gm, excited to see this conversation coming alive—it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I love the direction this is taking and fully agree with the vision being painted. I would like to contribute with a potential definition of the North Star.
The North Star should encompass:
- A Vision of the Ecosystem: What we stand for and where we are heading.
- A Philosophy: The core beliefs driving Arbitrum.
- The Ultimate Goal: Every action should align with and contribute toward this goal.
- A Marketing Message: Simple, impactful, and with broad appeal, resonating deeply with both builders and users.
For example, Optimism immediately centered around their North Star: Impact = Profit, emphasizing their focus on public goods and an impact-driven mission with a clear top-down approach. Whether it’s the right or wrong North Star, it’s clear, powerful, and actionable.
On the other hand, Arbitrum has always had a tech-first approach, leaving other ecosystem actors with the task—and burden—of creating the right environment for that tech to thrive. While Arbitrum excels on the technical side, we’ve yet to fully foster the collaborative ecosystem that @CastleCapital pointed out.
For example, compare Arbitrum Orbit with the Superchain narrative—a powerful, cohesive ecosystem where every chain supports one another. A rising tide that lifts all boats. In contrast, Orbit chains often feel isolated, with no clear reason or cohesive narrative—beyond the tech and scattered incentives—driving builders to build on Arbitrum.
We can change this. Castle highlighted the need to foster a thriving community of developers, applications, and chains. I agree, and we can distill this further into a clear, compelling question:
The Most Important Question for Builders:
Why should I build my app on Arbitrum?
This is what it all boils down to. If we position Arbitrum (and the Orbit chains) as the best place to launch, we can succeed in our mission. Apps attract users, users generate transactions, and transactions bring revenue. Builders attract other builders, creating synergies and composability between projects, pushing the ecosystem forward. Soon, users won’t even know or care what chain they’re on (just like in web2, where users are unaware of the underlying infrastructure—hello chain abstraction). To reiterate: **Builders are the foundation. ** Builders are all that matters, and we should make it extremely clear.
Suggestion for Arbitrum’s North Star:
Arbitrum is the Home of Builders. Arbitrum is the Home of Innovation.
How it fits:
- An Evergreen Message: . It’s forward-looking yet welcoming. It provides a clear direction for every initiative. Does it make Arbitrum the Home of Builders?
- Core Values: Arbitrum embodies freedom, openness, and a bottom-up approach— Builders need flexibility, freedom, and an environment that encourages continuous experimentation and innovation. Let’s provide a fertile ground for innovators.
It aligns seamlessly with the elements that @Entropy and @CastleCapital laid out, the principles of inclusivity, technological enablers, a strong DAO and a sustainable ARB, ecc.
Just to clarify, this is not a new concept.
All successful ( / hyped) ecosystems are focusing on builders.
- Base: “we’ll onramp users for you”
- Berachain: “we’ll provide embedded liquidity for your app”
- Solana: “only here you can build new things”.
It’s only by making a simple, explicit, and widespread statement that we can win the most important and scarce resource in the space. If you are Builder, this is your place.
It then cascades down into strategies and elements across all layers:
- A collaborative ecosystem for apps and chains.
- Secure, fast, and customizable infrastructure to support builders’ needs.
- Fast and seamless interoperability across chains, enabling the free movement of assets and users (link to proposal coming soon).
- A DAO committed to supporting builder-first initiatives, ensuring the necessary tools and resources are always available for creators.
- Grants and contests designed to encourage continuous innovation, ensuring that major apps constantly push boundaries.
- Yield-generating mechanisms that attract developers and users by maximizing value for ETH, the most coveted asset.
- A more cohesive narrative for Orbit chains, where chains support and enhance one another.
…and creates the flywheel that Castle outlined and the ongoing programs that @JoJo mentioned.
To truly accelerate the universal shift onchain, as Entropy stated, by empowering scalable, secure, and trust-minimized applications, we must establish Arbitrum as the Home of Builders and the Home of Innovation.
Now is the time to make Arbitrum the destination of choice for every visionary builder who wants to create the future of the onchain economy.