[Election & Application Thread] Arbitrum D.A.O. (Domain Allocator Offerings) Grant Program

Applications for DAO programs
16

Applicant Information

Background & Skills

Carlos Gonzalez
As a Fullstack DApp Developer and Blockchain Technical Advisor since DeFi Summer 2020, I have been involved in multiple successful projects in the blockchain ecosystem. My expertise in the Arbitrum ecosystem, demonstrated through winning the ETHDenver Hackathon Orbit track, includes implementing a gaming-specific L3 chain for TheEthereans metaverse project. As an active delegate, I’ve contributed to Arbitrum’s decentralization while creating educational content and workshops for developers. My track record includes winning more than 10 hackathons, showcasing my ability to rapidly prototype innovative solutions. Throughout my career, I’ve participated in the gaming sector’s blockchain evolution, from early P2E games to the latest initiatives like gaming-specific orbit chains. I’ve consistently bridged complex blockchain technology with practical applications, establishing myself as a technical leader while driving advancement in blockchain gaming technology.

Alejandro Ayala
As Gaming and Blockchain leader at Afirme (Second largest bank in Mexico), I have spearheaded strategic projects and investment decisions across LATAM with major industry publishers including Epic Games, Tencent, Riot Games, and Capcom. My role centered on evaluating and directing investments in publisher-led gaming initiatives, ensuring strategic market fit and growth potential in Latin America. Under my leadership, Afirme established itself as a principal sponsor and strategic investor in Mexico’s premier gaming and blockchain events, while driving key investment decisions in publisher projects to expand their presence in the region. I collaborated with POAP INC and VISA to launch Billú, the first blockchain financial solution in the Mexican market, achieving over 65,000 users in its first year. Notable investment achievements include funding the development of a custom virtual world metaverse with Epic Games, strategic investment in Twitch’s reward systems, backing Riot Games’ market expansion through exclusive features, and supporting Tencent Games and Warner Bros’ character licensing initiatives. I also directed investment strategies for professional esports leagues with in-person finals through strategic partnerships. These investment initiatives and strategic decisions positioned Afirme as a key financial player in the gaming and blockchain ecosystem while driving innovation in gaming financial technology across Latin America.

Domain Related Experience and Vision

The approach to grant evaluation combines deep technical expertise with strategic gaming market insights, directly addressing critical challenges in blockchain gaming.

Technical Perspective:
Assessing gaming-specific blockchain infrastructure requires profound technical understanding. Experience in creating L3 appchains and analyzing play-to-earn technical models provides unique insights into solving core challenges like scalability, economic sustainability, and user experience. Expertise in Arbitrum’s technology stack, particularly Stylus, enables a nuanced evaluation of high-performance game logic across multiple programming languages, understanding how to lower barriers for traditional game developers.

Strategic Market Dimension:
A comprehensive understanding of the gaming investment landscape brings critical evaluation capabilities. Experience with major gaming publishers provides deep insights into project viability. This includes rigorously assessing potential, understanding market dynamics, and identifying transformative factors that can elevate blockchain gaming from experimental to mainstream innovation.

Grant Evaluation Approach:
The methodology addresses critical domain challenges by:

  • Assessing technically robust blockchain gaming infrastructure
  • Analyzing economically sustainable game models
  • Identifying bridges between traditional and blockchain game development
  • Providing strategic market adoption insights

Vision for Blockchain Gaming Platforms:

  • Infrastructure Excellence:
    Envision developing specialized gaming infrastructure that maximizes Arbitrum’s unique capabilities. This involves creating optimized L3 chains for diverse gaming needs, from high-throughput MMOs to asset-heavy collectible games. The goal is to leverage Stylus for game-specific operations, enabling developers to implement performant game logic in their preferred languages.

  • Developer Ecosystem Development:
    Establishing a robust developer ecosystem through comprehensive SDKs, documentation, and specialized tooling. This includes creating standardized templates, implementing cross-game asset standards, and developing middleware solutions that seamlessly connect traditional game engines with blockchain infrastructure.

  • User Experience Innovation:
    The future of blockchain gaming demands seamless, engaging experiences. The focus is on implementing solutions that abstract blockchain complexity while preserving decentralization’s core benefits. This involves developing innovative onboarding solutions, creating efficient asset bridges, and implementing game-specific account abstraction features.

The ultimate vision transcends merely supporting games. The objective is to establish a definitive platform where the future of blockchain gaming is built, scaled, and continuously innovated.

Leveraging technical expertise and specific experience with Arbitrum’s technology stack, the approach aims to drive the gaming ecosystem forward by bridging complex technical solutions with practical, user-centric applications.

Grant related Experience

Evaluation Methodology:

  1. Preliminary Review
    • Rigorous applicant background validation
    • Comprehensive proposal integrity assessment
    • Initial viability and innovation screening
    • Strategic potential evaluation
  2. In-Depth Analysis
    • Granular technical merit examination
    • Forensic financial framework review
    • Transformative potential measurement
    • Robust risk diagnostics
    • Strategic alignment verification
  3. Continuous Performance Tracking
    • Systematic milestone verification
    • Dynamic progress monitoring
    • Multi-dimensional impact assessment
    • Adaptive optimization strategies
    • Iterative feedback integration

Critical Disqualification Factors:

  • Proposal structural ambiguity
  • Budgetary phantasmagoria
  • Unsubstantiated team credentials
  • Absence of quantifiable success indicators
  • Communication opacity
  • Fundamental strategic misalignment

Declaration of Conflict of Interest

We are committed to maintaining absolute transparency and objectivity in our evaluation process. Specifically:

Carlos Gonzalez will categorically exclude any of his personal blockchain gaming projects from consideration, ensuring no potential for self-interest or bias in the grant evaluation process.

Alejandro Ochoa commits to a complete separation from his professional banking role at Afirme. This means:

  • Strict independence from any projects that might have past or current connections to the bank’s investment portfolio
  • A clear firewall between personal evaluation work and institutional interests

Both team members understand the critical importance of maintaining an unbiased, professional approach. We are dedicated to preserving the integrity of the grant evaluation process, ensuring that our assessments are driven solely by merit, innovation, and potential ecosystem impact.

Any potential conflicts, even perceived ones, will be immediately disclosed and managed to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct.

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