This progress report provides an overview of the CeloPG Season 1 *initiative, which commenced in July 2025 and concluded in December 2025.
Summary
Season 1 marked the first 6-month cycle supported by formal Intents and an Ecosystem budget in line with Rene’s Vision 2030.
In line with these guidelines, CeloPG operated as a builder team dedicated to attracting, nurturing, and growing projects on Celo to regenerate the network and treasury while creating the conditions for prosperity.
Our primary focus was on (1) expanding the reach of ecosystem programs and overall data quality, attracting (2) at least 50% in extra resources to the builder programs, and (3) increasing chain revenue and onchain activity.
We accomplished these goals by facilitating 5 different ecosystem programs, in collaboration with partners including Snapshot, Divvi, Talent, DevRel Team, Karma, Celo Camp, Gitcoin, Ethereum Foundation and providing supporting ecosystem services.
This season, we greatly matured our tools and methods, and we’re now at a point where CeloPG’s programs provide a rich dataset on the majority of Celo ecosystem projects. As can be seen in the CeloPG S1 Program dashboard, we produced.
We also iterated on the (right) definition of project stages - maturity classification based on onchain metrics - through regular iterations of the Proof of Impact program stages.
The combination of the programs allows us to, in a near automated and data-driven way, get a clear understanding of the state, traction and potential of ecosystem projects - allowing us to further optimise program design and resource allocation.
Our strategic collaboration with Gitcoin has also allowed us to continue to operate at the cutting edge of Public Goods funding and Ethereum ecosystem co-funding, resulting in Celo being the most used network in GG24 and over $425k being allocated to Celo-aligned projects. We also saw innovations, such as Trust Graph and Regen Claims selecting Celo as their primary chain as an indirect result of this partnership.
We managed to execute our Season 1 plans well within budget, having sufficient leftover cUSD that will likely allow CeloPG to operate Season 2 without having to request any cUSD for operations. For 2026 - we want to focus on “Tokenised Acceleration”, identifying, attracting and supporting the best teams to build successful businesses on Celo and tokenise (a share) of their efforts, drive priority metrics including chain revenue, dApps revenue, Treasury size and CELO demand.
Budget and Spending
A total budget of 288,500 cUSD, 875,000 CELO, and 250,000 OP was approved for the CeloPG Season 1 programs, with an additional $12,000 cUSD projected to be generated until the end of the year through our CeloPG Validator nodes.
At the of the season on December 17th, we have spent and allocated (marked with an * in the overview below) a combined total of 232,500 cUSD and 604,250 CELO, and 212,500 OP. We anticipate completing all current programs and closing out Season 1 within budget, with an estimated 56,000 cUSD, 270,750 CELO, and 37,500 OP remaining unspent.
If no Season 1 CeloPG program proposal is approved by January 31st, 2026, this remaining balance will be returned to the Celo Community Treasury. Otherwise, it will be transferred to the CeloPG Season 2 treasury.
| Initiative | S1 Budget | Spent | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support Streams | 150,000 CELO + 150,000 OP | 37,500 CELO + 112,500 OP | 112,500 CELO + 37,500 OP |
| Proof of Ship | 100,000 CELO | 18,000 CELO | 82,000 CELO |
| Impact Rewards | 250,000 CELO + 100,000 OP | 200,000 CELO + 100,000 OP | 50,000 CELO |
| Contributor Rewards | 100,000 CELO | 100,000 CELO* | 0 |
| CeloPG Development Grants | 50,000 cUSD | 25,000 cUSD | 25,000 cUSD |
| Treasury, Marketing, and Events | 32,500 cUSD | 27,500 cUSD | 5,000 cUSD |
| CeloPG Program Ops | 106,000 cUSD + 125,000 CELO | 80,000 cUSD + 123,750 CELO | 26,000 cUSD + 1,250 CELO |
| Celo x Gitcoin (max) | 100,000 cUSD + 150,000 CELO | 100,000 cUSD + 125,000 CELO | 25,000 CELO |
| TOTAL | 288,500 cUSD + 875,000 CELO + 250,000 OP + | 232,500 cUSD + 604,250 CELO + 212,500 OP | 56,000 cUSD + 270,750 CELO + 37,500 OP |
Celo Ecosystem Programs
Our team has designed and implemented the following Celo Ecosystem Programs. Click on the program title to view the full program page on our platform:
Proof of Impact
Operated in collaboration with Divvi, a fully onchain reward program offering a streamlined and transparent system to reward apps based on the gas fees their users generate, reinforcing long-term network growth, aka growing the Celo pie. This program optimises to reward projects in their MVP stage and beyond, comparable to Stages 1 - 4 as articulated in the Season 1 intent.
The program measured the total gas consumption, total users, and total txs per project over a period of 2 weeks. The program saw a steady rise in usage cycle over cycle, which is likely a combination of overall increased adoption, support streams, incentives flowing and more projects joining the program over time.
In Cycle 8, over 1.5M txs (about 7% of total) and 295k users (about 18%) were measured and rewarded through Proof of Impact. Given that a significant share of activity is related to token transfers, we believe the actual dApp impact penetration of Proof of Impact is larger. Each month, CeloPG pushes a CSV into Karma, which assigns all impact data to the respective projects for lifetime tracking.
Through the Proof of Impact program, and after internalizing project and partner feedback, we iterated on the definition and description of the Celo stages to better match the current ecosystem reality. Since Cycle 4 (October 7th), we’ve used the following definitions.
Stages Logic #3 - the version used since Cycle 4
| Stage | Description | Unique Wallets | Gas usage per cycle (2 weeks) | Karma verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 0 | Proof of Concept | 10 | 25,000,000 |  |
| Stage 1 | MVP and small Mini Apps | 100 | 500,000,000 | |
| Stage 2 | Standalone and larger Mini Apps | 1,000 | 2,500,000,000 | |
| Stage 3 | Scaling projects | 10,000 | 25,000,000,000 | |
| Stage 4 | Mature aligned project | 100,000 | 500,000,000,000 | |
The Karma verification is measured by a project having a complete Karma profile that is part of the Celo Community. The User Quality score is measured through the Prosperity Pass API, which assigns weighted scores to addresses connected to Prosperity Pass accounts. The higher the Prosperity Pass level (aka higher lifetime value contributed to the Celo ecosystem), the more points allocated for the user quality score.
Moving forward, we recommend the stages defined in the Intents and Ecosystem Strategy to more closely resemble the amount used by Proof of Impact, as it better reflects the current state of the ecosystem. We also believe that now that the tools and methods are standardised that it would be better to run a Monthly Proof of Impact cycle, which better matches the 30d timeframe used by most third-party platforms, match payment cycles and align with the Karma data integration.
Proof of Ship
Hosted by the Celo DevRel team, a monthly program for builders to grow their onchain reputation and earn rewards, operated by the Celo DevRel team. We’re awaiting final data from the Celo DevRel team and will update this section later.
Celo Support Streams
Operated in collaboration with Snapshot, Support Streams are Celo Protocol Incentives that are distributed Monthly to Protocols on Celo through a stCELO vote in the CeloPG Snapshot space. To be eligible, projects have to submit a plan showing how they will distribute at least 80% of the CELO received to users as incentives.
By leveraging stCELO for Voting, Support Streams also functions as a driver for stCELO adoption and experimentation for future CELO token utility in case Validator rewards are reduced or removed.
At the start of the season, the amount of CELO in stCELO was just over 1M. Right now, it has grown to 2.35 M. This growth is also visible in the increase of stCELO participating in Support Stream votes. At the start in September, only 217k stCELO participated, which has grown to over 403k stCELO by December.
By combining the Support Streams (incentives) with Proof of Impact (impact-based rewards), we start to see a pattern between the amount of incentives allocated and the efficiency of projects to convert that into onchain usage.
Below is an overview of the top 10 earning projects from Support Streams and Impact Rewards, and the relationship between their earned rewards.
| Project | Total S1 Rewards | SS Rewards | IR Rewards | IR / SS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubeswap | 50,112 | 21,875 | 25,741 | 1.3 |
| GoodDollar | 47,757 | 0* | 47,757 | / |
| Prosperity Pass | 36,119 | 11,451 | 24,668 | 2.2 |
| Fonbnk | 29,585 | 0* | 29,585 | / |
| AkibaMiles | 28,749 | 13,029 | 15,720 | 1.2 |
| Regenerative | 16,587 | 13,070 | 3,517 | 0.3 |
| Festify | 14,064 | 54 | 14,010 | 259.4 |
| Ecocerts | 12,524 | 12,524 | 0** | 0 |
| GMonchain | 10,413 | 0* | 10,413 | / |
| Esusu | 10,037 | 2,149 | 7,888 | 2.9 |
* The project did not participate in Support streams, which often, in practice, means that the team uses IR rewards as incentives for growth. ** The project did not participate in Proof of Impact, so no onchain usage data is available.
While these datapoints are providing some insights, they are still not sufficient to truly measure meaningful progress and long-term potential. We are in conversation with the Celo Ecosystem team to create an “innovation score,” which is a more qualitative-based period review of project progress, comparable to the current Proof of Ship program, but optimised for Stage 1-4 projects.
Contributor Rewards
To reward the most active Celo users in Season 1, we’re tracking progress badges in Prosperity Pass (view Dune dashboard with more stats). The dApps usage grew from 1k at the start of the season to over 4k accounts.
In January 2026, we will allocate 100,000 CELO from the CeloPG Season 1 proposal + 24,000 CELO earned by Prosperity Pass via the Support Streams and Proof of Impact programs to Prosperity Pass accounts based on a combination of their Season 1-specific badges and Prosperity Pass level. At the moment of writing, over 1200 users claimed Season 1-specific badges. A minimum reward cut-off will be used, where only users who earn more than 20 CELO will receive rewards. The max reward for Season 1 rewards will be set at 2,000 CELO.
We also leverage Super Accounts, a Superchain-native version of Prosperity Pass with 127K users, to attract additional users to the Celo ecosystem. Through the earned OP budgets from the CeloPG programs, we funded incentive programs to verify Self and use the Celo network. This resulted in over 300 Self verifications and 1,250 Celo usage badges.
CeloPG Development Grants
We allocated $25,000 out of $50,000 to fund infrastructure and developments that were required to operate the Season 1 programs. We paid 6 months for Snapshot Pro and integrated Snapshot and stCELO into Prosperity Pass for the Support Streams program. We also developed a Prosperity Pass API to create the User Quality score and integrated this into the Proof of Impact campaign with Divvi and partnered with Karma on the Impact Attestation Upload function, which allows us to attest the monthly program data to the project’s Karma profiles.
CeloPG Brand and Website
In Season 1, we continue to grow our following to over 2,500 across X and Farcaster, with over 150,000 impressions since July. User engagement with the platform has also progressed well, with 4.7K unique visitors on CeloPG.eco in Season 1.
This season, we also increasingly added non-CeloPG programs, such as Cel’EU Cirkvit and Prezenti’s peach round and resources, to our website. In 2026, we will aim to refresh our website to better match the recently launched Celo.org brand and increase functionality through integrations with Karma that allow for more automated updates of our website.
Celo Governance and Treasury Support
Our team has proactively contributed to governance progress while expanding our suite of tools related to treasury accounting and budgeting.
We continued to update the Celo Community Treasury Dune Dashboard, developed from scratch with input from cLabs. The dashboard provides a transparent view of the Celo Community Treasury’s current holdings, historical spending, and unclaimed resources.
Together with our Treasury and Governance Sheet, this dashboard forms the backbone for a Celo treasury strategy. It positions Celo Governance to make well-informed budget recommendations for Season 1 and beyond. We also supported the Foundation by creating a full breakdown of 2024 and 2025 Treasury spending.
Celo Event Services
Our team partnered with Ethereum For The World and Celo Camp to sponsor Funding The Commons Buenos Aires. At the event, the CeloPG team got the chance to present their progress, and Celo Camp presented about their programs and ecosystem opportunities.
GG24 Domains and Programs
Through the strategic collaboration between Gitcoin and CeloPG, we’ve been at the forefront of shaping the future of Gitcoin 3.0. CeloPG played a prominent role in GG24, allocating $135,000 to GG24 programs, resulting in an estimate value of $437,500 flowing to Celo-alligned projects (either live on Celo or a core dependency of the ecosystem. We also saw over $500,000 USD in program resources flow on the Celo Blockchain.
| Round | Contribution | Total Match | Multiplier | Celo-aligned | Net Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy Domain | $2,500 | $125,000 | 50.00 | 10% | 500% |
| PG Tooling Development | $17,500 | $150,000 | 8.57 | 40% | 343% |
| Solution Development Grants | $55,000 | $150,000 | 2.73 | 90% | 245% |
| Local Funding | $35,000 | $155,000 | 4.43 | 70% | 310% |
| Bioregional Reforestation | $5,000 | $95,000 | 19.00 | 70% | 1330% |
| InterOp | $20,000 | $100,000 | 5.00 | 55% | 275% |
| TOTAL | $135,000 | $775,000 | 5.74 | 55.83% | 3.24 |
There are two Gitcoin Programs with CeloPG stewards as leads, which operated under the joint Ethereum For The World Brand, an initiative to gather co-allition funders to accelerate real-world developments in the Ethereum Ecosystem. This overlap makes these programs strategically relevant for our 2026 plans and deserves a summary in this report below:
Solution Development Grants
The Solutions Development Grants Program, part of the Targeted Development & Adoption (TDA) Domain, funded 19 Ethereum-based projects with up to $155K in milestone-based grants to accelerate real-world solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From 51 pre-applications, 22 full proposals were reviewed using human and AI-assisted evaluation. Notably, 90% of the allocated funding supported projects directly built on Celo or overlapping with Celo priorities, emphasising impact, scalability, and ecosystem legitimacy.
Localism Fund
The Localism Fund supports local networks and place-based groups to strengthen political, economic, cultural, and ecological localism using Ethereum as foundational infrastructure. It provides grants, guidance, and hands-on support, turning global tools into practical, locally rooted outcomes. Key partners include Regen Coordination, OpenCivics Network, Ma Earth, and the Ethereum Foundation, with technical support from Karma and TrustGraph, an onchain system that maps trust and validates expertise.
The Localism Fund Expert Network connects practitioners in grant-making, Ethereum tools, and localism to provide mentorship, advisory support, and tooling feedback. In Local Meetups LATAM Round 02, the Fund supported grassroots Ethereum-enabled networks across Latin America to host recurring meetups over a year, deepening engagement and sustaining post-Devconnect momentum. With $30,000 for meetups and $125,000 for local programs, grants were disbursed in quarterly tranches. By combining expert guidance, TrustGraph validation, and locally led initiatives, the Fund strengthens resilient, community-driven networks while advancing practical Ethereum-based solutions.
For The World Fund
In 2026, we aim to launch the For The World Fund, designed to accelerate top real-world, SDG-aligned projects with clear paths to both impact and financial returns. The Fund will combine non-dilutive grants and accelerator-style investments to support projects in the Growth Phase, helping them scale on Celo while providing potential upside to the Celo Treasury through equity, token, or revenue-share arrangements.
Looking Ahead: 2026 Strategy
As Celo doubles down on its role as the frontier chain for global impact, our 2026 approach centres on a clear thesis: Tokenized Acceleration—identifying, attracting, and supporting the best teams to build successful businesses on Celo and to tokenise a share of their efforts in a way that strengthens the entire ecosystem.
Guided by Season 1 learnings, CeloPG will focus on bringing high-quality builders to Celo, helping them launch impactful products, and ensuring their tokens, revenue, and onchain activity directly grow priority metrics such as chain revenue, dApp revenue, CELO demand, stablecoin supply, and treasury value.
We aim to submit a CeloPG 2026 Strategy document next week with our latest perspective on CeloPG’s programs and focus.
“Accelerate the highest-potential projects and their token economies on Celo to grow chain revenue, expand the treasury, and increase long-term demand for CELO.”
Our growth targets remain ambitious—entering the top 7 in chain and app revenue, top 2 in active users, and growing stablecoins to $1B while increasing CELO staking to 200M—all powered by a pipeline of high-performing, tokenised teams.
To deliver this, we will: (1) Position Celo as the best chain to launch meaningful tokens, with world-class tooling and liquidity venues; (2) Make Celo the most rewarding place for founders, supported by programs that accelerate teams from idea to scale; (3) Expand real utility through priority dApps and user incentives; (4) Strengthen ecosystem finance and CELO tokenomics so project growth and treasury growth
We remain confident in Celo’s trajectory and committed to making Celo the home for the next wave of tokenised, real-world-aligned businesses that regenerate the network and expand prosperity for all.
Full details: