Celo Regional Council H1 2025
Proposal Key Aspects
- Receiver Entity: Celo Regional Council
- Status: [Final]
- Title: Celo Regional Council H1 2025
- Authors: Celo Regional DAOs (@CeloAfricaDAO @celomexico @CeloColombiano @CeLatam @kohcelo @celo Philippines @Celo Europe and others)
- Type of Request: Funding
- Funding Request: We are requesting from the Community Fund 477,800 cUSD plus 50.000 Celo
Summary
This proposal was developed through a collaborative process involving all established Regional DAOs in the Celo ecosystem, alongside key stakeholders and contributors who recognize the potential of a globally interconnected yet locally autonomous network.
Additionally, it has been refined through community feedback to ensure alignment with ecosystem needs and long-term sustainability.
We seek Celo Community approval to provide transitional funding for Regional DAOs in the first half of 2025, enabling them to sustain operations.
This bridge funding will support DAOs until Governance 2.0 is fully established following the L2 migration. Under this framework, each Regional DAO will continue advancing Celo’s mission of financial inclusion, sustainability, and innovation while maintaining operational autonomy within a cohesive governance structure.
A central outcome of this proposal is the formation of the Celo Regional Council, a governance body designed to foster community-driven decision-making, improve coordination, and strengthen governance frameworks. This Council will serve as a platform for collective strategy, transparency, and alignment between DAOs and ecosystem stakeholders as Celo transitions into its next phase.
Key Objectives
- Reinforce Localized Impact: Direct, transparent funding to each Regional DAO.
- A self-governing body: the creation of the “Regional Council”, a new Governance structure to promote, and protect community rights, as well as to align Celo Regional efforts
- Independent Yet Collaborative: Each DAO retains its autonomy while the Celo Regional Council fosters synergy, accountability, and cross-DAO knowledge exchange.
- Close Coordination with the Celo Stakeholders: Ensures DAOs remain a unique differentiator for Celo and align seamlessly with the ecosystem’s long-term strategy.
- Prepare for Governance 2.0: Piloting enhanced coordination frameworks, on-chain tools, and accountability mechanisms that can scale post-L2 migration.
Motivation
Regional DAOs have been a hallmark of Celo’s commitment to local empowerment and community-driven innovation. Building on their proven track record of bridging blockchain technology to local realities, this proposal aims to sustain and enhance Regional DAOs throughout the first half of 2025. Crucially, these six months will bridge our current structure into Celo’s Governance 2.0 era, aligning with the coming L2 migration and the beginning of the impact era.
Originally incubated by the Celo Foundation, Regional DAOs (DAOs) have grown into entities that work together to catalyze adoption, foster inclusion, and drive innovation in each region, reflecting the unique social, economic, and cultural contexts that define them. The intention is to strengthen on-chain accountability, ensure fair funding for impactful projects, and create a globally connected yet locally autonomous network of DAOs.
Big Picture: Why Celo Regional DAOs?
- Unique Potential: Each region has distinct market conditions, regulatory environments, and cultural nuances. DAOs empower these communities to shape solutions that truly fit local needs.
- Mission Alignment: Regional DAOs embody Celo’s wider goals of financial inclusion, sustainability, and innovation, deploying stablecoins, ReFi initiatives, and novel governance models to close economic gaps.
- Celo’s Strategic Advantage: By scaling local insights, we create a global knowledge loop, where best practices from Latin America might spark ideas in Africa, or a sustainability pilot in Europe could inspire climate action in Asia.
Specifications
Core Principles & Values
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Autonomous Action
- Regional DAOs maintain their own operations and decision-making processes, agilely responding to local opportunities and challenges.
- This autonomy ensures bottom-up innovation consistent with Celo’s ethos of decentralization.
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Transparency
- Mandatory use of on-chain accountability tools (e.g., multi-sig wallets, open proposals) ensures funds are used responsibly.
- Each DAO commits to regular, publicly accessible reporting of milestones and financial transactions.
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Inclusion & Respect
- All regions practice a diverse and supportive approach to community-building, prioritizing wide participation and local representation.
- Active measures to onboard new contributors, bridging skill gaps, and fostering a collaborative culture.
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Impact-Driven Collaboration
- Contributors earn trust and responsibility through demonstrated impact rather than formal hierarchies.
- DAOs utilize local bounty systems, open calls for proposals, and transparent contributor reward mechanisms.
Long-Term Vision (Aligned with Celo Foundation Strategy)
- Collaboration with Major Stakeholders: Each DAO keeps close ties with the Foundation, Opera, Mento, Valora, Prezenti, and other ecosystem partners to sync on progress, share feedback, and coordinate releases.
- Unified, Not Fragmented: Regular cross-DAO communication helps avoid siloed development, ensuring that relevant insights and resources are shared.
- Bridging to Governance 2.0: The DAOs will actively shape how local communities integrate with the upcoming L2 environment, helping define governance processes that reflect real-world user needs.
Frameworks for Decentralized Coordination, Alignment, and Accountability
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Regional Council:
- One representative per DAO who holds responsibility for higher-level coordination.
- Bylaws Delivery: A complete set of bylaws—including responsibilities, code of conduct, and governance rules—will be published three months after this proposal passes, setting clarity for the 6 months.
- Ensures no single group dominates; each region has an equal voice in cross-DAO decisions.
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On-Chain Reputation & Tools:
- Encouraging a transparent, data-driven approach to measure contributions and outcomes.
- Reduces reliance on intermediaries and fosters direct relationships between the DAOs and Celo Governance.
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Compliance Structures:
- Each DAO is responsible for its actions/behaviors. This current DAOanization does not oversee activities nor is responsible for the application of resources, but rather works open source to provide suggestions on best practices and accountability.
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Ambassadors & Cross-DAO Program
- Ambassador Program: Potential founders must first prove their commitment through small-scale local initiatives, forming trust within the community.
- Cross-DAO Projects: Encourages region-to-region collaboration on events, project pilots, or grassroots adoption campaigns.
Financial Security & Fair Resource Distribution
- Periodic Funding Cycle: This proposal covers H1 2025, after which we anticipate a new round of funding aligned with the lessons learned and the final form of Governance 2.0.
- Direct Allocation to DAOs: Each DAO receives an agreed-upon amount directly, retaining discretion over local spending while adhering to transparency policies.
- No Council Ops Overhead: All requested funds will go directly to the DAOs, with no separate management fee imposed during the first six months. We believe it is crucial to first demonstrate that this council is capable of delivering value to the community while also identifying the roles necessary to effectively manage and execute these initiatives.
Celo Regional Council Structure
Purpose & Overview
The Celo Regional Council is the cohesive layer uniting every local DAO, ensuring consistent governance, resource sharing, and alignment with the Celo Ecosystem. Each participating DAO elects 1 representative.
In response to community feedback, the Council’s structure will be expanded to include other key Celo stakeholders, such as the Celo Foundation and Celo Public Goods (CPG), fostering deeper ecosystem-wide collaboration, alignment, and growth.
Beyond governance, the Celo Regional Council aims to become a central forum where high-context individuals—builders, contributors, and decision-makers—can come together to shape the future of Celo through open dialogue, strategic coordination, and community-driven decision-making.
Council Structure
- 1 Representative per DAO: Each regional community designates a trusted individual to safeguard its interests and make key decisions. The individual must be an active part of the organisation’s core team.
- Multisig Representation: The Council Multisig may execute important cross-DAO or ecosystem-level actions, as well as receive and distribute funds.
- Monthly Community Calls: Virtual meetings open to all Celo community but led by the Council reps, providing transparency, synergy, and real-time decision-making. All calls are recorded and made publicly available.
Representative Responsibilities
- Stake Reputation: Council members publicly uphold their region’s credibility and must maintain the highest standards of transparency.
- Maintain Accountability: Clear financial records, a traceable decision-making process, and documented votes or proposals.
- Strategic Alignment: Regular communication with the Celo Foundation and ecosystem stakeholders (e.g., Opera, Mento, Valora, Prezenti, cLabs, etc) to ensure local initiatives complement global objectives.
- Onboarding & Governance: Collaborate on welcoming new regions, updating governance processes, and ensuring inclusive participation.
- Conflict Disclosure: Immediately reveal any personal or professional interests that could bias Council decisions.
Code of Conduct
- No Hidden Agendas: All discussions are publicly documented, ensuring that no decisions occur behind closed doors.
- Declare Conflicts of Interest: Representatives must proactively disclose any overlapping roles or obligations.
- Revocation Clause: While DAOs retain membership, their representative can be replaced by their local DAO and other Council Members if they violate transparency rules, become inactive, or fail to meet performance expectations.
Membership Requirements
For a Regional DAO to hold a Council seat, it must demonstrate:
- Proven Track Record: A history of successful ecosystem initiatives, community building, or adoption efforts.
- Decentralized Team Structure: Multiple active contributors, ensuring no single point of failure.
- Consistency & Engagement: Regular updates and meaningful participation in the broader Celo community.
- Commitment to Council Values: Willingness to uphold transparency, ethical conduct, and collaborative spirit.
Basic Governance Framework
- The Council voting process is yet to be established, but it will initially operate in a simple manner: a decision will require 4 out of 7 votes to be approved, which is more than 50%.
- The Celo Council Multisig will initially be operated by 5 members, requiring 3 signatures to move funds. This ensures streamlined decision-making without silencing community input.
- Celo Africa
- Celo Colombia
- Celo EU
- CeLatam
- Celo Mexico
Example of Operation
For instance, if Celo EU requires its allocation, the following steps will be taken:
- Celo EU provides a basic “handbook” and a detailed “budget.”
- The council votes on the proposal, requiring 4 out of 7 votes in favour of approval.
- Once approved, the multisig signers will execute the transactions.
Bylaws Delivery
A comprehensive set of bylaws—expanding on the code of conduct, membership rules, and decision-making protocols—will be published three months after this proposal’s passage, giving the community time to align with and review the framework.
What Would Change?
1. Unified Yet Flexible Structure
- Current DAOs retain autonomy over local operations, but Council-led monthly calls align broader strategies, ensuring minimal duplication of effort.
2. Systematic Onboarding
- Any future DAO formation (post-Governance 2.0) follows a two-step path, ensuring new DAOs originate from grassroots engagement rather than top-down assignment:
- Ambassador Phase: Individuals prove their commitment and contribution.
- DAO Establishment: The Council provides guidelines, ensuring accountability and proven alignment with Celo’s ethos.
3. Enhanced Accountability & Collaboration
- Public logs of multisig transactions, a standardized framework for KPI metrics, and joint proposals across DAOs promote a high-trust environment.
- Regular community calls and open records reduce the potential for silos or misalignment.
Metrics & KPIs
Council-Centric Framework
Upon approval of this proposal, the Regional Council will establish a comprehensive KPI framework that covers:
1. Council-Level KPIs:
- Governance & Transparency: Measuring how effectively the Council coordinates, communicates, and accounts for resource distribution.
2. Standard DAO KPIs:
- Common Metrics applicable across all DAOs (e.g., basic adoption stats or community growth) to ensure consistent ecosystem-wide reporting.
- On-Chain & Off-Chain Indicators that reflect overall health and progress.
3. Region-Specific KPIs:
- Tailored to each DAO’s unique scope, level of maturity, and local initiatives (e.g. stablecoin adoption, specialised partnerships).
- Derived in collaboration with each DAO community, reflecting local realities and priorities.
Immediate Council KPIs
During this bridge period (H1 2025), the Regional Council will focus on the following core metrics to ensure transparent governance:
- Transparency & Accountability
- Reporting: Quarterly Council updates published on-chain or in an open repository, detailing overall expenditures, progress, and upcoming milestones.
- Multisig Transaction Logs: A publicly accessible record of all fund allocations executed by the Council to maintain trust and signal best practices for each Regional DAO.
- Governance Engagement
- Participation: Tracking the number of active Council representatives on monthly calls, the frequency of votes, and attendance in global Celo governance discussions.
- Community Feedback Integration: Document how Council decisions incorporate community input—especially from DAO members, stakeholders and the Celo Foundation.
Post-Approval Process
- Finalising DAO-Specific KPIs: Once the proposal is passed, the Council will collaborate with each Regional DAO to define both common and custom metrics that best reflect their activities and maturity.
- Ongoing Refinement: The Council will periodically refine these KPIs based on community feedback, shifting ecosystem needs, and the evolution toward Governance 2.0.
In this way, the Regional Council fosters an ecosystem-wide culture of measurable impact, allowing each DAO to demonstrate tangible value while preserving local autonomy and innovation.
Current Status
This initiative—the Celo Regional Council—is a new governance structure that does not yet exist in the ecosystem. It is designed to unify and coordinate Regional DAOs under a shared framework of transparency and collaboration, providing a forward-looking alternative to past standalone structures.
The members have aligned to establish a common framework for transparency, accountability, and coordination. A list of required documentation can be found in the Celo Regional Council Handbook, or check specifically using these links
To review past achievements and insights that shaped this new initiative, click here.
These existing Regional DAOs have already demonstrated local impact within their respective communities, and this proposal aims to reinforce and advance those efforts by establishing a more robust, cohesive governance model.
Timeline and Milestones
Month 1: Setup
- Disburse funds to the Regional Council multisig wallet.
- Distribute funds to Regional DAOs after the handbook and budget submission.
- Schedule the first monthly community call.
Month 2: Operations Begin
- Hold the second Council meeting to review progress.
Month 3: Midway Review
- Publish bylaws and governance rules.
- Define an ambassador program framework
- Publish the first quarterly report with updates on progress and expenditures.
- Host the third community call.
Month 4: Scaling Up
- Expand the Ambassador Program and encourage cross-region collaboration.
- Start gathering KPIs from each Regional DAO.
Month 5: Governance Preparation
- Develop frameworks for Governance 2.0 integration.
- Host a feedback-focused community call.
Month 6: Final Report
- Publish the second quarterly report summarizing outcomes and challenges.
- Finalize plans for H2 2025 strategy and funding.
- Host a community call.
Budget
A total of $477,800 in cUSD (or equivalent) will be used for financing six active Regional DAOs, plus an extra 50.000 Celo to onboard potential Ambassadors, including Celo Arabia and Celo India, for the first half of 2025, as follows:
- Celo Africa: $174,300
- Celo Europe: $135,000
- CeLatam: $0
- Celo Colombia: $57,500
- Celo Philippines*: $30,000
- Koh Celo*: $31,000
- Celo Mexico: $50,000
*These DAOs operated for less than a year, most for less than 6 months.
Budget Analysis
The Celo Regional Council’s funding strategy for H1 2025 reflects a well-structured transition aimed at efficiency. Compared to 2024, the total requested budget has decreased by 3%, demonstrating a commitment to cost optimization and strategic resource allocation.
A detailed explanation can be found here, and the spreadsheet is available here.
Payment Terms
Upon proposal approval, the total budget will be deposited to the Celo Regional Council Multisig in a single transaction from the Community Fund. From there, Regional DAOs will be able to request their budget after presenting the required documentation, handbook and budget allocation.
Attached, is the Regional DAOs Multisig Wallet for receiving funds:
- Celo Africa: 0xeF88FB545C62226EF0E3304aE411dcCb865319Ee
- CeLatam: 0x38DBAB5C651F352C8f5F765fDA292E9B92d850Ff
- Celo EU: 0x357438e4Df52288a137B955E3401E9C1EAf8AF17
- Celo Colombia: 0x6C6Dc3D4869d9812d80600B9F7f291e13Ee73D49
- Celo Philippines: 0xe5A68a7C29Dd1F9a4d256704e26eC18D090edd88
- KohCelo: 0x2e598Ab8484c8F5a115b06bBAc2C2Ae8Ab29bf41
- Celo Mexico: 0x795df83a989c74832b2D108FF8200989B59FbaCf
- Celo South Korea: Representation is suspended until they request reactivation.
Conclusion
The Regional Council embodies Celo’s vision of a decentralised yet collaborative ecosystem, weaving together local autonomy and global alignment. With Celo Foundation support, the Council guarantees every region’s voice is heard and anchored in transparent, on-chain governance.
Over the next six months, it will serve as a critical bridge to Governance 2.0, reinforcing local initiatives and shaping a more cohesive, inclusive L2 future for Celo. By approving this proposal and the accompanying $477,800 in cUSD plus 50.000 $Celo funding request, we collectively invest in the success of six distinct Regional DAOs, leveraging their local expertise to enrich and strengthen the entire Celo ecosystem.
We invite the entire Celo community—developers, stakeholders, and newcomers alike—to review, refine, and support this vital step in decentralised collaboration. Together, we will foster a fairer, more sustainable blockchain-powered world.
Team
Each Regional Council will be composed of one representative from each Regional DAOanization.
Currently, there are a total of 8 representative seats. Representatives will initially not receive any compensation. Attached is the list of the initial Regional Council Members:
- Celo Africa:Daniel, Lead; 0x4827Acd22429C1832980b4039f144b40311D9261
- CeLatam: Cristobal Pereira, CeLatam Leader; 0x6B53D803d03dd89e6C997a902664A795c6B4f3e6
- Celo EU: Joan de Ramón Brunet, Lead; 0x5d1ed874ea2f4269c2e1D075973c7fdb7b39154A
- Celo Colombia: Ana (0xflypeztic), Coms & Marketing; 0x9F75582d2bE13b5EE454161EE394daadA8B39efa
- Celo Philippines: Luis Buenaventura, Lead; 0x47d544473819299B2b7f579b27E10220268eaD1D
- KohCelo: Vow, Advisor; 0xb791cd0A3501e60798Cb477FD69406F5422BB25c
- Celo Mexico: Gerry Alvarez, Lead; 0xF6320E6195A816E44F9599F322D489cAbbC45D24t
- Celo South Korea: Representation is suspended until they request reactivation.
The Celo Council Multisig will initially be operated by 5 members, requiring 3 signatures to move funds. This ensures streamlined decision-making without silencing community input.
- Celo Regional Council Multisig: 0x90860C778a8A69380376BAab6ac7Fec5daff4Ab5
Multisig Signers
- Celo Colombia: Ana (0xflypeztic), Coms & Marketing; 0x9F75582d2bE13b5EE454161EE394daadA8B39efa
- Celo Africa:Daniel, Lead; 0x4827Acd22429C1832980b4039f144b40311D9261
- CeLatam: Cristobal Pereira, CeLatam Lead; 0x6B53D803d03dd89e6C997a902664A795c6B4f3e6
- Celo EU: Joan de Ramón Brunet, Lead; 0x5d1ed874ea2f4269c2e1D075973c7fdb7b39154A
- Celo Mexico: Gerry Alvarez, Lead; 0xF6320E6195A816E44F9599F322D489cAbbC45D24
Additional Support/Resources
All handbooks, budget breakdowns, team details, and activity outlines for each DAO can be found at the link below.
Community Feedback Review & Response
The Celo Regional Council proposal has been well received, with strong support from numerous stakeholders. The Celo Public Goods (CPG) team provided constructive feedback, which we acknowledge and appreciate.
However, after a thorough evaluation, we believe that the core structure of our proposal remains the best path forward. Below, we address the key feedback points and justify our approach:
1. Proposal Breakdown & Separation
Feedback: CPG suggested breaking down the proposal into separate parts rather than presenting it as a unified request.
Response:
We strongly disagree with fragmenting the proposal. The Celo Regional Council is built on the principle of collective strength, where regional DAOs work in alignment rather than isolation. A fragmented approach risks weakening coordination, increasing inefficiencies, and duplicating efforts, which contradicts the purpose of the Council.
Moreover, every participant in this proposal is an active contributor to the Celo ecosystem, and our unified structure fosters a collaborative framework that maximizes value and impact rather than treating each DAO as an independent, siloed entity. Cohesion is a strategic advantage, not a limitation.
2. Detailed Budgets & Individual Proposals
Feedback: More granular budget details and individual proposals were requested.
Response:
This feedback has already been addressed. A detailed breakdown of each Regional DAO’s budget has been provided, along with individual scopes and financial justifications. Transparency and accountability remain a priority, and all necessary information is already accessible.
There is no added benefit in further segmenting these proposals beyond what has already been delivered. Instead, our focus is on ensuring efficient implementation and governance oversight rather than excessive procedural complexity.
We keep it simple.
3. Budget Reduction Request
Feedback: CPG suggested further reducing the budget.
Response:
The budget has already been optimized, with a 3% reduction compared to previous years. This decrease was carefully planned to ensure that all Regional DAOs remain financially sustainable while maintaining their operational capacity.
Further cuts would directly compromise the ability of Regional DAOs to fulfil their mission. The role of the Council is to ensure continuity, not to create artificial austerity that limits growth.
The funds requested are based on real needs and proven impact, and any further reductions would hinder the ecosystem’s development.
4. More Open Council Structure
Feedback: A suggestion to expand the Council to include additional ecosystem stakeholders beyond Regional DAOs.
Response:
The Celo Regional Council is already designed as an inclusive structure. It serves as a hub for high-context discussions, bringing together representatives from each Regional DAO and the Celo Ecosystem to ensure localized perspectives are represented.