[DRAFT] Celo Cosmo-Local Credit Network - Season 1 Funding Proposal

Governance Governance Proposals
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I’m David Dao, co-founder of GainForest and DeepGov - and we fully support this proposal as well as accept the nomination to be part of the Stewardship Council.

This year, GainForest has had the privilege of partnering closely with Grassroots Economics on several initiatives exploring cosmo-local finance and AI-assisted governance tooling (see more on our blog post)

We’ve seen firsthand how @WillRuddick @kamikazechaser and the Grassroots Economics team combine deep local experience in community currency networks with a rigorous on-chain accountability framework in their work in Kenya. Their approach aligns closely with Celo’s mission: real-world impact, regenerative economics, and inclusive financial infrastructure for communities often excluded from traditional finance. There is rarely a more inspiring project in web3 like Grassroots Economics.

At GainForest and DeepGov - and together with Grassroots Economics - we’ve been pioneering AI-powered reporting across 43 local communities and in three Gitcoin rounds (GG23)—distributing over $50K so far, with $150K planned for GG24—to ensure funding disbursements are transparent, data-driven, and credibly neutral, making funding flows auditable and scalable as adoption grows.

We fully support this proposal because:

  1. It creates local trust networks connected through Celo’s infrastructure.
  2. It leverages open-source tooling and public dashboards for transparency.
  3. It sets the stage for sustainability through community stewardship rather than top-down grants.
  4. It aligns with Celo’s values as discussed in Towards Celo’s Cultural Manifesto.

As @rene_celo highlighted in Celebrating Celo’s Five Years & Vision 2030: A Trillion-Dollar Onchain Economy Built on Celo & a Battle For Crypto’s Soul, Celo is battling for Crypto’s Soul — a time where we need to scale real-world impact, onchain economies, and regenerative solutions at a truly global level with a deep consideration of Celo’s values. This proposal is a concrete step toward that vision.

In our view, this is exactly the type of cosmo-local coordination mechanism that Celo should be pioneering: local autonomy, global interoperability, and measurable impact.

Therefore, GainForest is proud and excited to continue collaborating with Grassroots Economics, the Stewardship Council, and regional partners to ensure Season 1 succeeds.

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