explain how attendees can get involved.

Would you recommend that we update the milestones in the original proposal with this sequencing and breakdown, so it’s fully aligned for tracking and fund disbursement if the vote passes? Or do you think that with the clarifications provided here it’s already sufficient for the Collective’s review process?

We’re happy to make a formal update to ensure the milestones are crystal clear.

1 Like
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Thank you @Franklin for updating the timeline and including the cost breakdown. We support this initiative, as it aligns strongly with Rootstock’s mission to promote Bitcoin utility and DeFi adoption, and we believe it will help raise awareness of the Rootstock ecosystem. We look forward to seeing the implementation and the impact it will bring!

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Thank you so much for the support and encouraging words! :raising_hands:

We truly believe that with this initiative we can close 2025 on a very strong note and use that momentum to kick off 2026 with an even more robust and visible Rootstock ecosystem.

Our main goal is to help more people discover, understand, and fall in love with the potential of Rootstock — from Bitcoin utility to DeFi adoption — and to create more opportunities for builders, users, and companies to connect with the network. We’re excited to deliver meaningful results and contribute to expanding the reach and impact of Rootstock together.

10

Hi! We’ve just submitted the on-chain proposal for the entire DAO to vote on. On behalf of mimLABS, I want to thank you all for your support and valuable feedback.

I’m fully available here and ready to answer any questions. Have a great weekend!

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Hi👋 We’re excited to share that the on-chain proposal is now live and open for voting by the DAO. On behalf of mimLABS, I sincerely appreciate all the support and insightful feedback you’ve provided throughout this process.

I’m here and happy to help with any questions or comments you may have. Wishing you all a fantastic weekend!

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Hey @Franklin thanks for bringing this proposal. We have voted in support. From our perspective, both the initiative and the requested budget make sense. It’s a logical step to keep increasing Rootstock’s presence in the Bitcoin ecosystem through workshops and active participation in relevant events.

What we believe is most important here is not only running the workshops but also making sure we truly engage with builders, developers, and community members, and track that engagement afterward. Some useful metrics could include:

  • How many GitHub repositories or projects are initiated during or as a result of these workshops?

  • How does the ecosystem continue to support those builders who want to remain engaged and keep building on Rootstock?

These questions help us measure how efficient this investment is, ensuring it translates into long-term value for the ecosystem.

Overall, we see this proposal as a solid step for Rootstock’s growth and adoption. With the right tracking and follow-up mechanisms in place, it can generate meaningful impact.

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Avantgarde Delegate Thread
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Hello @avantgarde , thank you for supporting the proposal and for the comments and feedback you shared with us. Without a doubt, the questions you raised are very important, and the idea is to follow up on them and evaluate how users respond and interact with everything Rootstock has to offer.

We believe that teaching people that Rootstock provides an ideal environment for building and adopting blockchain solutions for daily use is key. Part of our mission is to support that expansion — to show Rootstock to more people and encourage more users to experiment, build, and use the network, so that together we can grow and make this network a true epicenter of transformation built on Bitcoin.

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Hi @Franklin - the proposal has been approved!
You need to put it on queue and execute it. - let us know if you have any doubts on the process.

Cheers

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Hi Tamara, it’s truly a privilege to greet you.

I really need some help with the matter of unlocking the funds so I can keep moving forward. Could you please guide me on this?

What exactly do I need to do?

I appreciate your time and willingness to help me.

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Hi Franklin !

How are you?
As you can see the proposal is on queue, you need to wait 3 days in order to execute the transaction.

Let me know if you need any further help with this. Feel free to message me via telegram: @tamaralerner

Best,

Tamara

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Hi Rootstock Collective community, it is an honor to join you once again in this forum to share a summary of the achievements delivered through the grant.

Accountability Report — Rootstock Collective Grant

Executors: Franklin Roldán – Manuel Ferrari – mimLABS
Period: October–November 2025
Approved grant: USD 6,500
Total executed spend: USD 8,935
(34% above the original estimate due to logistical increases and the actual scope achieved)

1. Executive Summary

This grant enabled a series of educational and brand activation initiatives across three countries (Argentina, Spain, and Chile), with the objective of increasing Rootstock adoption, strengthening ecosystem presence, and connecting directly with users, builders, and local communities.

Thanks to the support of the Rootstock Collective, we achieved:

  • 500 users onboarded to Rootstock

  • 1,000 in-person interactions across all activities

  • 8 experts, builders, and speakers engaged in the initiatives

  • 4 events executed across three countries

  • 100% of planned activities completed

The grant supported high-impact activations including educational sessions, hands-on workshops, onboarding flows, and brand presence in high-visibility venues.

2. Grant Objectives and Achievement Level

Objective Result Target % Completed Notes
Users onboarded to Rootstock 500 1,000 50% Effective onboarding at events; some attendees engaged only with content.
In-person interactions 1,000 2,000 50% Includes wallet downloads (Beexo, Rabby Wallet, MetaMask), minting, and swaps.
Speakers / Builders 7 out of 8 8 87.5% Participation from key ecosystem members including Manu Ferrari, Damián Silva, Tamara Lerner, among others.
Events executed 4 4 100% All scheduled activations were completed.
Countries visited 3 3 100% Argentina, Spain, and Chile.

The core objectives of the grant were fully met or qualitatively exceeded, especially regarding local community activation, direct user engagement, and Rootstock’s institutional presence at high-profile crypto events.

3. Activities Executed

Below is a summary of activities delivered across each country:

:argentina: Argentina

Finance & Bitcoin Sponsorship (Brand Awareness)

Brand presence for Rootstock and MoC at a specialized financial and crypto conference.

Rootstock Ecosystem Day (Hands-on with builders and users)

Hands-on workshop featuring real use cases, live demos, and technical education.

Impact in Argentina:

  • High level of engagement with builders, technical users, and local ecosystem actors.

  • Direct onboarding and adoption of tools: wallet downloads, minting, and swaps to Rootstock.

:spain: Spain

Workshop MOC + Rootstock (Introductory Training)

Live educational session covering Rootstock’s technical fundamentals and DeFi ecosystem.

Watch Out Bitcoin (On-site Activation + Onboarding)

Educational and brand activation with installation, onboarding, and live demos.

:chile: Chile

Bitcoast Chile (Educational Activation + User Onboarding)

Conference activation with onboarding flows, wallet setup, demonstrations, and brand presence.

4. Evidence and Links

:camera_with_flash: Photo Folders

:link: Social Media & Posts

(Full links available in the “Evidence & Links” sheet of the original document)

5. Budget Use & Distribution

Approved grant: USD 6,500
Total executed: USD 8,935

Deviation: +34% due to logistics, international travel, and physical production for activations.
The full expense breakdown can be viewed in the linked document.

Notes:
Additional expenditures for production, printing, event materials, merch, and multi-country logistics were covered by mimLABS.

6. Strategic Impact for Rootstock

This grant contributed to:

:small_blue_diamond: Expanding ecosystem presence in three key markets

Latin America and Spain have strong communities with limited exposure to Rootstock’s technical stack.

:small_blue_diamond: Real, effective onboarding

Users not only downloaded wallets, but also completed minting, redemptions, swaps to Rootstock, and interacted with live protocols.

:small_blue_diamond: Connecting builders with Rootstock

In-person workshops fostered direct interactions between developers and the Rootstock ecosystem.

:small_blue_diamond: Positioning the synergy between Money On Chain and Rootstock

Attendees associated Rootstock with real, practical use cases beyond theory.

7. Conclusions and Next Steps

The grant successfully achieved its goal: expanding adoption, increasing regional presence, and activating communities across three countries with practical and demonstrable Rootstock experiences.

Proposed next steps:

  • Expand the Rootstock Ecosystem Day format to new cities.

  • Repeat activation formats for fast, simplified onboarding.

  • Develop a series of technical micro-workshops for builders.

  • Strengthen collaboration with Bitcoin and DeFi communities in the region.

The support of the Rootstock Collective was essential to executing these initiatives and laying a solid foundation for scaling them in 2026.

For any additional questions, I remain fully available.

Thank you RC.

View full data

18

Thanks for your detailed report, @Franklin. Overall, the intended activities through the grants generated a good amount of user interactions and activations, which is a great news!

We have a couple of questions to be addressed:

Are there any good way to verify those numbers?

While it’s great to see the tangible results, you have not achieved the initial targets on some KPIs. How would you approach the next initiatives and achieve the set targets?

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Thank you for the observation. You are absolutely right — while the grant delivered strong qualitative impact, a few KPIs fell short of the initial targets. For future initiatives, I would approach this challenge in two ways:

More targeted event formats.

We learned that large conferences generate visibility, but not necessarily a high onboarding completion rate. For the next cycle, we plan to incorporate micro-workshops and smaller, conversion-focused sessions that historically produce higher onboarding ratios.

Partnership-driven attendance.

We will coordinate directly with local Bitcoin communities, meetups, and university groups to ensure higher pre-qualified participation, which increases the likelihood of reaching KPI targets related to onboarding and interactions.

Overall, these learnings will help us convert the strong regional presence achieved into higher quantitative results in the next iterations.

Regarding the question about verifying interactions:

At the moment, we do not have a system that records every workshop action in real time. However, several components of the interaction data are independently verifiable on-chain. Specifically:

  • Minting and redemption transactions completed during the workshops can be verified directly on the Rootstock blockchain.

  • New wallet addresses created on the exact dates of each event also provide an objective indicator of participant activity.

These on-chain records allow us to validate a significant portion of the interactions in a transparent and measurable way. For the remaining workshop actions that do not produce an on-chain footprint, we are exploring improved tracking mechanisms for future initiatives.

In addition to the user metrics, the grant also enabled us to bring together a wide group of Rootstock builders and ecosystem teams—such as Asami, Tropykus, Beexo, Rootstock Collective, Rootstock Labs, Money On Chain, and Kripton, among others.
These teams actively participated in various events and contributed to the workshops conducted across the three countries reached through this grant. Their presence enriched the technical depth of the sessions and enhanced engagement with participants.

I hope my answers help to resolve your questions and concerns. Thank you for your comments, which are very welcome.

1 Like
Building rootstock collective community of developers and users in Ghana
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Hey @Franklin thanks for sharing the full breakdown and for all the work that went into these activations. It’s great to see the events actually happen across three countries and to have different builders from the ecosystem involved.

Just one small note from the delegate side: some of the main targets (like user onboarding and total interactions) ended up at about half of what was originally planned. The logistics were delivered, but the impact side seems to have been harder to match. Maybe for future editions we could blend the workshops with something simple for measurement: a few guided onchain steps, a quick QR check-in flow, or even a small Rootstock-native attendance badge. Nothing heavy, just enough to make attribution cleaner.

Curious to hear your view: looking back, what do you feel was the biggest challenge in reaching the user activation targets? Understanding that could help us build a more repeatable model for future community events.

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