Partner with ETH Bucharest 2025 - Eastern Europe’s Leading Ethereum Conference and Hackathon

Non-Constitutional

IMPORTANT NOTE

We acknowledge the community's feedback on this proposal. While we’ve focused on the core sponsorship package to deliver maximum value, we’ve kept the POAP add-on as a voting option, as we believe it would provide Arbitrum with additional visibility at ETH Bucharest.

Submitting via Questbook would have been more conventional, but we chose the DAO Events Budget to expedite the resolution, as Questbook would likely only conclude by late February or March, leaving insufficient time for preparation. A prompt decision allows us to finalize event logistics, branding, and hackathon planning in advance.

Intended Voting Options:

1. FOR, with POAP - $69,300
2. FOR, without POAP - $55,800
3. Abstain
4. Against

We appreciate the community’s feedback and participation in ensuring Arbitrum’s success at ETH Bucharest 2025!

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Abstract

The proposal invites Arbitrum DAO to sponsor ETH Bucharest 2025, showcasing its Layer 2 ecosystem and Stylus technology while supporting the Hackathon Open Track to drive real-world use cases and foster impactful startups.

The total investment for this proposal is set at $ 69,300 (10% discount included).

This partnership strengthens Arbitrum’s leadership in innovation and community engagement.

Motivation

ETH Bucharest 2025, taking place from April 2-5, will build upon the success of last year’s conference, which attracted 1,100+ unique attendees and 100+ hackers.

For 2025, we expect over 1,500 community enthusiasts and 150 hackers, with a diverse range of speakers, tracks, and events dedicated to fostering Ethereum and Web3 innovation in Eastern Europe.

Your continued involvement will be instrumental as we work to create a pivotal gathering for the Ethereum community in this region.

Arbitrum has already had a significant impact at ETH Bucharest 2024 (from 27th to the 30th of March 2024), with @ZER8 and @DisruptionJoe making Arbitrum’s presence felt on-site.

This was the first time Arbitrum DAO had a booth at a conference and

Our collaboration deepened as we hosted the first ever IRL Arbitrum Workshop and Hackathon, which focused on Stylus—a groundbreaking technology for fully EVM-compatible smart contracts written in Rust.

This initiative was funded by the Arbitrum Education, Community Growth and Events 2.0 with $ 22,524 and was completed in November 2024.

This workshop and hackathon set the stage for Arbitrum’s next evolution, creating unique momentum in Romania’s fast-growing Ethereum community.

Rationale

Why ETH Bucharest 2025?

• Prime Visibility: ETH Bucharest is Eastern Europe’s most prominent Ethereum gathering. By partnering, Arbitrum will gain brand exposure across all main stages, hackathon rooms, and throughout the event, ensuring high visibility to developers, industry professionals, and enthusiasts.

• Community Engagement: Direct engagement with the next generation of Ethereum builders through workshops, talks, and exclusive networking opportunities. This includes pre-hackathon workshops and dedicated bounty tracks.

• Early Adopter Appeal: Be at the forefront of introducing Stylus and Arbitrum’s Layer 2 technology to one of Europe’s largest developer pools. This partnership would position Arbitrum as a leader in Ethereum Layer 2 solutions in Romania, Eastern Europe & beyond (we had participants from the US. Canada, Australia, etc).

• Network Expansion: ETH Bucharest attracts over 1,500 attendees, including developers, project leads, investors, and Web3 enthusiasts, offering a valuable opportunity for Arbitrum to expand its ecosystem in a fast-growing region.

ETH Bucharest 2025 is your platform to reinforce Arbitrum's leadership in Layer 2 solutions, inspire the next wave of Ethereum builders, and make meaningful connections in the Eastern European Web3 space.

We would be thrilled to have Arbitrum DAO as one of the main partners, shaping the future of Ethereum in one of its most vibrant hubs.

Specifications

With this proposal, Arbitrum DAO will play a pivotal role at ETH Bucharest 2025, becoming a main partner and significantly enhancing its presence in the Eastern European Ethereum ecosystem.

Hackathon Involvement

• Arbitrum will feature its own dedicated bounty tracks, focused on technologies such as Stylus and Layer 2 scaling solutions. These tracks will encourage builders to innovate within the Arbitrum ecosystem.

• Arbitrum will also support the Hackathon Open Track, themed Real World Use Cases. This track prioritizes impactful projects that address societal challenges and incorporates a business plan requirement, ensuring a well-rounded approach to team-building and scalability. By contributing to this track, Arbitrum will attract diverse participants, including non-technical contributors vital to startup success.

Conference Partnership

• As one of the main partners, Arbitrum will enjoy central visibility at ETH Bucharest 2025:

  • 25m² exhibition booth at a prime location, allowing for extensive interaction with attendees and showcasing Arbitrum’s technology and ecosystem.

  • 1-hour main stage speaking slot to present Arbitrum's latest advancements, with a focus on Stylus and its contributions to Ethereum scaling.

  • Pre-hackathon workshop, providing a hands-on introduction to Arbitrum’s tech stack, including Stylus, to engage and onboard developers.

Enhanced Branding and Engagement

Arbitrum will gain significant visibility through the Arbitrum x POAP Activation, replacing traditional VIP-focused sponsorships with an innovative and inclusive initiative.

As the exclusive sponsor of the ETH Bucharest POAP Passport, Arbitrum will:

• Showcase the POAPs minted on the Arbitrum Chain, solidifying its leadership in Layer 2 innovation.
• Drive engagement as attendees collect POAPs at key activities like workshops, panels, and hackathons, all branded with Arbitrum’s identity.
• Foster community interaction through a gamified experience, encouraging networking and boosting foot traffic to Arbitrum’s activations.

This activation ensures broad visibility, deep attendee engagement, and a memorable on-chain showcase of Arbitrum’s capabilities.

Rationale for Design Decisions

1. Hackathon Focus: Bounty tracks and the Open Track emphasize real-world impact and onboarding multidisciplinary teams, aligning with Arbitrum’s goal of fostering diverse innovation. Previous hackathons, such as the Arbitrum Workshop & Hackathon in Romania, demonstrated high engagement and successful project outcomes, solidifying this approach.

2. Conference Presence: The combination of a large booth, main stage slot, and workshop ensures Arbitrum’s technology and ecosystem receive the spotlight they deserve at Eastern Europe’s largest Ethereum event.

   Similar sponsorship models at global events, such as Devcon and ETHGlobal, have proven successful for ecosystem expansion and brand alignment.

3. POAP Activation: Gamified Networking

   Sponsoring the ETH Bucharest POAP Passport replaces traditional networking add-ons with an interactive, gamified experience.

   Attendees collect 5-7 POAPs minted on Arbitrum Chain by engaging in event activities, unlocking exclusive prizes or raffle entries upon completion.

POAP's integration on Arbitrum showcase its scalability and low-cost transactions while fostering memorable interactions with developers, enthusiasts, and thought leaders.

This comprehensive approach ensures Arbitrum’s involvement at ETH Bucharest 2025 will maximize its impact, foster community engagement, and reinforce its leadership in Ethereum Layer 2 solutions.

Steps to Implement

Given the timeline of the event (April 2–5, 2025) and the need to pass the proposal through Arbitrum DAO governance, the following steps outline the process while adhering to DAO requirements:

Phase 1: Governance Approval

Step 1: Create a Snapshot vote pointing to this forum post.

• Action: Submit the final version of the proposal to the Snapshot vote, targeting the available budget of the newly passed Arbitrum DAO 2025 Events Budget Proposal for Ecosystem Growth.

Will include:

• Proposal detai

... please visit link below to view full proposal

https://snapshot.org/#/arbitrumfoundation.eth/proposal/0x04c5984e2e2b8270a793bfb1bbe35c2c8a360429e2e1a5e72a3917215c51144d