[MIP-33] 2025–2026 Services Budget Proposal

I. Introduction

This proposal presents the second half of Maia DAO’s budgeting strategy for the 2025–2026 period, relating to running costs such as development and infrastructure. This plan was 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.

Taking this into account we are adjusting our approach to ensure sustainable operations and preserve the long-term value of our ecosystem tokens. We will lean on non-ecosystem token treasury assets, specifically sfrxETH and ETH, rather than relying solely on the distribution of MAIA during a period of relatively subdued liquidity. This will enable the DAO to reserve them for future use—whether for operational expenses or growth initiatives.

This proposal is based on a comprehensive analysis of current treasury assets, by reallocating spending and minimizing the circulation of volatile ecosystem assets, we aim to maintain a sound financial position until liquidity conditions improve.

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II. Current Market and Treasury Context

Treasury Overview

At present, the DAO treasury holds the following assets:

• ETH – A relatively stable blue-chip asset.
• sfrxETH – A yield-bearing ETH derivative offering productive capital while maintaining ETH exposure.
• Ecosystem tokens – Including MAIA.
• Stablecoins – Limited reserves, intended to be preserved for short-term liquidity needs.

Current Unallocated Treasury Holdings:

Asset	Amount	Price	Value
ETH	55.058	$2,915	$160,499.03
sFRXETH	94.29	$3,326	$313,699.72
MAIA	97,975.36	$1.166	$114,239.27
Total Non-Eco			$474,198.75
Total Overall			$588,438.02

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III. Strategic Use of Treasury Assets

Ecosystem Token Preservation

To preserve the ecosystem token runway, none of the listed initiatives will be funded with ecosystem tokens, ensuring strict token conservation and avoiding any increases in ecosystem token spending.

Preserving these tokens now ensures they can later be utilized for:

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

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

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IV. Departmental Budgeting

Allocation Framework

The following treasury allocations recipients are proposed to support one year of operations:

• Development Costs - Compensation for five engineers supporting protocol maintenance and feature development.
• Graphic Design - One on-call designer available for marketing and creative needs.
• Operational Expenses - Alchemy services and hosting infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted system performance.

You can read more about our structure here. Non-ecosystem token assets allocated to departments must be converted to USDC before being placed into year-long LlamaPay streams or transferred to relevant entities.

Allocation Details

Department	Annual Cost (USDC)	Monthly Avg.
Development	138,000	11,500
Graphic Design	12,000	1,000
Operations	18,000	1,500
Total Request	168,000	14,000

Payment Management

• Graphic Design streams will be established via LlamaPay in USDC.
• All other funds will be transferred to recipients in a single annual payment.

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V. Budget and Allocation

All budget values outlined in this plan represent the allocated expenditure in USDC for the following year. 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 authorize the use of up to 25 sfrxETH and 55 ETH to fund the operational budget.

Volatility Buffer: This allocation cap includes a safety margin calculated to withstand a 30% market drawdown in ETH prices. This ensures operations continue uninterrupted even in bearish conditions.

Actual Spend: This is a maximum allowance, not a guaranteed expenditure. Assets will only be converted to USDC as needed to meet the $168,000 budget requirement. If ETH/sfrxETH prices remain stable or increase, significantly fewer assets will be sold, and the remainder will be transfered back to the DAO's Treasury.

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IX. Conclusion

This 2025–2026 budget proposal serves as a vital measure to reinforce Maia DAO’s fiscal stability, ensure operational continuity, and strategically prepare for growth as the market evolves. Funding operations with non-native assets while restricting ecosystem token circulation protects tokenholder value and supports disciplined, sustainable development.

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.