Outline
Applications for the 2026 Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (AGV) Council cohort are now open, and will remain open until Sunday, November 23.
If you would like to run for a seat on the AGV Council, please apply via the AGV Council Applications (2026 Term) thread. Each applicant may submit for one seat / expertise area only. Multiple submissions will not be accepted; if more than one application is received, only the first submission will be recognized as valid.
The Deadline to Apply for a Seat on the 2026 AGV Council is 2025-11-23T23:59:00Z [Sunday, November 23, 23:59 UTC].
2026 AGV Council Elections will start on Thursday, November 27 and end 7 days later.
2026 Election Process
Building on the governance tradition established with AGV and subsequently OpCo, which combined appointed and elected positions, this election proposes a hybrid approach for filling council seats.
Ensuring continuity of institutional knowledge across our oversight, advisory, and investment programs is critical for effective governance. Having experienced DAO representatives who understand our historical context and strategic direction, independent of the operational team hired to lead these initiatives, helps maintain stability during transitions and preserves organizational memory that might otherwise be lost.
To address this need, the existing AGV council has voted to nominate two candidates for continuity seats, subject to DAO reconfirmation prior to the election, with three additional seats open for a DAO-wide election. In the event that the DAO does not reconfirm one or both of the nominated candidates prior to the election, those seats will automatically become part of the broader DAO election, bringing the total elected seats to four or five, respectively.
2-Seat Council Nominations with DAO Temperature Check Vote
The existing AGV Council nominates two members, which the DAO can either reconfirm or veto through separate Snapshot votes (simple majority with a quorum of at least 3% of all votable tokens voting either “For” or “Abstain”).
Here are the existing AGV Council’s nominations; for more information, see the separate proposal for Council-led Re-Nomination for the 2026 Term.
- Tim Chang
- Core Competency: Venture Capital and Investments
- John Kennedy
- **Game Development / Go-To-Market Leader
If either of these nominations are vetoed by the DAO, that seat will then be added to the Election Process (outlined below), and the nominee(s) will be automatically entered as a candidate(s) for the Election. If a nominee is vetoed and added to the Election, the number of open seats would increase from three (3) to either four (4) or five (5) seats.
3-Seat Election Process
The DAO elects three (3) members (up to 5, depending on whether or not Council-Led Nominations are reconfirmed) to the 2026 AGV Council cohort.
From November 7, 2025 [00:00 UTC] to November 23, 2025 [23:59 UTC], interested persons can submit their names for the 2026 AGV Open Council Election.
If you would like to run for a seat on the AGV Council, please submit your application as a comment underneath the AGV Council Application Thread (2026 Term).
Timeline
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Application Window: November 7, 2025 - November 23, 2025, 00:00 UTC
- Delegates interested in applying for the AGV Council can do so by posting in the AGV Council Application Thread (2026 Term), which will be created on Friday, November 7.
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Parallel Reconfirmation Vote of the 2 Council-Nominated Seats: November 13, 2025 - November 20, 2025
- During the application window, the DAO will vote to approve or deny the two nominees put forth by the existing AGV Council.
- A live Q&A will be held with Council-led Nominees via Google Meet on November 13. Here is the link for that call.
- Voting Platform: Snapshot
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Applicant Verification Period: November 24, 2025 - November 27, 2025
- A third-party provider will perform background checks and verify applicants’ legitimacy and eligibility.
- A live Q&A will be held with verified applicants via Google Meet between 24-27 November.
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Voting Period: November 27, 2025 - December 4th, 2025
- Following the application window, voting will commence under a shielded weighted voting system, allowing delegates to allocate their voting power among candidates as they see fit.
- Voting Platform: Snapshot
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Electee Verification Period: December 5, 2025 - December 12, 2025
- OpCo will conduct a reference check to verify electees’ qualifications as stated on their CVs.
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New Council Term Begins: January 1, 2026
- Once confirmed, incoming Council members will begin their term on January 1, with a transition period in December during which previous Council members will ensure the newly elected Council members are up to speed.
Council Purpose
The AGV Council serves as a strategic oversight body that ensures AGV’s investments, grants, and partnerships align with the DAO’s mission to establish Arbitrum as the leading ecosystem for gaming and consumer applications. Council Members represent diverse expertises across gaming, venture capital, operations, and governance, ensuring a balanced, transparent, and accountable process for capital deployment.
Each of the Council’s five (5) members serves a 12-month term, with mandatory annual re-election and the possibility of removal by DAO vote. If a council seat becomes vacant mid-term, a special election will be held within a reasonable time frame to fill the position. The council must have a minimum of three council members for oversight decisions.
Primary Responsibilities
Council Members act as strategic partners, stewards of capital, representatives of DAO-aligned governance, and are otherwise tasked with ensuring that the AGV Team’s operations are in compliance with the ArbitrumDAO Constitution, the GCP Tally Proposal, the Foundation Articles and Bylaws, and any Foundation policies formally adopted by the Foundation Director(s). Responsibilities include, but not limited to:
- Oversight & Capital Approvals
- Review proposals that have passed AGV’s internal diligence for optimistic approval, allowing efficient capital deployment unless a clear objection is raised.
- Surface material risks, conflicts, or governance concerns to the DAO when identified, ensuring any red flags are documented and addressed prior to finalization.
- Ensure proposals are evaluated consistently against established frameworks and remain within the mandate approved by the DAO.
- Risk & Governance Stewardship
- Provide independent oversight of AGV’s capital processes, flagging any deviations from approved procedures or mandate.
- Maintain a risk log to track emerging concerns, conflicts of interest, or significant ecosystem exposures.
- Recommend mitigation steps or escalation to the DAO when necessary.
- Transparency & DAO Engagement
- Support clear communication between AAEs and DAO delegates to maintain accountability and trust.
- Participate in governance calls as required, with regular attendance encouraged.
- Collaborate with the AGV team to construct and deliver regular updates and transparency reports.
Further responsibilities can be found in Section 4(d) of the AGV Bylaws.
Council Composition: Core Competencies, Qualifications and Eligibility
Core Competencies
To strengthen strategic decision-making and long-term portfolio performance, AGV should establish a diverse council representing the core competency areas most critical to its investment strategy. A council composed of leaders across these verticals will enhance pattern recognition, reduce bias in evaluation, and ensure balanced perspectives as the market and AGV’s thesis continue to evolve.
To build a high-performing and balanced council, applicants should demonstrate deep expertise in at least one Core Competency domain, each representing a foundational pillar of AGV’s success across capital deployment, ecosystem growth, governance, operations, and game development.
In order to maintain a well-rounded Council and avoid role overlap, no more than two individuals with the same Core Competency will be accepted onto the AGV Council. Please see the list of Core Competencies below for a breakdown of these roles:
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Venture Capital Leader
7+ years of experience in venture capital, fund management, or interactive entertainment investing. Experience in portfolio development and thesis alignment is a plus.- Qualified individuals typically serve or have served as Partners, Principals, or senior Investment Managers at top-tier funds with demonstrated success in sourcing, evaluating, and scaling early-stage ventures.
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Business Development / Growth Leader
7+ years leading partnerships, publishing, or developer relations, with relevant experience in gaming/web3 ecosystems. Familiarity with blockchain technology is preferred.- Qualified individuals bring a proven track record of strategic deal-making and ecosystem expansion, having driven multi-stakeholder growth initiatives at global publishers, platforms, or technology firms.
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Governance & Policy Leader
Proven expertise in DAO governance, including proposal authorship, council participation, and DAO-level policy development.- Qualified individuals have demonstrated leadership in designing transparent governance structures, drafting policy frameworks, and fostering effective coordination between DAO contributors and ecosystem partners.
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Strategy / Operations Leader
Extensive senior-level experience in finance, business operations, or compliance, ideally within the web3 or gaming industries. Leadership experience with early stage startups is preferred.- Qualified individuals have held COO, CFO, or Head of Strategy roles with cross-functional oversight of organizational systems, regulatory alignment, and capital efficiency.
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Game Development / Go-To-Market Leader
7+ years overseeing live operations, systems design, or go-to-market execution for leading games or digital products.- Qualified individuals possess executive-level experience at studios, publishers, or platforms, with a strong understanding of player lifecycle management, content monetization, and cross-platform product launches.
Qualifications
All applicants must submit a CV highlighting all relevant experience and expertise in relation to holding a seat on the AGV Council. Have your CV ready to submit with the application. A third-party background check provider will verify applicants’ stated experience and qualifications listed on each applicant’s CV. If this information is not verified, the applicant is not eligible to run for a 2026 AGV Council seat.
Eligibility
All elected council members must be able to pass a KYC and conflicts of interest screening in order to be eligible as a member of the 2026 AGV Council. Additionally, OpCo will conduct a reference check for all electees to verify the expertise and experience stated on the electees’ CVs before making the final decision on electee qualification.
Additional Requirements:
- Must align with the Arbitrum constitution and DAO values.
- Must disclose conflicts of interest and abstain where relevant.
- Cannot represent or hold significant investments in competing networks (e.g., Polygon, Solana, Optimism).
- Must be willing to complete NDA and KYC documentation as required.
- If a council member position becomes vacant (through resignation, removal by DAO vote, or otherwise), a special election will be held to fill the seat.
- All council members must go through mandatory yearly elections (subject to removal by DAO vote).
- Please note that any offer to join the council is contingent on disclosing and successful completion of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), KYC requirements, and other necessary documents.