Launching Nov 8th: The Uniswap-Arbitrum Grant Program (UAGP)

5 min readNov 2, 2023

Introduction

The Uniswap-Arbitrum Grant Program (UAGP) is a 6-month grant program fueling projects of two leading ecosystems. Its objective is to foster growth and advance projects that build exclusively within the Uniswap-Arbitrum ecosystem, focusing on long-term benefits.

As we gear up for a launch on November 8th, we want to give the community a view of what’s on the horizon.

What is the UAGP?

The Uniswap-Arbitrum Grant Program (UAGP) is a 6-month initiative providing grants from $50,000 to $250,000 in ARB tokens to developers building within the Uniswap-Arbitrum ecosystem. With over 1m $ARB tokens in the program, the goal is to accelerate adoption and highlight the expansive opportunities that emerge in overlapping areas of the two ecosystems.

Arbitrum is among the best-known scaling solutions for Ethereum, offering rapid, cost-effective transactions while preserving Ethereum’s security. The deployment of Uniswap on Arbitrum marked a significant stride towards scaling. Now, UAGP aims to advance this mission by financing protocols that improve the liquidity, usability, and composability of Uniswap on Arbitrum.

With the shared goal of advancing DeFi and fostering innovation, UAGP aims to be the catalyst that drives impactful projects and strengthens the ties between the two ecosystems.

Mission of the UAGP

The UNI/ARB Grant Program (UAGP) aims to:

Fund High-Impact Projects: The program allocates grants specifically to projects that demonstrate the potential for substantial positive impact on the Uniswap and Arbitrum ecosystems with grants from 50,000 to 250,000 $ARB.
Strengthen the Uniswap and Arbitrum Ecosystems: The UNI/ARB Grant Program (UAGP) aims to strengthen the ties and facilitate exchange between the Uniswap and Arbitrum ecosystems.
Ensure Transparency and Community Input: The program mandates regular progress reports and seeks community feedback to influence the direction of funded projects.

Targeted Grants through RFPs

To direct the Uniswap Arbitrum Grant Program (UAGP) to be truly impactful, a Request for Proposals (RFPs) comes into play. By streamlining the focus areas, UAGP ensures that the granted projects align with the strategic goals of both the Uniswap and Arbitrum ecosystems. These are the current RFPs:

1. Liquidity Management and Derivative Protocols: In the DeFi landscape, these facets are essential for Uniswap’s growth. When integrated with Uniswap, these can set the stage for sophisticated methods and instruments on Arbitrum, leading to significant boosts in transaction activity and TVL.
2. Arbitrum Testnet with EIP-1153 Enabled: The absence of a smooth infrastructure for v4 testing introduces considerable challenges. For developers, running local tests on Uniswap v4 poses unwarranted complications, riddled with obstacles and inefficiencies.
3. Uniswap on Arbitrum Ecosystem Tools or Products: Synergies between Uniswap and Arbitrum create immense opportunities for mutually beneficial growth. Projects that build tools or products enhancing this Uniswap-Arbitrum synergy will multiply the value for both ecosystems, acting as catalysts that accelerate development across the linked platforms.
4. Uniswap v4 Infrastructure Dev Tools: Uniswap’s rapid evolution requires constant infrastructure improvements to remain at the forefront of DeFi. This RFP will empower builders to upgrade the surrounding infrastructure as Uniswap advances, fueling further cutting-edge innovation.
5. Open Contribution: Innovation can only sometimes be boxed, so Open Contribution is an invitation to visionaries who might have groundbreaking ideas that don’t necessarily fit into predefined categories. This avenue for open-ended grants fosters fresh thinking and empowers developers to propose unprecedented solutions that could unlock new dimensions for Uniswap on Arbitrum.

Meet the Team

The diverse backgrounds and deep expertise represented by the UAGP team embody the collaborative spirit of this initiative. This group drives the community-first ethos of Uniswap, driven by a shared purpose to empower developers to expand the ecosystem’s potential.

Through an open and transparent voting process, the Uniswap community elected individuals they believed would uphold their vision and values.

Bernard (Program Lead) (web3 studios): Founder of w3s — executing complex strategic transactions in web3. Ex-McKinsey led strategic DAO projects, e.g., wind-down of Gro DAO, Strategy Support for Zerion, and conducted analytical and research work with leading web3 firms such as Polygon, The Sandbox, and DappRadar.
Doo (StableLab): Professional delegate at StableLab across major DeFi protocols, including MakerDAO, Optimism, Aave, 1inch, Balancer, Element, InstaDapp, Hop. Previously spent 3.5 years at the Maker Foundation. Participation in an Accountability Working Group that shipped Proposal Template 2.0 — Upgrade for Deployments & Agreements
Honn (formerly Uniswap Foundation): Experience at Uniswap Foundation and the Uniswap Grants Program, helped lead different goverance initiatives, while evaluating applications for the Uniswap Grants Program and dYdX Grants Program. Worked as a researcher for the Decentralization Research Center (formerly the DAO Research Collective).
Nneoma (StableLab): Governance Analyst at StableLab. Contributed to the management of the ecosystem funnel that onboards and activates projects in the NEAR Protocol ecosystem and channels the most promising projects to NEAR Foundation and Proximity Finance grants and incubators. Participate as a delegate in Lido DAO, SafeDAO, Starknet DAO and Element DAO.
Jojo (JonesDAO): Member of Arbitrum Grants Committee. Currently developing a strategy to algorithmically manage user liquidity in the V3 product. Established strong connections with nearly all protocols on Arbitrum thanks to his engagement with JonesDao.

Next Steps

I. Launch of Program

As we countdown to November 8th, the excitement within the UAGP team is palpable. But this journey is as much yours as it is ours. Engage in discussions, share this sneak peek, and prepare for an exciting chapter for Uniswap and Arbitrum.

II. Twitter Space (set reminder)

We’ll be hosting a first Twitter space to introduce you to the team, our plans, and answer any open questions that might arise. We are excited to hear your suggestions and comments to further shape the program.

Details:

Gitcoin will host the Twitter space on Nov 8th at 12:00 p.m. (EST).
Link to the Twitter Space

III. Get ready to apply

If you’re building at the intersection of Uniswap and Arbitrum, get ready to apply for funding through UAGP. Together, we can accelerate the development of the core protocols, infrastructure, and tools needed to scale Uniswap and expand it into the Arbitrum ecosystem.

Contact points

To find all info: UAGP Information Hub
To reach out: Discord
To stay up to date: Twitter

As we press forward, we want to work collaboratively on this — for any insights, questions, or concerns feel free to reach out to Bernard.

Stay tuned 🦄