Partner with ETH Bucharest 2025 - Eastern Europe’s Leading Ethereum Conference and Hackathon

Proposals
,
1

Partner with ETH Bucharest 2025 - Eastern Europe’s Leading Ethereum Conference and Hackathon

Non-Constitutional

Abstract

The proposal invites Arbitrum DAO to sponsor ETH Bucharest 2025, showcasing its Layer 2 ecosystem and Stylus technology while supporting the Hackathon Open Track to drive real-world use cases and foster impactful startups.

The total investment for this proposal is set at $ 67,950 (10% discount included).

This partnership strengthens Arbitrum’s leadership in innovation and community engagement.

Motivation

ETH Bucharest 2024 Vibes
ETH Bucharest 2024 Vibes1920×843 276 KB

ETH Bucharest 2025, taking place from April 2-5, will build upon the success of last year’s conference, which attracted 1,100+ unique attendees and 100+ hackers.

For 2025, we expect over 1,500 community enthusiasts and 150 hackers, with a diverse range of speakers, tracks, and events dedicated to fostering Ethereum and Web3 innovation in Eastern Europe.

Your continued involvement will be instrumental as we work to create a pivotal gathering for the Ethereum community in this region.

Arbitrum has already had a significant impact at ETH Bucharest 2024 (from 27th to the 30th of March 2024), with @ZER8 and @DisruptionJoe making Arbitrum’s presence felt on-site.

This was the first time Arbitrum DAO had a booth at a conference and

Our collaboration deepened as we hosted the first ever IRL Arbitrum Workshop and Hackathon, which focused on Stylus—a groundbreaking technology for fully EVM-compatible smart contracts written in Rust.

Arbitrum Workshop & Hackathon Vibes
Arbitrum Workshop & Hackathon Vibes1920×1282 307 KB

This initiative was funded by the Arbitrum Education, Community Growth and Events 2.0 with $ 22,524 and was completed in November 2024.

This workshop and hackathon set the stage for Arbitrum’s next evolution, creating unique momentum in Romania’s fast-growing Ethereum community.

Rationale

Why ETH Bucharest 2025?

  • Prime Visibility: ETH Bucharest is Eastern Europe’s most prominent Ethereum gathering. By partnering, Arbitrum will gain brand exposure across all main stages, hackathon rooms, and throughout the event, ensuring high visibility to developers, industry professionals, and enthusiasts.

  • Community Engagement: Direct engagement with the next generation of Ethereum builders through workshops, talks, and exclusive networking opportunities. This includes pre-hackathon workshops and dedicated bounty tracks.

  • Early Adopter Appeal: Be at the forefront of introducing Stylus and Arbitrum’s Layer 2 technology to one of Europe’s largest developer pools. This partnership would position Arbitrum as a leader in Ethereum Layer 2 solutions in Romania, Eastern Europe & beyond (we had participants from the US. Canada, Australia, etc).

  • Network Expansion: ETH Bucharest attracts over 1,500 attendees, including developers, project leads, investors, and Web3 enthusiasts, offering a valuable opportunity for Arbitrum to expand its ecosystem in a fast-growing region.

ETH Bucharest 2025 is your platform to reinforce Arbitrum’s leadership in Layer 2 solutions, inspire the next wave of Ethereum builders, and make meaningful connections in the Eastern European Web3 space.

We would be thrilled to have Arbitrum DAO as one of the main partners, shaping the future of Ethereum in one of its most vibrant hubs.

Specifications

With this proposal, Arbitrum DAO will play a pivotal role at ETH Bucharest 2025, becoming a main partner and significantly enhancing its presence in the Eastern European Ethereum ecosystem.

Hackathon Involvement

  • Arbitrum will feature its own dedicated bounty tracks, focused on technologies such as Stylus and Layer 2 scaling solutions. These tracks will encourage builders to innovate within the Arbitrum ecosystem.

  • Arbitrum will also support the Hackathon Open Track, themed Real World Use Cases.
    This track prioritizes impactful projects that address societal challenges and incorporates a business plan requirement, ensuring a well-rounded approach to team-building and scalability. By contributing to this track, Arbitrum will attract diverse participants, including non-technical contributors vital to startup success.

Conference Partnership

  • As one of the main partners, Arbitrum will enjoy central visibility at ETH Bucharest 2025:

    • 25m² exhibition booth at a prime location, allowing for extensive interaction with attendees and showcasing Arbitrum’s technology and ecosystem.

    • 1-hour main stage speaking slot to present Arbitrum’s latest advancements, with a focus on Stylus and its contributions to Ethereum scaling.

    • Pre-hackathon workshop, providing a hands-on introduction to Arbitrum’s tech stack, including Stylus, to engage and onboard developers.

Enhanced Branding and Networking Opportunities

  • Arbitrum will gain additional exposure through exclusive sponsorship of key networking and high-profile areas, including:

    • Speaker’s Dinner: An invite-only event offering intimate access to industry leaders, speakers, and VIPs.

    • VIP Area: A branded lounge for networking with influential attendees.

Rationale for Design Decisions

  1. Hackathon Focus: Bounty tracks and the Open Track emphasize real-world impact and onboarding multidisciplinary teams, aligning with Arbitrum’s goal of fostering diverse innovation. Previous hackathons, such as the Arbitrum Workshop & Hackathon in Romania, demonstrated high engagement and successful project outcomes, solidifying this approach.

  2. Conference Presence: The combination of a large booth, main stage slot, and workshop ensures Arbitrum’s technology and ecosystem receive the spotlight they deserve at Eastern Europe’s largest Ethereum event.

Similar sponsorship models at global events, such as Devcon and ETHGlobal, have proven successful for ecosystem expansion and brand alignment.

  1. Networking Add-ons: Sponsorship of the Speaker’s Dinner and VIP Area enhances Arbitrum’s visibility among thought leaders, creating opportunities for strategic partnerships.

This comprehensive approach ensures Arbitrum’s involvement at ETH Bucharest 2025 will maximize its impact, foster community engagement, and reinforce its leadership in Ethereum Layer 2 solutions.

Steps to Implement

Given the timeline of the event (April 2–5, 2025) and the need to pass the proposal through Arbitrum DAO governance, the following steps outline the process while adhering to DAO requirements:

Phase 1: Governance Approval

Step 1: Create a Snapshot vote pointing to this forum post.

Will include:

  • Proposal details, rationale, and alignment with DAO goals.

  • Breakdown of deliverables (sponsorship benefits and add-ons) and costs.

  • Proposed fund transfer action (total sponsorship package cost: $ 67,950 USD/ USDC).

  • Poll duration: 1 week.

  • Outcome: Proposal passes if:

    • Votes in favor > votes against.
    • Total votes in favor + total votes abstain ≥ 3% of votable tokens.

Phase 2: Sponsorship Implementation

Step 2: Finalize Sponsorship Agreement

  • Action: Draft and sign the agreement between ETH Bucharest and Arbitrum Foundation, ensuring clarity on deliverables, timelines, and payment terms.

Step 3: Pre-Event Preparation

  • Action: Execute sponsorship deliverables:
    • Branding across materials and venue (roll-ups, exhibition, website, etc.).
    • Workshop planning (Stylus focus).
    • Hackathon Bounty planning

Step 4: Event Execution

  • Action: Oversee on-site sponsorship deliverables:
    • Branding visibility.
    • Stylus workshop execution.
    • Hackathon judging for Bounty and Open Track and prize distribution.

Step 5: Post-Event Reporting

  • Action: Provide Arbitrum with a detailed report, including:
    • Metrics (attendance, engagement, social reach).
    • Hackathon outcomes (winning projects, bounty distribution).
    • Branding impact (photos, media highlights).

This step-by-step approach ensures timely execution while meeting Arbitrum DAO governance requirements and maximizing the value of sponsorship at ETH Bucharest 2025.

Timeline

Phase 1: Governance Approval

  • Milestone 1:

    • Forum Post Submission: November 22, 2024.
    • Snapshot Poll Launch: November 29, 2024.

  • Milestone 2: Snapshot Poll Closes: December 6, 2024.

  • Completion Date for Phase 1: December 6, 2024 (results announced, proceed with implementation if passed).

Phase 2: Sponsorship Implementation

  • Milestone 3:

    • Sponsorship Agreement Finalization: December 20, 2024.
    • Payment transferred from Events Budget MSS controlled wallet to ETH Bucharest wallet.

  • Milestone 4:

    • Hackathon Open Track Planning: Begin December 21, 2024.
    • Arbitrum Bounties Planning: Begin December 21, 2024
    • Judging criteria (including business plan component) finalized by January 15, 2025.

  • Milestone 5:

    • Branding and Marketing Implementation: January 2025.
    • Deliver marketing materials (website updates, digital roll-ups, social campaigns) by February 15, 2025.

  • Milestone 6:

    • Workshop and Hackathon Logistics: Workshop and track agenda finalized by March 1, 2025.
    • Invitations and promotional campaigns launched.

Phase 3: Event Execution

  • Start Date: April 2, 2025 (Event Day 1).

    • Workshops conducted on April 2, 2025.

  • Milestone 7: Hackathon judging begins on April 5, 2025.

  • Completion Date for Phase 3: April 5, 2025 (end of the event, winners announced).

Phase 4: Post-Event Reporting

Milestone 8: Post-event report delivered to Arbitrum by April 30, 2025.

Overall Cost

Proposed Sponsorship Package for Arbitrum

The below items are based on the ETH Bucharest 2025 Sponsorship Deck.

Genesis Block Package - $ 35,000

Included Benefits:

  • Speaking Opportunity: Main stage (1-hour talk) to showcase Arbitrum’s latest advancements.
  • Workshop Session: Conduct an in-person pre-hackathon technical workshop on Stylus.
  • Exhibition Space: Prime 25m² space, including branding and amenities, strategically located for maximum foot traffic. (we will take care of the production part)
  • Brand Exposure: Digital roll-ups displayed on screens in key areas loops across all stages, digital and print branding, and main stage branding.
  • VIP Access: 10 general tickets, 5 VIP tickets, and access to the exclusive Speaker’s Dinner for VIPs.
  • Additional Visibility: Branding on website, social media, and print materials, as well as chair covers on the main stage.
  • Discounted Tickets: 50% discount codes for additional tickets as needed.

Additional Sponsorship Add-Ons - $ 40,500

To further enhance Arbitrum’s presence, we propose the following add-ons:

  • Speaker Dinner Sponsor ($ 8,000): A unique branding opportunity to connect with speakers and VIP guests in an intimate setting.

  • VIP Area Sponsor ($ 5,500): Exclusive branding in the dedicated VIP area, where high-profile networking takes place.

  • Hackathon Bounty ($ 21,500): A dedicated bounty pool to be split across multiple hackathon tracks specific to Arbitrum technologies, including Stylus and Arbitrum Layer 2 solutions. This will drive engagement, encouraging developers to innovate on Arbitrum and building community excitement around Stylus development.

  • Hackathon Open Track Add-On ( $5,500)

Open Track Contribution: Arbitrum will contribute to the Open Track of the ETH Bucharest 2025 Hackathon, themed Real World Use Cases. This track is dedicated to projects that aim to have a genuine impact on society, aligning with Ethereum’s goals for real-life utility.

Business Plan Requirement: The Open Track will include a significant Business Plan Requirement in the judging process. This addition is designed to attract and onboard talent from other essential startup functions beyond technical skills, such as business development, marketing, and operations.

Value to Arbitrum: By sponsoring this track, Arbitrum will not only support technical innovation but also help nurture startups with well-rounded teams capable of delivering impactful and scalable solutions. This aligns with Arbitrum’s commitment to supporting projects that can drive real-world change.

Total Investment - $ 75,500

Discount due to ETHB24 presence - 10%

Total Investment incl. 10% discount - $ 67,950

ALPHA !!! - here’s the venue for ETH Bucharest 2025

The National Library of Romania
The National Library of Romania870×580 153 KB

We value the input of the community and believe collaboration drives the best outcomes.

If you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions about this proposal, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the forum.

Your insights are crucial to making Arbitrum’s presence at ETH Bucharest 2025 a success!

Helicopter!

7 Likes
3

Hey @ostanescu.eth. Thank you for this proposal. If the previous participation brought significant benefits to Arbitrum DAO, we shouldn’t miss this opportunity either. One thing I’d like to ask you to reconfirm: does the $67,950 already cover the entire budget for this event? For example, have the travel, food, and lodging expenses for the guests been accounted for?

1 Like
4

Thank you @ostanescu.eth. This seems an exciting opportunity for Arbitrum DAO, but we believe it should be evaluated as part of the newly approved DAO events budget for 2025. In line with this, we suggest for the decision-making to be delegated to Entropy Advisors, rather than this proposal independently going through a DAO vote.

3 Likes
5

Hey @karpatkey the DAO events budget for 2025 proposal, specifies that other service providers that would want to get support from the Arbitrum DAO for their events should just put up a proposal on the forum and get a snapshot approved with more than the 3% of voting quorum. So the decision making is still by the DAO, not Entropy.

DAO events budget for 2025 proposal
DAO events budget for 2025 proposal1594×1038 187 KB

Could you clarify @Entropy @DisruptionJoe and ADPC?

4 Likes
6

Hi!

Thanks for the proposal

Since the proposal to allocate 1.5M USD to the Education, Community Growth, and Events domain will be voted on in Snapshot next week, I think this proposal should wait for the outcome. In the event of a favorable result, the proposal should be directed through that channel.

4 Likes
7

@paulofonseca you are free to go through the DAO process if you prefer. But, since there are specific initiatives with budgets dedicated to events, that seems a more efficient approach both for the DAO and for you. Examples are the DAO events budget or the Arbitrum Domain Allocator Offerings as mentioned by @pedrob .

1 Like
8

@karpatkey to clarify, I’m not the one putting forward this proposal. I helped review it before it was posted here, and I personally know the people behind it so I have a lot of context about it, but I’m not the service provider putting it forward to the DAO.

But I’m asking the DAO Events budget team above to clarify on the process for service providers to access the funds in the recently approved events budget for 2025, because I think that’s an important issue and different from what you’ve stated previously that Entropy and that team would be deciding on the events to be funded from that budget. I don’t think that’s the case. Their proposal specifically says that other service providers can come forward to the DAO to ask for part of that budget for events by following the normal governance process, but not needing to go through a more morose onchain vote to get the funds.

@pedrob in regards to going for the future questbook Events domain, this service provider, the people behind ETH Bucharest, already got a questbook grant last season, to do an Arbitrum Stylus Workshop and Hackathon in Bucharest, a few weeks ago.

I personally helped with this Arbitrum Stylus Workshop and Hackathon by giving one of the workshops in the event, mentoring the hackathon participants and judging the submissions. I was paid for that and I disclosed my earning as I usually do, in this forum thread here.

This proposal now, seeks more funding than the amounts normally available through the Questbook domains, so I don’t think it makes sense to go through the Questbook channel, but to the DAO Events Budget for 2025 that was recently approved.

2 Likes
9

Thanks for submitting this proposal @ostanescu.eth; from the photos and videos of ETH Bucharest 2024, it looks like it was a well managed and successful event! At the request of @paulofonseca we will confirm that as part of the Events Budget for 2025 proposal, service providers, event organizers, or individuals can bring requests of this nature to utilize the funds earmarked. The decision to fund such an event is made by the DAO, not Entropy or the other Events Budget members.

That being said, when crafting the proposal, Entropy had envisioned that requests would be for Arbitrum specific events like GovHack as opposed to sponsorships of this scale. However, the request does fall into the scope of the Events Budget proposal and we do not wish to stand as a gatekeeper if this is an event the DAO wishes to participate in and support.

Speaking as a delegate, we would echo @pedrob’s suggestion of waiting for the outcome of the Arbitrum D.A.O. (Domain Allocator Offerings) Grant Program - Season 3 proposal and directing the request through the Education, Community Growth and Events Domain. This proposal will move to a temperature check next week, so you will have a sense on how likely it is that the DAO funds the program fairly soon. Looking at the additional sponsorship add-ons, we believe there are a few that could be trimmed so that a sponsorship proposal fits within the $50k cap.

11 Likes
10

Gm Larva,

The expenses of the guests coming from the DAO side, Arbitrum Foundation and possibly, Offchain Labs were not included in this proposal.

We still don’t have a firm confirmation of who exactly is going to join ETH Bucharest, as this is also influenced by the outcome of this proposal.

1 Like
12

Gmgm, so would it be better to include the relevant budget in the proposal? Even if it’s just an estimate

1 Like
13

The speaker dinner and VIP sponsor feel unecessary. If the main conference and hackathon are already being sponsored, what’s the value of this extra $13,500?

Also, would the hackathon and open track have built with Arbiturm as a criterion? or is the sponsorship just an advertisement?

3 Likes
14

Hi! This seems a nice event! I have a few questions:

How is this proposal impacted if going through the next iteration of Questbook or through the 2025 Events budget? It will still be feasible?

It seems that the tentative timeline is not taking into account the Tally on-chain voting process. Is my assessment correct? If so, can you review it so we can have a better understand if there is a real impact waiting for any of that other funding sources?

Thanks in advance!

1 Like
15

Hey Ostanescu, thanks for taking the initiative to spotlight Arbitrum at this conference. The venue looks fantastic, this might be the perfect excuse for my first trip to Romania.

I’m with @danielo on skipping the speaker dinner and VIP area sponsorship; I think we can do without them. The extra $13,500 could be better spent securing a main side event or boosting hackathon rewards to make a bigger impact.

I also agree with the suggestions to direct this proposal through the Education, Community Growth, and Events Domain for Season 3. That said, if you choose to go this route (snapshot → tally), I’d still vote in favor.

2 Likes
16

Understood. However, quick question here: is this an unusal practice? Meaning that at every event where Arbitrum (being DAO or the Foundation) is officially present, are the costs of the delegation going there covered by these type of proposals?

1 Like
17

Thank you, @karpatkey , for your input.

We acknowledge the importance of aligning with the DAO’s events budget for 2025.

However, as clarified by @Entropy , decisions regarding event sponsorships are made by the DAO, not solely by @Entropy or the Events Budget members.

Therefore, we are proceeding with the standard governance process to seek approval for this proposal.

2 Likes
18

Thank you, @paulofonseca , for clarifying the process.

We are following the recommended procedure by submitting this proposal to the forum and seeking approval through a Snapshot vote, ensuring transparency and community involvement in the decision-making process.

19

Thank you, @pedrob , for your thoughtful suggestion. We carefully considered the Education, Community Growth, and Events Domain framework.

However, the requested amount for this sponsorship ($67,950) exceeds the $50,000 cap specified in that channel, making it ineligible under those terms.

By submitting this proposal to the DAO Events Budget, we aim to align with the appropriate funding mechanism for initiatives of this scale.

This approach ensures that Arbitrum DAO’s presence at ETH Bucharest 2025 receives the necessary support to maximize its impact while remaining within the DAO’s governance structure.

20

Thank you, @Entropy , for your kind words and for recognizing the impact of ETH Bucharest 2024.

We deeply respect the framework established for the Education, Community Growth, and Events Domain, but our sponsorship request of $67,950 exceeds the $50,000 cap specified for individual allocations in that framework.

Given the scale and scope of ETH Bucharest 2025, we determined that submitting this proposal to the DAO Events Budget would be more appropriate.

This ensures transparency and allows the broader Arbitrum community to evaluate and support this initiative through the governance process.

21

Thank you, @danielo , for your questions.

Sponsoring the Speaker’s Dinner and VIP Area provides networking opportunities with industry leaders, speakers, and VIP attendees, enhancing Arbitrum’s visibility and fostering potential partnerships.

Regarding the hackathon, Arbitrum will feature dedicated bounty tracks focused on its technologies, encouraging participants to build solutions within the Arbitrum ecosystem.

Additionally, by supporting the Hackathon Open Track (which is open to projects built on any EVM infrastructure, thus including those built on Arbitrum) themed “Real World Use Cases,” Arbitrum aims to attract diverse participants, including non-technical contributors, to develop impactful projects that align with its mission

1 Like
22

Thank you, @jameskbh, for your thoughtful questions and for engaging with the proposal!

  1. Impact of going through Questbook or the 2025 Events Budget:

While the proposal could technically be submitted through Questbook or the Education, Community Growth, and Events Domain under the 2025 Events Budget, the requested sponsorship amount of $67,950 exceeds the $50,000 cap outlined in the Questbook framework.

This makes it ineligible for that channel.By submitting directly to the DAO Events Budget, we ensure the proposal aligns with the funding mechanism intended for initiatives of this scale.

This path maintains feasibility and supports the comprehensive vision for Arbitrum DAO’s presence at ETH Bucharest 2025 without compromising the scope of the participation.

  1. Tentative timeline and Tally voting process:

As far as we know, a Tally vote is not required when requesting funding from the already approved 2025 DAO Events Budget allocation. This simplifies the process and ensures no delays are introduced from additional governance steps.

4 Likes