We are using this Mirror to crowdfund for a match funding pool to support Local Nodes in the Global South. If you want to support a city in the Global South to launch its own token and treasury with a unique vision of regeneration, we would be super grateful for your contribution!

We need a minimum of $25k in order to launch the match funding pool and by collecting this entry, you can directly support the creation of a local regenerative economy.

As a part of our vision of realizing a global regenerative economy, we are incredibly excited to announce the launch of the ReFi DAO Local Node Prize! 👏

In this article we’ll break down a few key questions:

1. What is the Prize and who can apply for it?

2. What are ReFi DAO Local Nodes?

3. What is the ReFi DAO Local Node Incubator?

APPLY NOW

A Network State to regenerate the Earth 🌱

As announced during John Ellison’s talk at ETH Denver, ReFi DAO is growing into a network state that exists to regenerate the earth. Our vision is to realize a global regenerative economy rooted in local startup cities all over the world.

As a first step on this mission, we are launching a prize to incubate the first Local Nodes for ReFi DAO!

ReFi Lisboa

We have decided to build ReFi Lisboa as the first Local Node in the ReFi DAO network state as several founding team members are present here in Lisbon and we want a safe sandbox to experiment with this new concept of a Local Node to inform our support for other cities.

Below is an outline of an architecture we are considering to build a micro-regenerative economy here in Lisbon.

Join us every month in Lisbon!

We have begun hosting monthly events on the third Thursday of every month here in Lisbon—come hang out if you’re in town! Take a look at the recap from our first event below!

Subscribe for updates on the first Local Node in Lisbon and grab your last tickets to today’s event: ReFi Lisboa | Emergence.

Follow ReFi Lisboa to get the first tickets released to the 16-hour ReFi Day on April 11th at Poolside with impactMarket and Polkastarter!

Launching the ReFi DAO Local Node Prize 🚀

We believe that regeneration requires global coordination between actors in the Global North and actors in the Global South. Core to our values and our Gitcoin grant with Commons Stack, we are now launching a prize to incubate the first ReFi DAO Local Node in the Global South in parallel with our Node in Lisbon.

For this prize, we are looking for one city in the Global South to join the Alpha Cohort of our Local Node Incubator in partnership with Commons Stack. We are going to support the core team of this Local Node to create a compelling vision of regeneration, raise capital and launch a Local Node token that will be used to acquire land and other real-world assets for the good of local people and the planet.

What about the Global North? 🤔

If you are interested in creating a local node in your city but you are based in the Global North, please feel free to express your interest here and we’ll get in touch. Our focus for this Alpha Cohort is incubating a Local Node in Lisbon and a Sister Node in the Global South. Our goal is to run a regular Local Node Incubator to spin up ReFi DAO Nodes in key startup cities all around the world—each with its own token, treasury and vision of regeneration.

APPLY NOW 👇

Incubator Program 🗺️

The Incubator program will guide the Prize winners through every step of deploying their own Local Node based on the design patterns of Commons Stack and the DNA of ReFi DAO: a diverse founder-led community that exists to realize a regenerative economy.

Local Nodes will collectively raise funds and design their own token economy, establish governance, launch a token, and pass their first proposals with a specific mandate to use 50% or more of funds raised to acquire land and other real-world assets.

ReFi DAO and Commons Stack will support Local Nodes every step of the way.

Local Nodes are the critical piece of the network state architecture being explored by ReFi DAO. Nodes represent the foundation for global governance with local representation and local sovereignty. Local Nodes will be an integral part of the ReFi DAO network state while also maintaining full autonomy to realize their unique vision of local regeneration.

How does it work? 🔍

Step 1: If you are committed to realizing regeneration in a city in the Global South, apply now!

Step 2: After your submission is reviewed by the Incubator team, you will be asked to meet with your community and co-create a Local Node canvas with key public, private and third-sector stakeholders

Step 3. We will invite the top Local Node candidates to draft a Gitcoin Beta Climate Round grant proposal with the full support of ReFi DAO, ReFi Spring, and Commons Stack.

Step 4: You will fundraise for your Local Node in the Gitcoin Beta Climate Round in April and galvanize your local community by participating in Local Node showcases on Twitter, Discord, and Youtube.

Step 5: We will choose a winner of the prize and enter into an agreement with the team that includes a full scope of support services in exchange for:

• 10% incubation fee of any funds raised by the Local Node

• 2% transaction fee for every local node token minted/burned

The purpose of these fees is to help subsidize our operating expenditure and provide honor to our core team dedicating hundreds of hours and decades of experience to bring these Local Nodes to life.

Prize selection 🥇

Shortly after the close of the April Gitcoin Beta Round, the Incubator team will select one city that will be invited to join the Alpha Cohort of the Local Node Incubator. The decision will be made based on a variety of factors including:

1. The quality of the application

2. The success of their Local Node event

3. Co-created Local Node Canvas and ecosystem map

4. Fundraising ability (as demonstrated in the Gitcoin Beta round)

5. Other considerations

Local Node Canvas on Figma 👇

Local Node Events 📍

Local Node candidates will take part in a Gitcoin Beta subset round with a matching pool of $25k. The funds raised by the Local Node candidates will be used to gather the local community through IRL events along with full support from the ReFi Event Organizers Guild by ReFi Spring.

The goal of our Local Node Events program is to gather local startup communities, cultivate a shared vision of regeneration with key partners and help form core teams that will run for the Local Node Prize.

You must have submitted an application to become a Local Node to be eligible for this event grant program.

Local Node Incubator Team 🤝

The Incubator will be led by an all-star team including leaders from the DAO, climate, and token engineering community. We are super excited to announce the initial team below. If you or anyone you know is interested in getting on board to help out as an advisor, please do get in touch!

• Tamara Helenius — Managing Director at Commons Stack (x-Google & Capgemini)

• Emilia Sierra Guzman — Creative Strategist at Commons Stack

• Griff Green — Founder of Giveth, Commons Stack, DAppNode, and General Magic (THE DAO)

• John Ellison — Founder & CEO at ReFi DAO (x-Toucan, ex-OpenGov)

• Daryl Edwards — Co-Founder & COO at ReFi DAO (x-Agora, Nisolo VP of Operations)

• Monty Bryant — Product & Coordination at ReFi DAO

• Livia Deschermayer — Cultural Build at Commons Stack (x-DAOStack)

• Monty Bryant - Creator, Coordinator & Product at ReFi DAO

• Marcelo Silva — Community Lead at ReFi Spring (ReFaz, x-Impact Plus)

• Anna Kaic - Social Media and Messaging Lead at ReFi Spring and ReFi DAO

• Usama Ahmad - Project Manager and Guide Writer at Praise

Who is it for? 🙌

The Local Node Prize is for founders, investors, and builders who are committed to realizing their vision of regeneration in their city over at least a 3-5 year time frame.

If you are an entrepreneur and a community builder with a strong desire to build something while being part of a greater picture or if you’re a founder focusing long-term goals towards earth regeneration, you should definitely run for the Local Node Prize!

On the other hand, this is NOT designed for digital nomads or people without a deep commitment to the specific location.

What makes a successful application? 📝

A successful application MUST fulfill the following criteria:

1. Be signed by two or more experienced founders

2. Founders must make a 3-5 year commitment to regeneration in their city

3. The startup community must be located in the Global South

4. Demonstrate a clear and compelling vision for regenerating their city

5. Identify key local partners across public, private, and third sectors

6. Demonstrate support by advisors across web3, climate, and social justice

7. Have a detailed budget for 24 months

Key dates 🔑

• March 23rd - April 21st: Prize applications are open! 🎉

• March 27th - May 9th: Validation of Local Node Canvas submissions

• From Mid-April

  • Gitcoin Beta Climate Round (TBC)

  • AMA calls every Monday

    • 9:30 am UTC

    • 4:30 PM UTC

  • Local Node showcases every Wednesday

• May 11th: Incubator decision committee meeting

• May 12th: The winner of the Prize is announced! 🎊

Add the ReFi DAO Public events calendar to your calendar to automatically see all the upcoming events! 🗓️

• gCal: https://bit.ly/3JmCCI

• Web: https://bit.ly/3Qc3eOj

• iCal: https://bit.ly/3PYMw5p

More about the Local Nodes 🏙️

The objective of a Local Node is to onboard talent and capital into the regenerative economy through in-person events, relationships, and opportunities. To do this, Local Nodes:

• Acquire and regenerate degraded land

• Hold regular meetings and gatherings

• Create shared workspaces

• Collaborate with other private, public, and third-sector institutions

• Build in public while supporting entrepreneurs and innovators

Local ReFi DAO Nodes are inspired by Elinor Ostrom’s 8 Principles, Charles Eisenstein’s Sacred Economics, and Brad Feld’s Startup Community Way.

The expectation is for each Local Node to take part in the global ReFi DAO community, working on the common mission of realizing a global regenerative economy rooted in key startup cities around the world.

While doing so, the Local Nodes aim to fulfill three main objectives:

1. Onboard new talent and capital into the ReFi movement

2. Create radical startup experiments for publicly-verifiable impact

3. Build public, private, and civil society partnerships

Discover the ReFi DAO Local Node Incubator 💜

The mission of the Local Node Incubator is to accelerate the growth of local startup communities engaged in the work of regeneration. The Incubator will foster a regenerative startup environment in cities with a strong startup ecosystem— connecting people, capital, and opportunities through in-person experiences and relationships.

APPLY NOW 👇

This is a call for you, local startup founders, entrepreneurs, and builders. The ReFi DAO Local Node Prize is here to make your vision of local regeneration a reality. Let’s build a regenerative future where no one is left behind.

By collecting this entry, you will directly support the creation of a match funding pool to support Local Nodes.