Towards Celo’s Cultural Manifesto
Dear Celo Community,
As we settle into this new chapter as an Ethereum L2, we have a unique opportunity to reflect on who we are and what we stand for.
Why a Cultural Manifesto? Why Now?
From its inception, Celo has been guided by a powerful mission: to create the conditions for prosperity for all. This purpose has shaped our technology, governance, and community efforts. Now, as we grow and welcome new builders, contributors, and users, it’s more important than ever to articulate the values that make Celo unique.
As @rene_celo wrote in his Vision 2030 post: Celebrating Celo’s Five Years & Vision 2030: A Trillion-Dollar Onchain Economy Built on Celo & a Battle For Crypto’s Soul, we’re entering a phase where Celo must define its soul.
We’re also inspired by Vitalik’s reflections on L2s as cultural extensions, and also @marek’s framing of Celo as a cultural extension. Now is the time to make our shared values explicit—to shape the cultural layer that sits alongside our protocol.
Introducing the Celo Culture Poll
To begin this process, our team at DeepGov is launching a community-wide culture poll using Pol.is — a collective intelligence tool that helps large groups find consensus.
The poll includes statements across several categories:
Mission & Identity — What makes Celo distinctive
Community Values — How we organize and make decisions
Equity & Inclusion — Our approach to accessibility and global participation
Regenerative Values — Our commitment to sustainability and ReFi
Openness & Innovation — How we build and share technology
Norms & Behavior — How we interact and collaborate
Future Directions — Where we’re heading next
How It Works
- Vote: Agree or disagree with each statement
- Contribute: Add new statements you feel are missing
Take the poll now: polis.deepgov.org
Early Momentum
Thanks to the amazing research on Celo by @Marie-Claire and the support of @sophia - so far, we’ve received over 80 responses from across the Celo community. These insights are already painting a picture of our shared values and aspirations.
We plan to publish the results right here on the Celo Forum. The findings will help guide both human and machine decision-making processes—from governance discussions to the design of onchain funding mechanisms.
Why Your Voice Matters
As we deepen our integration with Ethereum and work toward serving a billion users, a clear cultural compass will help us:
- Make better governance and funding decisions
- Welcome newcomers with clarity and intention
- Represent Celo’s distinct identity within the broader ecosystem
- Remain grounded in purpose as we scale
What’s Next?
The poll will remain open for two weeks. Once complete, we’ll analyze the results and begin drafting the Celo Cultural Manifesto based on areas of strongest community consensus—while honoring the diversity of perspectives that make Celo special.
We invite everyone—builders, founders, validators, users, artists, and allies—to join in.
Let’s co-create the cultural foundation for Celo’s next chapter—together.