I want to start by saying the work Entropy Advisors put into this strategic framework is incredible, and so on point. I’m glad to see such a thoughtful proposal.
What Resonates With Me
I love the concept of ArbitrumDAO as a “digital sovereign nation.” That has great meme potential and highlights one of our key differentiators, which I really like. We are a real DAO, that is why I spend my time here, so I am glad to see that frame be elevated.
That being said, the first objective about operating with efficiency is crucial. My concern has been that we’re getting too focused on bureaucracy - too much DAOing for DAO’s sake. When we have these five entities all trying to manage different things, we need clear boundaries. Otherwise, it becomes like when the SEC and CFTC argue about whose jurisdiction it is to regulate Bitcoin.
I also really like the emphasis on “strong and clear financial management policy that prioritizes ecosystem growth and sustainability.”
Some Thoughts for Improvement
Verticals and Ambition
On the KPI “Top three based on combined TVL for DeFi and RWAs” - if we’re not shooting for number one, then what are we doing? If we’re going to focus our efforts on just two verticals, we should be aiming to be #1 or we shouldn’t target just those 2 vertices.
And honestly, I don’t think we should just focus on specific verticals. We should be more flexible and make calculated bets as opportunities arise. Look at Polymarket - there were times when they were driving half of Polygon’s transactions. What if Polygon had decided they didn’t want to support prediction markets? That would have been a huge mistake, they would never have known it happened.
I think it’s important to support great builders in whatever vertical they’re in. You never know which builder is going to find product-market fit in which vertical.
Creating Demand for ARB
This is my biggest criticism of this submission. I don’t see enough here about what creating demand for ARB, in fact; I see quite the opposite.
“No value returned to the token until DAO is profitable and growth opportunities have been exhausted”
This is a dangerous thing to say, and needs to be rephrased and probably rethought.
Our treasury is in ARB, it’s strength directly impacts our financial health. Driving demand supports sustainability and aligns incentives across the ecosystem. If we don’t prioritize ARB’s value, stakeholders have little reason to stay engaged long-term, especially if token spending goes unchecked. There’s talk about reducing spending, which is good, but we also need to prioritize creating demand for the token.
It is a huge mistake to leave out bringing value to ARB out or minimize its importance. That that must be corrected, for obvious reasons. I hope that creating demand for ARB can be explicitly stated as part of becoming a Digital Sovereign Nation. What politician would run on “Let’s weaken our currency.”
Supporting Builders Better
The “best home for builders” is a good goal, but I wouldn’t say we’re excelling at that now. If we want to make this a priority, we’ll need a lot of changes.
It would be really nice to have a venture arm that can invest in promising projects, similar to what Catalyst is doing.I believe the Catalyst model was a good idea. They could have communicated better but are in general executing well. This is the support that builders need. I just went through the Orange DAO Accelerator and was blown away. I would love to see more Arbitrum Accelerators.
What about Gaming?
Speaking of Catalyst, I’m hesitant to see gaming missing from the narrative, considering it’s our biggest bet at the moment, and Orbit Chains are the best infrastructure for it. Gaming is not my field of expertise but it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon - just the opposite, it keeps growing. I was talking to fellow ARB delegate @Zeptimus about this, who was a professional gamer and he said that Counter-Strike recently had almost 2 million players playing simultaneously, that’s just insane and it’s only 1 game. The gaming industry keeps growing, and it should be considered as one of the top verticals to track (if we pick favorites).