[HIP-46] 2025–2026 Individual Contirbutors Budget Proposal

I. Introduction

This proposal presents Maia DAO's Hermes budgeting strategy for the 2025–2026 period, built to align with our long-term objectives while reflecting current market dynamics. Our focus remains on operational resilience, ecosystem growth, and strategic asset stewardship.

To support long-term sustainability, we will maintain the same ecosystem token spending rate as proposed last year, without adjusting allocations based on current market value. Rather than increasing HERMES distributions, we will preserve the flexibility and strategic value of HERMES for future growth opportunities.

By reallocating spending and minimizing the circulation of volatile ecosystem assets, we aim to safeguard the DAO’s financial health while positioning Hermes for long-term sustainability and impact.

It is important to note that development and infrastructure-related operational costs are not included in this proposal. There is a separate plan to appoint a third-party entity to manage these responsibilities, which will require its own distinct proposal for review and approval.

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II. Treasury Overview

At present, the DAO treasury holds the following assets:

• Ecosystem tokens – Including HERMES and bHERMES.

Current Treasury Holdings:

Asset	Amount	Price	Value
HERMES	52,486,006	$0.001756	$92,165.42
bHERMES	36,621,517	$0.00161	$58,960.64
Total Overall			$151,126.06

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III. Strategic Use of Treasury Assets

Ecosystem Token Preservation

To prevent draining the ecosystem token runway, we will not be increasing ecosystem token streams and will maintain the same spending rate as proposed last year, without adjusting these allocations based on current market value.

Preserving these tokens ensures they can later be leveraged for:

• Strategic bonding programs
• Liquidity provisioning (LPs)
• Treasury diversification
• Ecosystem growth initiatives

This long-term strategy reflects a commitment to protecting token holder value and maximizing future opportunity.

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IV. Departmental Budgeting and Runway

Allocation Framework

The following departments will receive treasury allocations to support their ongoing operations, aligned with strategic priorities:

• Marketing Department
• Business Development Department
• Community & Governance Department
• Contigency Fund

You can read more about our structure here.

Department-Level Annual Stream Allocations

Department	HERMES (/year)
Marketing	2,145,440
Business Development	1,194,160
Community & Governance	556,600
Contigency Fund	2,024,000
Total	5,920,200

Contributor-Level Stream Breakdown

Department	Contributor / Role	HERMES (/year)
Marketing Department	Head of Marketing	1,194,160
Marketing Department	Marketing Budget	951,280
Business Dev Department	Head of BD	1,194,160
Business Dev Department	BD Assistant	0
Community & Governance	Content Creation	417,450
Community & Governance	C&G Budget	139,150
Total		3,896,200

LlamaPay Stream Management

To ensure smooth and transparent disbursement of funds:

• Streams will be established via LlamaPay in HERMES.
• All unused funds in these tokens will remain in DAO-controlled multisigs until needed.

This approach provides departments with predictable, diversified funding while preserving treasury health and maximizing operational flexibility.

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V. Budget and Allocation

Values and Allocations

All budget values outlined in this plan represent maximum departmental limits for expenditure in HERMES. Any proposed increases will require another governance proposal.

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VI. Governance Considerations

A robust governance framework remains at the center of this proposal. Governance token holders will continue to shape treasury strategy and budgetary decisions.

Governance Framework Components

• Proposal System: Budget changes and exceptional expenditures must be submitted as formal proposals
• Token Holder Voting: Governance token holders retain final authority

This model ensures that decisions remain accountable, traceable, and reflective of community consensus.

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VII. Community Engagement and Support

Engagement Strategies

We will continue to host:

• Bi-weekly Spaces Ecosystem News
• Bi-weekly Discord Community Building
• Public community polls
• Telegram and Discord Support.

These channels ensure two-way communication between contributors and the broader community.

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VIII. Next Steps and Decision-Making Process

Commonwealth Discussion

This proposal will be posted to the governance forum (Commonwealth) for discussion, questions, and revisions. All community members are encouraged to provide input.

Snapshot Vote

Following the discussion period (minimum 7 days), the finalized proposal will move to Snapshot for a formal vote by governance token holders.

Implementation

If approved, Maia DAO will:

• Fund departmental multisigs and initiate ecosystem token LlamaPay streams

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IX. Conclusion

This 2025–2026 budget proposal is a critical step in preserving our financial strength, ensuring uninterrupted operations, and preparing Maia DAO to grow aggressively when market conditions improve. By funding operations with non-native assets and limiting the circulation of ecosystem tokens, we protect long-term value for token holders and provide a stable platform for sustainable growth.

We thank our community for its continued support, commitment, and governance engagement. Together, we will navigate this market cycle and emerge with stronger treasury management, increased transparency, and a renewed focus on building a resilient DeFi ecosystem.