that’s precisely why this add-on is special. to my understanding, these POAPs will be the first POAPs minted on Arbitrum. unless POAP does a very Arbitrum-friendly announcement in ETH Denver, which will be just a few weeks before this conference. who knows =)
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As in @web3citizenxyz representation, we’re voting “FOR" without POAP. Below is our rationale:
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Voting “For”, but with no POAP. Have historically been pretty willing to fund these types of in-person projects. Even though I don’t attend I often hear good things about them. Cost is relatively low and with how responsive the proposer has been it sounds like it will be in good hands. I will be voting against the POAP however, as I don’t think it really adds value.
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I’m generally in favor of this proposal. Romania is emerging as a country that is pushing strongly in the IT and blockchain fields, and having collaborated with highly skilled Romanian developers on multiple occasions, I believe hosting this event in Bucharest has the potential to yield positive results in attracting developers and expanding the developer community.
Regarding the proposal’s content, I feel the budget could be better justified, particularly concerning the significant price difference for the POAP option. I would appreciate a more detailed breakdown of expenses - and perhaps a reduction in the overall budget - before the Tally vote.
I’ve decided to vote for Option 2, “FOR, without POAP”. While I believe POAPs are a nice feature, the price difference seems disproportionately high and inadequately justified. That said, you have my support and I’m happy to see all the efforts that were made for coming up with this proposal. However I’d appreciate if some changes were made potentially reducing the budget before moving to Tally if the proposal passes the temperature check.
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Voted For, with POAP: Excited to see this proposal and fingers crossed I am able to make it to the event next year. I met some of the team members behind ETH Bucharest in the past, and they are a super enthusiastic team that can deliver. The year 2025 will be super exciting for crypto, so it is important Arbitrum have a strong presence at this kind of event.
The budget seems OK, and I learned yesterday during the Open Discussion of Proposal(s) call that the budget will actually come from DAO Events Budget 2025. Also, I am a big fan of POAP, so I decided to go for this option as well.
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I voted “FOR with POAP”. I think it’s important to keep presence on crypto events, especially the ones that have a hackathon. We need to get more builders who build new and innovative dApps on Arbitrum. The more dApps we get, the higher the chance we find so called “killer apps”, which are something that any successful ecosystem needs.
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We’ve reviewed the proposal and agree with the concerns raised by other delegates.
While we think Eth Bucharest is a great conference and a gateway to engaging with developers in Europe, we feel the terms relating to the conference and the DAO’s participation in it lack clarity.
In particular, given the size of the conference we are not sure what value the DAO can derive, taking into account the large budget proposed. Furthermore, we believe that the DAO Events Budget should be primarily for allocating towards ARB-focused events rather than sponsorships.
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We’ll ABSTAIN ETH Bucharest 2025 sponsorship.
Thanks for putting this together. While ETH Bucharest looks like a solid event with good potential impact, the timing and approach here just don’t align with our recent governance decisions.
We literally just voted to establish a structured events framework with dedicated teams and clear mandates. Creating parallel funding streams weeks later would undermine that entire effort.
The suggestion about refocusing on Arbitrum-specific components under the 50k cap makes sense if you want to pursue the domain allocation route.
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After consideration, the @SEEDgov delegation has decided to “FOR, WITHOUT POAP” on this proposal at the Snapshot Vote.
Rationale
We have known @ostanescu.eth both personally and through our interactions as Domain Allocators during Questbook Season 2, where they successfully met all proposed milestones. Overall, our impression remains positive after these engagements. Additionally, we appreciate the proposer’s efforts to address every question raised in the post.
That said, there are a few points we would like to highlight:
We believe the $15,000 allocated for providing POAPs is excessive, especially since this tool tends to be suboptimal for measuring attendance. From our experience organizing events and in the Domain, POAPs often serve as a floor metric for attendance since not all participants claim them. For this reason, increasing the budget by 25% solely for this purpose seems unnecessary.
Some costs within the Genesis Block Package also appear high. For example, the $8,000 allocated to the Exhibition Booth aligns more closely with events of significantly larger magnitude.
As mentioned by @pedrob, we believe there should be a partial release of funds tied to specific milestones (at least 2 or 3). While we understand that sponsorship packages require upfront payment to cover pre-event expenses, as noted by the proposer, other components like the Hackathon bounties budget could be milestone-based. Additionally, in our view, part of the budget or an incentive should be allocated to a final milestone for post-event reporting. We encourage the proposer to implement these changes to better safeguard Arbitrum DAO’s interests.
Ideally, this project should fall under Questbook’s Domain. Even without the POAP allocation, the budget remains close to the $50,000 threshold. However, we understand that due to timing constraints, this may not be feasible. The Domain is expected to resume operations in February, which would leave only two months before the event—insufficient time considering expenses like venue rental and other upfront costs.
Finally, we would like to clarify that we did not abstain from voting this time, despite having previously approved a grant for the same proposer. We do not believe there is a conflict of interest in this case. Unlike the Hackathon Continuation Program—which represented a continuation of the Hackathon we funded through Questbook—this proposal is for a completely separate and independent event (aside from the proposer) and is unrelated to the Hackathon funded in Romania.
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We have decided to vote Against this proposal. I want to thank @ostanescu.eth for bringing this proposal to the DAO and their efforts and communition; however, we echo the concerns of other delegates. The success of the previous Bucharest Hackathon by this team is commendable and we are excited to have them look to have Arbitrum engage with ETH Bucharest 2025, which is sure to be an incredible event for the space. That being said, the DAO’s role in sponsoring events has been outlined in the Events Budget for 2025, which stated the following:
Though this proposal is above that mark, it is due to the DAO being placed into “Genesis Block Package” and included an hour speaking slot, a speaker dinner, and VIP area sponsorship, all of which are excessive and unnecessary for an DAO entity. We align with the importance of a strong Arbitrum presence at large community events such as ETH Bucharest 2025, but we agree with many of our fellow delegates that a restructured proposal at a reduced budget would be a perfect fit for the new season of Questbook Grants. Given the support and positive response for their previous efforts through Questbook, this feels appropriate and sets the standard for event proposals that should come before the DAO. We understand time constraints and logic for expediting, but we do not support this proposal as it stands and stand behind the effectiveness of the Domain Allocators and Questbook’s Program to work with projects and opportunities such as this.
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While I always appreciate a proposal i have to vote against it as we have get a structure within the DAO and this means following some guidelines like explained here for event budgets Establishing a DAO Events Budget for 2025.
This proposal should move to the Questbook program like mentioned by other delegates already.
Good luck!
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Blockworks Advisory would like to support this proposal at the temperature check phase; however, we believe that this should not be precedent moving forward. The DAO Events budget should remain for Arbitrum-specific events. Events like ETH Bucharest, while tangibly contributing to the greater ecosystem, do not necessarily directly contribute to the Arbitrum ecosystem, and thus need additional assurances on that front. Furthermore, the proposal itself has seen quite a few iterations that make it likely eligible for other pathways within the DAO.
That said, Blockworks Advisory will vote AGAINST from this proposal at the temperature check phase.
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We vote AGAINST the proposal on Snapshot.
We appreciate @ostanescu.eth for the proposal first. We look forward to the presence from Arbitrum at ETH Bucharest! However, we can’t justify the funding as we echo @BlockworksResearch 's opinion on “the DAO Events budget should remain for Arbitrum-specific events” in addition to other concerns from delegates on the budgets and use of the Questbook grants and wouldn’t support this proposal as it stands.
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The following reflects the views of the Lampros DAO (formerly ‘Lampros Labs DAO’) governance team, composed of Chain_L (@Blueweb), @Euphoria, and Hirangi Pandya (@Nyx), based on our combined research, analysis, and ideation.
We are voting “FOR, with POAP - $69,300” for this proposal on Snapshot voting.
Thank you @ostanescu.eth for the updated proposal. We liked the approach that the feedback from most of the delegates has been incorporated in the updated proposal and we appreciate the timely updates and replies to each delegate in the proposal.
Coming on to the updated proposal, we are in favor of the proposal supporting the POAP for the event. As mentioned in our previous comment, we like the idea of Arbitrum participating in ETH Bucharest. Arbitrum has gained significant value from previous conferences and events, and we fully support its involvement in this event.
Additionally, regarding the integration of POAPs in the updated proposal, we like the idea of using POAPs to record who comes to the event. This shows off Arbitrum’s presence and keeps a record of participants. If these attendees contribute to Arbitrum in the future, we can easily trace where this user is coming from through this POAP.
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Hi @0xAlex,
Thank you for your support and vote! 
We completely understand the concerns about the budget, especially when comparing ETH Bucharest to larger conferences like DevCon or EthCC. However, as you mentioned, the competitive L2 landscape makes it essential for Arbitrum to continue investing strategically in high-potential regions like Eastern Europe.
We’re confident this event will attract top builders and produce meaningful contributions to the Arbitrum ecosystem through the hackathon and workshops. It’s great to hear that the expense breakdown provided clarity, as transparency has been one of our main priorities.
Thank you for your support and for sharing your perspective! 
We completely understand your decision to vote without the POAP.
It’s important for the core sponsorship to pass and allow Arbitrum to have a strong presence at ETH Bucharest 2025.
Thank you for helping move this forward!
Hi @404DAO ,
Thank you for taking the time to review the proposal and for your thoughtful questions! I’m happy to address them one by one:
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Hackathon Open Track ($5.5k) and Dedicated Bounties ($21.5k):
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The Genesis Block Package requires the sponsor to offer a dedicated bounty of at least €1,000 for the hackathon and includes €500 for the General Track. These amounts are baseline contributions to ensure hackathon engagement.
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The $21.5k Dedicated Bounty Add-On allows Arbitrum to significantly expand its presence in the hackathon by creating Arbitrum-specific tracks, focusing on technologies like Stylus and Layer 2 scaling. This funding directly incentivizes developers to build innovative projects using Arbitrum’s ecosystem tools.
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The $5.5k Open Track Add-On is a contribution that supports the broader Real-World Use Case Track, which includes a business plan requirement. This track is designed to attract multidisciplinary teams and encourage diverse, impactful projects beyond purely technical innovation. Good to mention that all builds submitted for the ARB track will be eligible for this track too (if they deliver also the business plan component).
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Expected Submissions for Arbitrum Tracks:
Based on past participation and interest in Stylus, we’re estimating 10–15 high-quality submissions for Arbitrum-related tracks. These include projects utilizing Stylus, Layer 2 scaling, and other Arbitrum-native tools.
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Genesis Block Package Price ($35,000 USD vs. €32,500):
The discrepancy is due to the conversion rate between euros and USD. The original sponsorship deck listed prices in euros, and we’ve converted this to USD for the proposal (incl. all transfer and conversion to FIAT fees). To further clarify, the price for the Genesis Block Package, after applying a 10% discount, is $31,500 USD.
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POAP Native Minting on Arbitrum:
You’re correct that native minting on Arbitrum is currently unavailable. It might be that by the time of ETHB25, this would be different. We understand the concerns regarding the technical fit, and if the DAO decides against it, we are fully prepared to proceed without the POAP component.
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Sponsorship Value:
We understand concerns about the overall budget. However, ETH Bucharest is a great opportunity to grow Arbitrum’s ecosystem in Eastern Europe, a region full of untapped talent and developer potential.
The hackathon, workshops, and Genesis Block Package are designed to maximize Arbitrum’s visibility and engagement with builders who could drive long-term value for the ecosystem.
Thank you for your support and rationale!
We completely understand your choice to vote without the POAP. While we believe it adds value through engagement and brand interaction, the core sponsorship package and hackathon support provide an excellent foundation for Arbitrum’s presence at ETH Bucharest.
Your acknowledgment of the event’s potential to drive growth and adoption in Eastern Europe means a lot. This region is a vibrant and rapidly expanding hub for Ethereum builders, and having Arbitrum involved can truly make a difference.
Thanks again for supporting the proposal and helping us take this exciting step forward! 
Thank you so much for your support and vote “For”! 
We’re glad to hear that you’ve seen positive feedback about these kinds of in-person projects, even when you haven’t attended yourself (we would be happy to welcome you in Bucharest, in April).
We’re committed to making ETH Bucharest 2025 an impactful event, and your confidence in the team means a lot.
We completely understand your decision to vote against the POAP. While we included it to enhance engagement and showcase Arbitrum, we respect the view that it may not add enough value for the cost. Ultimately, the core sponsorship package and hackathon support are what truly drive the event’s impact.
Thanks again for your thoughtful feedback and for helping make this happen!
Thank you for your feedback and for voting “FOR, without POAP”!
It’s fantastic to hear your positive experiences with Romanian developers and your recognition of the potential in hosting ETH Bucharest. We truly believe this event can attract talented builders and help expand the Ethereum and Arbitrum communities in the region.
Regarding your concerns about the budget and expense breakdown:
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If this proposal passes the Snapshot vote, funds will be allocated directly from the DAO Events Budget, as outlined in this forum post. There will be no Tally vote following this process.
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For a detailed breakdown of the costs, please refer to this cost breakdown link.
We appreciate your feedback on the POAP pricing and understand why the difference might feel disproportionate. While we believe it could enhance engagement, we respect the community’s concerns and are happy to proceed without it, as reflected in your vote.
Thank you for your support and for recognizing the effort that has gone into this proposal.