Staking Rewards - Research Methodology Development - Milestone 1

applications/staking_rewards.md

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+Polkadot Grant Proposal: Research Methodology Development - Milestone 1
+
+1. Project Overview
+
+   Project Name: Amplifying Polkadot Staking via Staking Rewards
+   Team Name: Staking Rewards
+   Payment Address: TBD
+   Level: Research (Level 2)
+
+2. Project Description
+
+   2.1. Abstract
+
+        Staking Rewards proposes a comprehensive research initiative to enhance Polkadot’s staking ecosystem by developing a robust and unbiased methodology to rank validators and improve staking accessibility. This proposal also includes deploying intuitive staking tools through Stake App and executing a marketing campaign targeting over 250,000 crypto-focused users. The initiative aims to simplify staking, boost participation, and increase the visibility of Polkadot’s staking features and liquid staking solutions.
+
+   2.2. Background
+
+        Polkadot's staking ecosystem underpins its security, scalability, and governance. Selecting validators for the Decentralized Nodes Pool (DN Pool) requires balancing performance, decentralization, and fairness, yet current methods may lack transparency or fail to capture critical metrics. This project will establish a data-driven ranking methodology, supported by advanced tools and outreach, to empower both individual stakers and the network as a whole.
+
+   2.3. Deliverables
+
+        1. Research-Based Validator Ranking Methodology:
+            A framework for ranking validators based on critical metrics like performance, decentralization, security, and staking rewards.
+            a. Validator Selection: A ranked list of the Top 16 Decentralized Nodes (DNs), sourced from the Polkadot Decentralized Nodes Program, optimized for inclusion in the Default Nomination Pool.
+        2. Stake App Deployment: Tools for seamless staking, risk-optimized validator nomination, and liquid staking integrations.
+        3. Marketing Amplification: Targeted initiatives to promote Polkadot staking among a crypto-savvy audience.
+
+   2.4. Stake App Validator Ranking
+
+        As part of the Stake App, Staking Rewards will:
+
+        ● Set up a Nomination Pool as the default staking option, delegating funds to the Top 16 Decentralized Nodes (DNs) selected from Polkadot's Decentralized Nodes Program. This ensures high-performance, reliable, and decentralized validator selection.          
+        ● Support direct nomination of individual validators or liquid staking tokens (LSTs) for advanced users.
+
+    The Top 16 DNs and the validator ranking used for both the Nomination Pool and direct nomination options will be determined during Research Milestone 1, using the metrics and scoring model developed during this phase.
+
+3. Team Information
+
+   3.1. Contact Information
+
+        ● Contact Names: Tobias Jung, Mirko Schmiedl
+        ● Emails: [email protected], [email protected]
+        ● GitHub: https://github.com/stakingrewards
+        ● Website: https://www.stakingrewards.com
+
+   3.2. Team Background
+
+        Staking Rewards is a trusted platform for staking insights, serving over 150,000 unique monthly users worldwide. With a focus on transparency and accessibility, the team has extensive experience in providing staking-related tools, analytics, and educational content. The team combines expertise in blockchain development, data science, and marketing to deliver impactful solutions.
+
+   3.3. Legal Structure
+
+        ● Registered Entity: Finrate AG
+        ● Country: Switzerland
+
+
+4. Research Milestones
+
+   4.1. Milestone 1: Research Methodology Development
+
+        Objective: Develop a comprehensive, data-driven framework to rank validators for the Polkadot network, which will form the foundation for selecting the Top 16 Decentralized Nodes (DNs) from the Polkadot Decentralized Nodes Program for the Default Nomination Pool in the Stake App.
+
+        ● Deliverables:
+            ○ List of metrics, categorized into:
+                □ Performance and Reliability: Uptime, block production efficiency, latency, 
+                  slash history.
+                □ Staking and Rewards: Commission rate, APY, minimum stake requirement.
+                □ Reputation and Trust: Identity verification, slash-free period, reputation.
+                □ Decentralization and Inclusion: Geographical distribution, operator diversity.
+                □ Technical Setup: Hardware specifications, client version.
+                □ Engagement and Transparency: Governance participation, validator communication.
+                □ Financial and Risk: Stake distribution, oversaturation risk, fee stability.
+            ○ Analysis of on-chain and off-chain data sources.
+            ○ Preliminary scoring model for ranking validators based on weighted metrics.
+            ○ Ranked list of the Top 16 Decentralized Nodes (DNs) for inclusion in the Default Nomination Pool.
+            ○ Results will be published in the form of a Research Report
+
+        ● Estimated Duration: 8 weeks
+        ● Cost: €15,000
+
+   4.2. Milestone 2: Staging and Testing
+
+        Objective: Integrate Stake App with initial ranking implementation in a staging environment and gather feedback.
+
+        ● Deliverables:
+            ○ Integration of Stake App with risk-optimized validator rankings.
+            ○ Testing validator nomination and reward management features.
+            ○ Community feedback on usability and relevance.
+
+        ● Estimated Duration: 12 weeks
+        ● Cost: €35,000
+
+   4.3. Milestone 3: Stake App Deployment
+
+        Objective: Deploy the fully-featured Stake App to Polkadot users.
+
+        ●  Deliverables:
+            ○ 1-click staking and Default Nomination Pool integration.
+            ○ Tools for seamless reward claiming, staking, and unbonding.
+            ○ Monitoring dashboard for staking positions and opportunities.
+
+        ● Estimated Duration: 4 weeks
+        ● Cost: €25,000
+
+   4.4. Milestone 4: Marketing Push
+
+        Objective: Execute a targeted marketing campaign to amplify Polkadot staking.
+
+        ● Deliverables:
+            ○ 2 weeks of banner promotion on Staking Rewards.
+            ○ 2 months as a featured asset on the Staking Rewards Discovery page.
+            ○ Newsletter outreach to 75,000 subscribers.
+
+        ● Estimated Duration: 4 weeks
+        ● Cost: €25,000
+
+
+5. Total Funding Request
+
+    ● Total Cost: €100,000  
+        ○ Payment in Milestone increments  
+        ○ This proposal will be used for the first Milestone (€15,000)  
+    ● Proposal Amount: €15,000
+
+
+6. Expected Impact
+
+This project will:
+
+        ●  Increase user participation in Polkadot staking.
+        ●  Enhance transparency in validator selection.
+        ●  Broaden visibility of Polkadot’s staking and liquid staking solutions.
+        ●  Strengthen the long-term health and decentralization of the Polkadot network.