Signals pilot (DRAFT)

We propose 6 month pilot program to test the Signals protocol with a focus on validating core mechanics and gathering actionable feedback.

We will run a total of 3 pilots. Each for 45 days, with a 15 day break for review. The first pilot will focus on testing the core mechanics of the protocol, while the second and third pilots will focus on gathering feedback and iterating on the protocol based on community uptake.

Goals

  1. Measure effectiveness in surfacing priority initiatives in Arbitrum
  2. Gather data on user behavior and system dynamics
  3. Test community engagement and initiative discovery

Structure

Phase 1: Development (Q1/25)

  • Smart Contract Development and Audit
  • Collaborative Paramater Design Workshops with the DAO, ~2-3 sessions

Phase 2: Program duration (~Q1, Q2)

  • Award 1M ARB to projects that meet threshold requirements
  • Additional backup 100k USDC in incentives for voting participants
    • 10% protoocl
    • 20% voters
    • 70% initiative

Participating Groups

  • Governance token holders

Phase 3: Analysis & Feedback (Q2)

Data Collection Points

  1. Quantitative Metrics

    • Number of initiatives submitted
    • Average token lock duration
    • Distribution of support across initiatives
    • Time to reach action threshold
    • Reward claim rates
    • Token holder participation rate
  2. Qualitative Feedback

    • User experience surveys
    • Initiative submitter interviews
    • Community sentiment analysis
    • Governance effectiveness assessment

Success Metrics

Primary Metrics

  1. Engagement

    • Target: >30% of token holders participate
    • At least 20+ unique initiative submitters
    • 5+ "promising" initiatives reaching threshold over 6 months
    • 10% governance token holders activated
  2. Token Mechanics

    • Diverse lock duration distribution
    • Evidence of small holders successfully competing with larger holders
  3. Community Alignment

    • Clear differentiation between high and low priority initiatives
    • Correlation between initiative support and eventual governance success
    • Positive feedback on priority discovery

Secondary Metrics

  1. Technical Performance

    • Contract gas efficiency
    • UI/UX satisfaction scores
    • System uptime and reliability
  2. Community Health

    • Discussion quality in initiative threads
    • Cross-pollination of ideas
    • New participant onboarding success

Risk Mitigation

Identified Risks

Whale Manipulation

  • Monitor for coordinated voting patterns
  • Analyze token distribution effects
  • Test different threshold configurations

Gaming Attempts

  • Track unusual locking patterns
  • Monitor reward farming behavior
  • Document exploitation attempts

Low Engagement

  • Community manager intervention plans
  • Backup participation incentives ready

Next Steps

Technical Preparation

  • Deploy and test contracts
  • Prepare monitoring tools
  • Set up analytics dashboard

Community Preparation

  • Create onboarding materials
  • Set up communication channels

Documentation

  • User guides
  • FAQ documentation
  • Technical references
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