Proposal Type: CPG Funding Request H2 | Regional DAO
Authors: @GerryAlvrz , @OzKar
Aligned Public Goods Bucket: Regional DAO
Funding request: $22,000 USD
After receiving feedback, we are excited to present a redefined version of our initial Celo Mexico proposal with a reduced scope of activities and budget reduction to kick off activities and show deliveries. We appreciate @luukDAO and @pcbo for the feedback. This revised proposal includes a detailed outline of our 3 months activities to activate Celo Mexico and prepare our next activities. Our introduction highlights on how we plan to grow Celo Mexico in a coordinated manner with Celatam, ensuring there is no overlap in the region as we help prepare a better generation of builders. This collaboration aims to leverage synergies, maximize impact, and effectively drive Celo’s adoption and presence throughout Mexico.
Summary:
This proposal aims to establish a strong presence for Celo in Mexico by focusing on community engagement, Dev and builder onboarding, event sponsorships, event co-hosting and strategic alliances. Our initial phase, Season 0 (S0), targets growing Celo’s visibility and adoption through key events such as Ethereum Mexico and side events co-hosting, social media campaigns/dynamics, and content/storytelling. Following @LuukDAO advice, we provide a detailed version of our long-term vision available in the comment section of this thread, to avoid confusion and posting a long proposal.
Motivation:
Mexico presents a diverse landscape for crypto adoption, with significant potential for growth across different regions. By leveraging our established community presence and strategic partnerships, we aim to drive financial inclusion and innovation throughout the country. Past initiatives have demonstrated our ability to engage with tech-savvy youth and the unbanked population, making Celo Mexico a key player in Mexico’s crypto landscape. Our mission is to train and prepare the next generation of Celo builders (devs and entrepreneurs) in Mexico, while pushing on-chain transactions. This sets the foundation to align and complement Celatam’s mandate.
Metrics and KPIs:
- Website Development: Launch the official CELO Mexico website to serve as a central hub for information and resources in spanish.
- Follower Growth: Increase social media followers by 200% by our next report.
- Engagement Metrics: Achieve 1,000+ engagements and 10,000+ impressions across social media platforms.
- Devs onboarded: Create a Celo Dev Community in Mexico with at least 15 members.
- Builders onboarded: Create a Celo Builder Community in Mexico with at least 20 members.
- Website Traffic: Increase traffic to the CELO website by 100% during the event month.
- Logo Impressions: Achieve 20,000+ impressions on the event website and digital materials.
- On-site Engagement: Content creation - Live-tweet, post updates, and share stories (photos and videos) on platforms like Twitter, Farcaster, Instagram, and LinkedIn to maximize visibility during the event.
- Co-host side events at ETH Mexico: Participate with at least 2 collaborations with local communities to have multiple presence at side events.
Specification:
Introduction to the Mexican Landscape
Overview of Crypto Adoption in Mexico
1. Mexico’s Demographics and Financial Landscape:
- Population: Mexico has a population of approximately 126 million people.
- Unbanked Population: About 63% of the population lacks access to traditional banking services, highlighting a significant opportunity for financial inclusion through cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology【https://coinpedia.org/cryptocurrency-regulation/crypto-regulations-in-mexico-in-2024/】 .
2. General Crypto Adoption in Mexico:
- Global Ranking: Mexico ranks 16th globally in terms of crypto adoption based on transaction volume. The country has seen an 18% year-on-year increase in crypto transactions on platforms like Bitso, a prominent Mexican crypto exchange boasting 8 million crypto users annually【https://coinpedia.org/cryptocurrency-regulation/crypto-regulations-in-mexico-in-2024/】 .
- Ownership Rates: Around 14% of Mexicans own cryptocurrencies, with Bitcoin being the most popular. This ownership is particularly high among the 18-24 age group, which makes up 22% of all crypto owners in Mexico【[https://www.calypso.finance/blog/mexico-cryptocurrency】【[https://coinpedia.org/cryptocurrency-regulation/crypto-regulations-in-mexico-in-2024/】]
3. Regional Breakdown of Crypto Adoption:
- Major Cities:
- Mexico City: As the capital and largest city, Mexico City is a central hub for crypto activities, with numerous startups and businesses accepting cryptocurrencies. 9,209,944 people live in the city and around 21 million in the metropolitan area.
- Guadalajara: Known as Mexico’s tech hub, Guadalajara has a growing interest in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, hosting various tech and crypto events. 5,268,642 people live in the city.
- Monterrey: Another significant city with a strong business and industrial presence, showing increasing engagement in crypto adoption. 5,341,171 people live in the city.
- Rural and Smaller Cities:
- Smaller Cities: Cities like Puebla, Mérida, and León are gradually seeing more interest in cryptocurrencies, often driven by local meetups and educational initiatives.
- Rural Areas: Crypto adoption is slower in rural areas due to limited internet access and lower financial literacy. However, initiatives targeting financial inclusion through mobile crypto solutions have significant potential here.
4. Exploring Universities and Tech Students:
- University Presence: Mexico has numerous universities with strong tech programs, such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Tecnológico de Monterrey, and Universidad Panamericana.
- Student Population: These universities collectively educate hundreds of thousands of students, many of whom are enrolled in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs.
- Tech Interest: Engaging with these universities through workshops, hackathons, and partnerships can tap into a large pool of tech-savvy students who are potential early adopters and advocates for CELO.
5. Opportunities for CELO:
- Financial Inclusion: With a large unbanked population, CELO’s mobile-first approach and stablecoins can provide accessible financial services to those without traditional banking, enabling broader financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
- Youth Engagement: Targeting the young, tech-savvy population through educational campaigns and university partnerships can drive further adoption and cultivate a new generation of Celo builders. Workshops and hackathons will provide hands-on experience with Celo’s technology.
- Training and Development: By focusing on training and preparing individuals and users, we can create a pipeline of potential builders on Celo. This involves conducting workshops, providing resources, and creating educational content that equips users with the necessary skills to develop on the Celo platform.
- Regional Events: Organizing and participating in crypto events across various regions, from major cities to smaller towns, will enhance CELO’s visibility and adoption. These events will include training sessions and workshops aimed at building a skilled community of developers and entrepreneurs.
- Strategic Alliances: Collaborating with big companies in Mexico, we aim to introduce CELO and cPeso to a large user base. Platforms like Bitso, which currently offers over 51 cryptocurrencies, could onboard Celo, significantly expanding its reach. Other platforms such as BlockPay are also potential collaborators.
- Business Relationships: Establishing a dedicated Mexican Investor Network will provide Celo builders with access to a broader pool of potential investors who understand and support ReFi and Public Goods initiatives. This network will include high-net-worth individuals, hedge funds, venture funds, and multinational corporations, many of which are committed to being Socially Responsible Companies.
- Conclusion: Mexico presents a diverse landscape for crypto adoption with significant growth potential. By leveraging targeted strategies to engage the unbanked population and the youth, particularly through educational institutions, CELO can expand its presence and drive meaningful adoption throughout the country. This approach will ensure that CELO reaches major urban centers and the broader Mexican market, fostering financial inclusion, innovation, and a well-prepared community of builders ready to contribute to the Celo ecosystem. This coordinated effort will align with Celatam’s initiatives, enhancing the overall impact and creating a synergistic movement across the region.
Current Status:
The Celo Mexico Regional DAO is a new initiative. However, we have laid the groundwork through previous community engagements and events like those hosted by MotusDAO and ReFi Mexico.
Timeline:
- August 2024: Preparation for Ethereum Mexico, including website development, merchandise production, and forming strategic alliances.
- September 2024: Participation in Ethereum Mexico with a focus on community engagement, devs and builders onboarding and launching a comprehensive awareness campaign.
- October 2024: Continue social media campaigns for Follow-up from the event to maintain momentum, share media created by the October events and prepare report.
Milestones:
Ethereum Mexico Event Sponsorship
Ethereum Mexico is a significant event in the region’s crypto landscape, drawing considerable attention and participation. For instance, the 2023 event was slated to attract more than 800 attendees. This large-scale event was designed to foster education and innovation within the Ethereum community, indicating its importance and the high level of engagement it generates (CoW DAO ) (Arbitrum).
Strategic Event Planning for CEL2 in Mexico
Given the scale and impact of Ethereum Mexico it’s an excellent opportunity for CELO to establish its presence and engage with a broad audience by sponsoring a “Tolok” Tier ($5,000USD). Participating in such an important event can significantly boost CEL2’s visibility and attract potential builders and developers, while establishing Celo Mexico presence along other main L2s. Here’s a breakdown of how we can leverage this event:
- Presence at Ethereum Mexico:
- Swag Materials: Set up a CELO’s SWAG to engage with attendees, distribute promotional materials to showcase CELO’s solutions in Spanish.
- Co-hosting events: collaborate with local communities to have multiple side event appearance.
- Awareness Campaign: Conduct a targeted campaign leading up to and during the event to maximize impact.
- Dango Testnet dynamic: Dynamic design for pushing the use of Dango testnet with micro-prizes on CELO tokens. Pre-event and announce the Celo sponsorship.
- On-site Engagement: Live-tweet, post updates, and share stories on platforms like Twitter, Farcaster, Instagram, and Youtube to maximize visibility during the event.
Tolok Tier Sponsorship:
We strongly believe that sponsoring a Tolok Tier will bring a relevant impact to Celo Mexico as it provides multiple benefits that can be used for growth hacking.
- 3 Tickets for your community: these tickets can be raffled in a twitter dynamic, looking to increase followers and impressions.
- Logo and link to your Website on event Website: Increase website visits to Celomexico.org and provide insightful content about how to start building in Celo.
- Logo on all digital & printed materials: Brings brand awareness IRL and online.
- Social Media announcements including an explanation of your project and CTA: This helps us to max out our reach as a launch campaign.
- Access to the VIP lounge (# passes): Utilize 100% of VIP passes for networking opportunities.
- Add Item to the Attendees’ Swag Bag (# pieces provided by each sponsor): 2 items for Flamingo Tier, design merch and fabrication logistics.
Payment terms:
After receiving feedback, we are excited to present a refined version of our initial Celo Mexico proposal with a massive reduced scope of activities and budget reduction. The payment terms are set for 3 months activities to activate Celo Mexico.
| Item | Revised Amount |
|---|---|
| Website and socials | $4,000.00 |
| Sponsorship Eth MX | $5,000.00 |
| Merch | $2,000.00 |
| Side event co-hosting with local communities | $1,400.00 |
| Swag delivery | $1,000.00 |
| Travel and misc. (1 event - 2 persons) | $2,000.00 |
| Operations and accounting | $6,600.00 |
| Total | $22,000.00 |
For a more detailed budget please visit: Celo Mexico S0 Budget - Google Sheets
Any funds left on October 31 will be returned to the Celo Community Treasury.
This revised proposal focuses on targeted activities to effectively launch Celo Mexico, ensuring we create a robust presence and foster significant engagement within the community, as well as setting foundations for future plans.
Team
- Our team is experienced with a proven trackrecord and well known in the Web 3.0 Mexican ecosystem.
Team Description
Gerry Alvarez - Project Owner
Gerry Alvarez is an experienced project manager and community builder with a strong background in blockchain and cryptocurrency. He has a proven track record of successfully engaging with communities and fostering growth through strategic initiatives and partnerships. Gerry is well-versed in the intricacies of the Mexican crypto market and has been instrumental in organizing various blockchain events and workshops. His leadership and vision are pivotal in driving the Celo Mexico initiative forward. Gerry has hosted several events focused on community building for MotusDAO (a mental health care public good), representing the Solarpunk movement, ReFi, and circular economy. His efforts have established a solid presence in the Mexican ecosystem.LinkedIn: Gerardo Alvarez Nates
Oscar Andrade - Strategic Advisor
Oscar Andrade brings extensive experience in venture capital and blockchain technology. With a deep understanding of the financial and technical aspects of crypto projects, Oscar has been involved in advising and investing in numerous successful blockchain startups. His expertise in strategic planning and business development will be invaluable in guiding the Celo Mexico project towards achieving its objectives. Oscar has wide-ranging initiatives to thrust the ReFi ecosystem globally, complementing his strategic role within Celo Mexico.LinkedIn: Olah Ventures Collaborative Achievements
Gerry and Oscar’s collaboration began at a community event hosted by MotusDAO. Recognizing their shared vision, they co-founded ReFi Mexico, officially creating the ReFi movement in the country. Together, they have organized significant events, including a NEAR events, including meet-ups, workshops and multiple other blockchain events, solidifying their presence in the Mexican crypto community. Their joint efforts have laid a robust foundation for Celo Mexico, ensuring its growth and success in the region.Their combined expertise in community building, event hosting, and strategic planning positions them perfectly to drive the Celo Mexico initiative, fostering adoption and engagement across the country.Team track:https://www.motusdao.org/eventos (site under reconstruction)https://refimexico.org/en/eventsMotusDAO (@motusdao) • Instagram photos and videos (event content)
- Armando: Community manager joins to help in the socials, he brings strong community building experience to the table. He is well known and established ambassador for Polimec, Vara, and his interests in public goods development is growing. x.com
We appreciate the insightful feedback from @luukDAO and the valuable advice from @pcbo, which have been instrumental in refining our proposal. Their contributions have helped us enhance the clarity and impact of our submission into a much more refined scope.
