- Full Name: Max Lomu
Applicant / Nominee Information
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Contact Information:
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Arbitrum Forum: @maxlomu
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X (Twitter): @maxlomu
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Current Occupation: Orbit grant manager for the DAO program (ending in September 2026), advisor / BD contributor across onchain credit, RWA, and ecosystem growth initiatives.
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Country of Residence / Time Zone: Italy
Applicant / Nominee Qualifications and Experience
- Domains in which you have the most experience:
Business Development, Venture Building, and Strategy & Operations, with a strong overlap in capital allocation and ecosystem strategy.
Over the past few years, I have worked across several crypto organizations helping turn ideas into concrete initiatives, partnerships, and operational plans. My work has included ecosystem growth - scaling protocols up to $1B in TVL, grants, business development, liquidity sourcing, project onboarding, and strategic positioning.
Most recently, I have been building RevOnchain, focused on bringing real-world cashflows and private credit opportunities onchain. That work involves sourcing opportunities, assessing risk, structuring partnerships, speaking with LPs and protocols, and helping teams understand how to make their product credible to institutional and crypto-native capital.
Inside Arbitrum, I’ve spent the last 1.5 years managing the Orbit domain of the DAO Grant Program. I’ve spoken with well over 100 teams and builders to understand what they actually need and how to help them succeed.
I also worked on proposals and strategic initiatives around ecosystem growth, RWA adoption, liquidity, and builder support, including the BLAZE / bootstrapping loan concept. Not everything I’ve pushed moved forward, but I learned a lot on how to align capital, risk appetite, contributors, delegates, and eco priorities.
I am comfortable operating in ambiguous environments where there is no perfect playbook, which I think is especially relevant for OpCo.
I also have a strong entrepreneurial mindset, which hopefully can support OpCo in its effort to create new revenue streams for the DAO.
- Describe your network and reputation within the blockchain/technology industry. Have you previously represented a crypto brand and/or navigated DAO governance:
I have a strong network across the Arbitrum ecosystem, DAOs, RWA / private credit protocols, DeFi teams, founders, service providers, and capital allocators.
I have previously represented crypto brands in different capacities. I am frequently a speaker at Ethereum conferences (most recently: ETHCC 2026 and ETHMilan 2026) and have been vocal on social media about strategies, smart initiatives and vision for what I hope the crypto industry can become.
In the Arbitrum DAO, I have participated as a delegate, contributor, and Grant Manager. That has given me direct experience with the realities of DAO governance: writing and reviewing proposals, talking through ideas with delegates, understanding incentives, handling disagreement, and trying to push things forward with so many stakeholders.
I try to be direct, practical, and focused on the ecosystem without compromising my values or integrity. I care about growth, but I care even more that initiatives are actually executable and create real long-term value instead of just short-term optics.
- Detail your experience in advisory, governance, and/or oversight roles:
I have experience advising teams on strategy, positioning, business development, capital formation, go-to-market, and ecosystem alignment.
As an Arbitrum DAO delegate and Grant Manager, I have reviewed initiatives not only on whether they sound interesting, but whether they are aligned with the DAO’s goals, realistic, and worth the resources. That requires balancing optimism with accountability. I constantly advise new projects to challenge assumptions, and identify missing risks
In oversight roles I’ve learned that good oversight isn’t about micromanaging. It’s about setting clear expectations, defining what success looks like, asking the uncomfortable questions early, and making sure reporting is transparent enough that people can actually trust the process.
- Have you previously contributed to the Arbitrum DAO? Describe any relevant experiences through which you’ve gained an understanding of the DAO’s current structure, contributors, and programs:
Yes. I have contributed to the Arbitrum DAO as a delegate, Grant Manager, proposer, and active participant in governance discussions.
My work has included reviewing and discussing proposals, participating in delegate conversations, managing grant processes, and developing strategic ideas for how Arbitrum can attract more builders, liquidity, and real economic activity.
One of my main contributions was developing the BLAZE / Bootstrapping Loans concept, which explored how the DAO could use capital more strategically to support promising projects building on Arbitrum and Orbit chains. Even though the initiative did not ultimately move forward, it gave me a deeper understanding of the DAO’s internal dynamics, the role of delegates, the Foundation, Offchain Labs, service providers, and the importance of risk appetite and institutional alignment.
I have also worked on broader ecosystem narratives around Arbitrum as a home for builders, innovation, chain abstraction, and real-world assets.
I shared my vision for the DAO and Arbitrum ecosystem in the SOS submission which received positive feedback at the time, although some of my views have evolved since then.
Through this, I have interacted with contributors, teams, delegates, and stakeholders across the DAO and have developed a strong understanding of both its strengths and its coordination challenges.
- Given the scope of OpCo is relatively broad in its current form, describe how you view OpCo’s role within the DAO and what it should accomplish to deem the entity a success over the next 3-5 years:
I see OpCo as the DAO’s operational execution layer, but also as one of the key entities that can help restore momentum in the DAO.
Right now, Arbitrum governance is less active than it should be. Proposal flow has slowed down, community energy feels lower than in previous phases, and many contributors are either waiting for direction or unsure how to plug in meaningfully. This is not unique to Arbitrum, but it is something Arbitrum needs to solve if the DAO wants to remain one of the most important ecosystems in crypto.
The first phase of OpCo has understandably focused on internal processes: taking over functions previously managed by other AAEs, supporting programs like RAD, and professionalizing operational workflows. That was necessary. As the key hires are close to completion, I believe we are ready for the next phase: OpCo should become more proactive and help the DAO move from maintenance mode back into growth and execution mode.
For me, success over the next 3–5 years would mean:
- Reactivating real DAO execution and reducing fragmentation:
Creating a clearer pipeline of strategic priorities, contributors, and initiatives instead of the DAO passively waiting for good proposals - Lowering coordination friction between the DAO, Foundation, Offchain Labs, Entropy, AGV, service providers, and future entities
- Establishing clear operational accountability so everyone knows who owns what, what’s delayed, and what’s progressing. Great progress has been made in the recent months but I believe there is al ot of room to improve.
- Shifting reporting from activity metrics to real impact and value creation
- Exploring new revenue streams and ways to make the DAO more self-sustaining,
That said, OAT’s role is is oversight, not execution. As a committee member my role would be to make sure OpCo is delivering against the agreed priorities, flag scope creep early, and ask the hard questions when needed.
Good oversight should actually be a bit boring when it’s working well: clear expectations, transparent reporting, and catching small issues before they become big problems.
I believe I can contribute effectively here because I’ve worked directly with builders, delegates, protocols, capital allocators, and DAO contributors. I’ve seen the coordination gaps up close. Arbitrum still has one of the strongest technical and ecosystem foundations in crypto, it just needs more initiative, sharper priorities, and tighter execution loops to fully realize that potential.
Disclosures
- Please disclose all of the applicant’s/nominee’s actual and potential conflicts of interest, including but not limited to financial, personal, DAO governance, and professional:
Own small amount of crypto assets across a variety of ecosystems.
- Please disclose all active contributor roles and payment streams related to the Arbitrum DAO that the applicant/nominee, and entities that they have a professional or financial relationship with, have and is receiving:
Part of the D.A.O. program - ending on september this year
Declarations
- The applicant/nominee understands that any offer to join and hold a position in the OAT is contingent on:
- Successfully completing as well as maintaining updated all relevant non-disclosure agreements, KYC requirements, and other necessary documents
- Not being a direct representative or full-time employee at network competitors (e.g., Solana, Polygon, Optimism, etc)
- An individual will be entitled to run as a candidate for the election. No single organisation should be overly represented in the OAT. There should be no more than 1 candidate associated with a single entity.
- If a candidate is elected on behalf of an organisation, then the OAT membership is tied to them and cannot be rotated to someone else in the organisation. It will be up to the current OAT to enforce the above policy, and if a candidate is excluded from the election, then the rationale must be publicly disclosed to the ArbitrumDAO
- Being aligned with the community values listed in The Amended Constitution of the Arbitrum DAO, following the Code of Conduct for delegates, being committed to prioritizing the Arbitrum DAO’s needs, and acting in absolute good faith and utmost honesty to fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities.
- If nominating someone else, the nominator confirms that the nominee is aware of their nomination and the essential details related to it
- The applicant/nominator confirms that they have read and understood all the content within this form and that the information submitted is accurate and complete: Yes