In this post, we introduce the UF Grantee Delegation Program, which we are piloting with Atrium Academy and ScopeLift. This initiative will grant these organizations, which are current Uniswap Foundation grant recipients, with voting rights to empower them to actively engage in the Uniswap Protocol Governance process.
At the core of the Uniswap Foundation’s Governance vertical is a dedication to building an effective delegate stakeholder group whose actions and votes will support the long term sustainability of Uniswap.
In pursuit of this goal, we launched the GovSwap event series earlier this year to promote a culture of collaboration and collective advancement. These delegate gatherings, held in tandem with major conferences (ETHDenver, ETHCC and continuing in Bangkok at Uniday before DevCon), do more than just bring delegates together; they serve as catalysts for intellectual exchange and strategic alignment.While GovSwap has been successful, we aim to continue this momentum by further strengthening our delegate base. As we brainstormed strategies, we asked ourselves: What makes a good delegate? In this exercise, we have identified key traits that epitomize the ideal delegate:
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Deep awareness of Uniswap's pivotal role within the DeFi ecosystem
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The ability to independently analyze and evaluate governance proposals
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Commitment to the long-term vision and success of Uniswap
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Genuine interest and active participation in the governance process
Since updating our grant allocation strategy to allow for larger and longer-term engagements, we have engaged with and funded many teams that exemplify these qualities. With that in mind, the Uniswap Foundation is pleased to launch the UF Grantee Delegation Program with initial participants Atrium Academy and ScopeLift. Under this program, these grantees will receive delegated voting rights for 500,000 UNI each, on renewable six-month terms.
The Grantee Delegation Program is possible because the Uniswap Foundation holds voting rights to 2.5 million UNI, previously the minimum required to submit governance proposals. Following the recent reduction of this threshold to 1 million UNI, we are reallocating up to 1.5 million UNI to support active governance engagement by our grantees.
About the Selected Grantees
Our grants program has effectively identified individuals and teams like Scopelift and Atrium Academy, who embody our core ideals and can help to raise the bar for all delegates. Scopelift has been enhancing Governance through research and system upgrades, while Atrium Academy operates the Uniswap Hook Incubator, teaching hundreds of developers globally to build v4 hooks at no cost. Their consistent achievements underline their capacity and readiness for expanded roles within our ecosystem.
"Atrium is honored to be chosen as a delegate," states Bhaumik Patel, co-founder of Atrium Academy. "We’re eager to participate actively in proposals and advance initiatives that will grow Uniswap and the broader DeFi ecosystem."
Echoing this commitment, Ben DiFrancesco, founder of ScopeLift, remarks, “ScopeLift is proud to have collaborated with the Uniswap community in various capacities over the years, and it's truly rewarding to deepen our involvement through this delegation. We are excited to contribute our engineering expertise to the Governance process and are dedicated to advancing Uniswap's role as a pioneer in decentralization and transparency.”
Accountability
Grantee delegates will be required to adhere to the Delegate Code of Conduct; they will also abstain from voting on any proposals in which the UF asks for additional funding. Each grantee has signed a contract that ensures the UF cannot otherwise influence how they vote. This contract also stipulates conditions under which the UF can recall these votes, which include inactivity (missing 3 consecutive votes).
Advancing Governance Together
As we make progress in Uniswap Protocol Governance, this initiative is part of a larger narrative that values collaboration, strategic innovation, and community empowerment. Scopelift and Atrium’s delegations are a pilot; as they prove to be successful we hope to roll out delegation opportunities across our network of grantees. If you are a grantee and are interested in becoming a delegate, please let us know!
Each step we take is about building a resilient, informed, and proactive community that thrives on collective success and shared visions for the future. Congratulations to Atrium Academy and ScopeLift for being on this journey with us.