{"signature": "0x79097438683a8fa7764f49ce06baf35a0035b0ced2575cbc3496ab5cb79c90eb2700d8f4137c415ebbb3ca5c05fd41d8da6b104f764eef070db30ab1d067e8c61b", "application": {"round": "0x0d1bab6d06e5059f4abc6034809aa2fb74aa13a6", "answers": [{"type": "email", "answer": "wilson@hercules.exchange", "hidden": true, "question": "Email Address", "questionId": 0}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Hercules, the native liquidity hub of the Metis ecosystem, offers seamless swaps, staking, real yield, sustainable emissions, and a launchpad. In just seven months, it has become one of the network's leading dapps, achieving:\n\nWhile innovation is key in DeFi, user engagement is essential. As the first partner of the Metis Journey, Hercules will leverage a time-limited campaign to guide users through the platform, driving participation and excitement for its new features.\n\nDECK: Hercules Journey, A Metis Heroes Add-on\nhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1FUvkxuRPrqCxIvsAMzYDAUSgbi-FpPn6/view?usp=sharing\n", "hidden": false, "question": "Provide a brief description of your project", "questionId": 1}, {"type": "checkbox", "answer": ["On-Chain Society", "LSTfi"], "hidden": true, "question": "Which of the following Metis ecosystem themes does your project focus on? (Select all that apply)", "questionId": 2}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Instead of allocating substantial resources to traditional advertising or paying for high-profile influencers, we're focusing on building a robust community around three pillars:\n- User-Centric Rewards: Points-based system where users earn rewards for various activities, especially platform usage. These points are redeemed for Yield-Earning LP, which leverages Hercules's farming and nitro rewards.\n- Educational Content Creation: Encouraging knowledgeable community members to create and share educational content about our platform, incentivizing them with rewards and recognition.\n- Yield-Earning LP Campaign Rewards Distribution: Due to Hercules spNFT and Nitro pool capabilities, rewards distribution are done in short-term locked LP farming positions, which accrue APR while the reward is locked. This approach ensures the users experience the platform and does at least four transactions when claiming the reward.\n\nBy focusing on these community-centric initiatives, we aim to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where each user becomes a potential marketing channel. This approach not only reduces our reliance on traditional advertising but also builds a more engaged, loyal user base that actually use the platform, generating onchain volume.\n", "hidden": true, "question": "Describe your project's approach to community engagement and self-marketing", "questionId": 3}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "As Metis ecosystem hub, Hercules has collaborated with more than 20 protocols, becoming the home of protocol-owned liquidity. However, Metis has lost traction due liquidity fragmentation and the competition. And so, user adoption has become our main focus.\nHercules is joining the Metis Journey initiative as the first launch partner with a strong community engagement plan, including:\n• Twitter Spaces: Hosting live discussions to educate users about the new Ul and features.\n• Discord AMAs: Engaging with the community directly to answer questions and provide real-time support.\n• Time-Bound Campaigns: Using a time-limited marketing campaign to build anticipation and drive simultaneous user participation in the Metis Journey, ensuring users experience the new platform together.\n\nThis coordinated launch will not only benefit Hercules but will also generate excitement and activity across the entire Metis ecosystem.\n", "hidden": true, "question": "How do you plan to drive user adoption and a supportive environment within the Metis ecosystem?", "questionId": 4}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "This roadmap is based on Metis Hero's roadmap, as Hercules will be the first launch partner:\n-UAT on Testnet (October 1, 2024): \nTesting of the app's core functionality.\n\n-Beta Launch on Mainnet (October 10, 2024):\nFull feature deployment with early access and partner integrations.\n\n-Public MVP Launch (October 31, 2024)\nFirst Metis Hero campaign as launch partner\n", "hidden": true, "question": "Provide a clear roadmap of your project, including key milestones and deliverables.  You may provide a link to an accompanying document or sheet if needed.", "questionId": 5}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "As Hercules is a seven months live project, it's easy to judge the team expertise. The team has executed the following initiatives:\n-Galaxy joint campaign with Algebra, Steer and Metis.\n-Metis Ecosystem Roadshow\n-Cede.store comarketing campaign for transfer $METIS from CEX to DEX.\n-Metis and Hercules with booth at the BlockchainRio event.\n-Ongoing campaign with GM2 Social to boost TV\n-BD efforts resulting in more than 20 active partners, between active pools, integration partners, and co-market partners.\n", "hidden": true, "question": "How does your team's expertise contribute to the successful execution of the project? Please provide relevant background information", "questionId": 6}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "As per the nature of the Metis Journey initiative, Hercules will allocate the grant funds as follows:\n-Marketing Activities (20%): Focused on driving awareness and user participation through social media, influencers, and community events.\n-Reward Distribution (80%): Leveraging the Metis Hero reward mechanism to provide staked rewards that drive long-term engagement and loyalty within the ecosystem.\n", "hidden": true, "question": "Provide a breakdown of how you plan to utilize the funds in increments (e.g., first $2k, next $2k, etc.) to maximize your project's impact within the Metis ecosystem. Also, explain how you would adjust your plans if you still need to meet your full funding target and raise meaningful funds.", "questionId": 7}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Hercules has received Metis grant via the Ecosystem Development Fund, which was used in the form of xMETIS to bootstrap the protocol’s initial liquidity (Alpha, Genesis and also Nitro pools). xMETIS is an escrowed version of METIS. \nEscrowing METIS as xMETIS aligns liquidity providers with the goals of Hercules and Metis: building a native sustainable liquidity infrastructure for the entire Metis ecosystem.\n\nhttps://ceg.vote/t/cvp-proposal-herculesdex/657\n", "hidden": true, "question": "Is this a new or ongoing project? If ongoing, briefly describe your past contributions to the Metis ecosystem, including any CVP approval, supplemental support received, and specific results achieved.", "questionId": 8}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Hercules is poised to drive the Metis ecosystem forward by offering innovative solutions, fostering community engagement, and so the Metis Journey collaboration will add momentum and offer new user experiences.\n", "hidden": true, "question": "Is there anything else you'd like to share about your project, previous work, or other affiliations that may help determine project eligibility?", "questionId": 9}, {"type": "dropdown", "answer": " Yes, I have read the entire Code of Conduct and additional points and agree to follow these standards.", "hidden": true, "question": "Do you confirm that you have read the entire Code of Conduct (https://support.gitcoin.co/gitcoin-knowledge-base/about-gitcoin/code-of-conduct) including the additional emphasis on collaboration and prohibition of quid pro quo, and agree to abide by these standards?", "questionId": 10}, {"type": "dropdown", "answer": " Yes, I commit to upholding these principles.", "hidden": true, "question": "Do you commit to upholding these collaboration principles and prohibiting quid pro quo (https://support.gitcoin.co/gitcoin-knowledge-base/gitcoin-grants/general-questions/what-is-our-quid-pro-quo-policy) practices?", "questionId": 11}], "project": {"id": "0x5e0f9f6468e3e8acf15a92f669fb60972596d8a2e62883a08aff9e94c88284b7", "title": "Hercules", "logoImg": "bafkreiffx24l5ayjyrhqsg2zs6iyizbva7jrdyrpuywxha6tzgz5zurk5u", "metaPtr": {"pointer": "bafkreiaabctavz5jacwfvvoj7wvca52rytjogbvbhuwjbrqq2ebd5tzpju", "protocol": "undefined"}, "website": "https://www.hercules.exchange/", "bannerImg": "bafkreif6nikgckvcnc5ccpvwwkxg4hizr4qnswdlaetkby3fpj2vcymxda", "createdAt": 1726168088609, "userGithub": "", "credentials": {}, "description": "With a composable, efficient liquidity protocol featuring seamless swaps, staking, real yield, sustainable emissions, and a launchpad, Hercules is the hub of the Metis ecosystem where incentives with the community, builders, and the platform are aligned.\n\nThe platform has been live for seven months and has become one of the most important dapps of the network, reaching:\n- $330M in cumulative volume.\n- $950K in fees (85% distributed to liquidity providers).\n- $150K in revenue, shared with the community.\n\nIn the ever-evolving world of DeFi, consistent innovation is key to both staying ahead and staying relevant. Hercules is no exception to this rule. With this principle in mind, Hercules has been focusing on improving the dapp to provide a better user experience, as demonstrated with the recent release of:\n- A new swap page with live chart and token/project information.\n- The first-ever limit orders on Metis.\n- Natively integrated cross-chain swaps.\n\nThese innovations directly improve user accessibility, but innovation alone is not enough to attract users. Thus, Hercules is joining the Metis Journey as the first launch partner. The Metis Journey initiative will guide users through the DEX with a time-limited marketing campaign to build anticipation and drive simultaneous user participation, ensuring users engage with and experience the new platform together.\n\nMetis Journeys is the perfect solution to Hercules' user onboarding challenge. By providing step-by-step guidance through the new interface, users will:\n- Gain confidence in using Hercules and features.\n- Progress from new users to power users who are fully integrated into the ecosystem.\nAdditionally, Hercules will utilize Metis Hero's fair reward distribution mechanism to offer rewards that retain value within the ecosystem, such Yield-Earning LP (short-term locked LP positions accruing APR) with Nitro rewards - instead of rewards that evaporate once they reach users' wallets.\n\nBringing Metis onchain volume is Hercules' top priority, and so should be for all Metis dapps such we can thrive as an ecosystem.", "lastUpdated": 0, "projectGithub": "HerculesDeFiLabs", "projectTwitter": "TheHerculesDEX"}, "recipient": "0x5D00aA2598b98aCAa76438594954E51d44f0a6d5"}}