[Temp-Check] Gnosis DAO Strategic Vision & Action Plan 2025/2026

[Kene_StableLab]

Gnosis DAO Strategic Vision & Action Plan 2025/2026

Simple Summary

This proposal aims to establish a clear vision for Gnosis DAO by drawing on feedback from key stakeholders within the ecosystem.

At its core, Gnosis DAO should support the growth of its ecosystem by providing funding for specific improvements and market expansions to existing products. The DAO should also support the development of the builder ecosystem while simultaneously encouraging partnerships with traditional finance market leaders and stakeholders.

Finally, Gnosis DAO should work to develop core governance systems that enable the DAO to play a key role in the strategic initiatives driving towards the goal of becoming the bridge between DeFi and TradFi.

This proposal outlines several changes for Gnosis DAO, including the implementation of a quarterly strategic directive system for the DAO based on comprehensive stakeholder feedback.

It creates a framework for focused resource allocation. The reward pool will contain a total of $400,000 for two trial strategic initiatives, with a maximum budget of $200,000 per strategic segment per quarter. This proposal also makes the case for implementing an accountability committee to oversee and ensure the quality control of approved strategic initiatives.

The vision provides a clear direction for Gnosis DAO, with distinct priorities in product growth, ecosystem expansion, and governance innovation.

Motivation

Following extensive stakeholder consultation through a survey of key participants (delegates, builders, token holders, and service providers), several critical needs emerged:

1. Urgent Need for Strategic Clarity

Stakeholders expressed frustration and confusion about Gnosis’s identity. It was unclear, for example, whether Gnosis is an infrastructure provider or a consumer brand.

There was also a clear consensus that Gnosis should be “the most significant actor in bridging Web3 to traditional finance.” Based on our assessment of the feedback, it appears that the Gnosis Ecosystem has effectively captured that narrative through its ecosystem of products. Now, the DAO needs to play a more active role in the success of the Gnosis Ecosystem.

2. Resource Allocation Priorities (from survey)

• 87% prioritize Product Growth (Gnosis Pay, Circles, Metri)

• 75% support Ecosystem Expansion

• 69% want Traditional Finance Bridging

• 56% support quarterly goals with flexible funding

3. Governance Improvements Demanded

• Better proposal impact assessment

• Economic incentives for participation

• Domain-specific voting options

• Enhanced transparency and accountability

4. Success Metrics Consensus

• Mainstream adoption (non-crypto users): 81% priority

• Total users across products: 75%

• Active developers: 69%

• TVL growth: 56%

This proposal addresses these needs through a structured quarterly directive system that ensures focused execution, clear accountability, and sustainable governance participation.

Quarterly Strategic Directives

Framework Overview

Starting Q4’ 2025, each quarter, the Gnosis DAO will vote on and issue strategic directives based on the following priority areas identified by stakeholders:

Examples of Strategic Directives

Note: It is important to mention that the initiatives listed below are not codified by this proposal in any way; they are simply examples. If this proposal is approved, the responsibility of selecting strategic initiatives lies with the Committee introduced by this proposal.
These strategic initiatives are not intended to undermine any Gnosis Core efforts, but to complement and support them.

1. Developer Ecosystem Activation

   • RFP Focus: Developer documentation, tooling, and incentive programs

   • Success Metric: 100+ new developers building on Gnosis

   • Maximum Budget: $200,000

2. Governance Infrastructure

   • RFP Focus: Metrics dashboard, proposal impact assessment tools

   • Success Metric: Overall improvement in the quality of governance and decisions made.

   • Maximum Budget: $200,000

3. TradFi Bridge Pilots

   • RFP Focus: Compliance tooling and institutional partnerships

   • Success Metric: 3 signed LOIs with financial institutions

   • Maximum Budget: $200,000

Quarterly Directive Process

1. Directive Setting (Week 1-2 of quarter)

   • Accountability Committee proposes four strategic directives

   • Community feedback period (2 weeks)

   • Snapshot vote for approval

2. RFP Process (Week 3-4)

   • Open call for proposals addressing directives

   • 2-week submission window

   • Proposals must include deliverables, a timeline, a total budget, milestone-based payments, KPIs, and success metrics.

3. Selection & Funding (Week 5-6)

   • Accountability Committee evaluation

   • Delegate review and voting

   • Funding disbursement upon approval

4. Execution & Monitoring (Ongoing)

   • Monthly progress reports are required

   • Milestone-based payment releases

   • Public tracking dashboard

Budget Structure

We are proposing allocating $200,000 per quarter towards the selected strategic initiative for that quarter, bringing the total cost for this trial strategic initiative to $400,000. This does not include compensation for the Accountability Committee, which will be responsible for facilitating these funded initiatives.

• Trial Budget: $400,000 maximum ( 2 directives × $200,000)

• Unused Funds: Roll over to DAO treasury

Strategic Directive Accountability Committee

This proposal establishes the Strategic Directive Accountability Committee, tasked with developing quarterly strategic initiatives, presenting these initiatives to the DAO, organizing the RFP Process, facilitating the selection process through Governance, and ensuring that all initiatives are completed according to the details of the proposal agreed upon by the Gnosis DAO.

The committee shall comprise the following:

• 2 DAO Elected Candidates: There will be a formal nomination and election process to select the two committee members; this role would be open to every qualified nominee who is currently an active contributor within the Gnosis Ecosystem, ranging from delegates to tokenholders and broader ecosystem participants who have the required context and strategy expertise to deliver on this. To be eligible, a nominee must be able to prove their history of contribution/engagement with the Gnosis DAO, and also clearly outline their strategy and grants management experience.

• 1 Core Team Representative: This must be a member of the Gnosis Ltd Core Team, as a key stakeholder within the Gnosis Ecosystem, this seat is responsible for evaluating how the proposed strategic initiatives play a role in supporting existing initiatives from the Gnosis Ltd perspective.

Responsibilities

1. Strategic Planning

   • Propose quarterly directives based on DAO vision

   • Ensure alignment with long-term goals

   • Incorporate stakeholder feedback

2. RFP Management

   • Evaluate proposal quality and feasibility

   • Ensure a fair selection process

   • Monitor conflicts of interest

3. Performance Tracking

   • Review monthly progress reports

   • Approve milestone payments

   • Publish quarterly performance summaries

4. Continuous Improvement

   • Gather lessons learned

   • Adjust processes based on outcomes

   • Recommend strategic pivots when needed

Compensation

The DAO will compensate all committee members. Each Committee member will receive $7,500 DAI per quarter, totaling $22,500 per quarter for the three committee members, bringing the total Committee Compensation to $45,000 for the trial period duration.

• Base Compensation: $7,500 DAI per quarter per member

• Term: Two Quarters

• Removal: If a member of the committee is not performing as expected, any member of the DAO may, through a formal DAO proposal, call for their removal and replacement through another DAO election process.

Note: The basis of including compensation for the Gnosis Core Team member to be a part of this committee is to ensure that the DAO can extract the required time commitment that being a member of this committee would demand.

Accountability Measures

The Accountability Committee must publish a monthly report detailing the progress of DAO-funded Strategic Initiatives. At the end of each quarter, the committee must also submit a Quarterly report on all DAO-funded strategic initiatives.

• Monthly and Quarterly public reports on the forum.

• Quarterly Q&A sessions on the Governance Call

• Annual performance reviews by token holders through renewal proposals.

Strategic Vision Implementation Timeline

Month 1 (Upon Approval)

• Form the Accountability Committee

• Draft Q1 2025 strategic directives

Month 2

• Approve Q1 directives

• Launch the first RFP cycle

Month 3

• Fund approved Q1 projects

• Establish tracking dashboards

• Begin monthly reporting cycle

Ongoing

• Quarterly directive cycles

• Monthly progress reviews

• Continuous improvement process

Success Metrics

Year 1 Targets

• Fund 16+ strategic projects

• Achieve 70%+ directive completion rate

• Increase governance participation

• Attract 300+ active developers

Long-term Vision (3 years)

• Recognized as the bridge between Web3 and TradFi

• 1M+ total users across products

• $5B+ TVL

• Industry-leading governance participation

Budget Summary

Annual Costs

• Strategic Directives: $400,000 (2 quarters × $200K)

• Accountability Committee: $45,000

• Total: $445,000

Conclusion

This framework update addresses the urgent need for strategic clarity and execution capability within Gnosis DAO. By implementing quarterly directives with clear accountability, we can move from endless discussion to focused action. The compensated delegate program ensures quality governance participation, while the RFP system enables rapid experimentation and innovation.

As stakeholders noted, “The next few months will be crucial.” This proposal provides the structure to make those months count.

[gno-investor]

I don’t like this. Let’s keep things as simple as possible. There are 3 founders and over 100 people, if something needs to get done, it should be done internally. On top of that, there are too many initiatives and proposals that are just extracting money from GnosisDAO — this has to stop!

[N0xyGen]

Yes, I completely agree. The extraction of DAO money is particularly worrying.

[nesk]

I’m against this proposal. I don’t see this as a particular need, and the cost it’s incredibly expensive.

[lighthousegov.eth]

Thanks for putting this together however I am strongly AGAINST this given how the numbers were presented.

We are proposing allocating $200,000 per quarter towards the selected strategic initiative for that quarter, bringing the total annual cost for this trial strategic initiative to $400,000/year

200k per quarter represents a 800k annualised rate? I understand the trial period injection but it comes across as misleading.

As I read the proposal there a switch between annual and trial numbers which makes it harder to read.

The text specifies:

“Each Committee member will receive $7,500 DAI per quarter… 3 committee members.”

That’s:

• $7,500 × 3 members = $22,500/quarter
• $22,500 × 4 quarters = $90,000/year

However, the budget summary incorrectly lists this as $45,000/year, which is exactly half the true figure.

Based on my understanding:

The Total Annual Budget is:

• Strategic Directives: $800,000
• Accountability Committee: $90,000
• Total: $890,000

The Total Trial Budget is:

• Strategic Directives: $400,000
• Accountability Committee: $45,000
• Total: $445,000

[Kene_StableLab]

Gm,

I appreciate the feedback, and you are correct in your analysis; the mistake was on my end. During the last governance call, we received feedback regarding the funding requests and incorporated that; that was the source of the confusion. The request will be further clarified.

[Kene_StableLab]

@gno-investor @N0xyGen @nesk

I appreciate the feedback. From your perspective, there is no strong need for this proposal, as well as the concern regarding the cost; this is duly noted.

[staworth]

We’ve taken time to reflect on this plan over the last 2 weeks, but wanted to give some feedback ahead of today’s delegates’ call.

First off, we admire the ambition to drive forward strategic planning and resource allocation for the DAO. Though we believe that the DAO’s governance has been strengthened significantly by the delegate program in recent months, it can still feel as though the DAO is lacking in purpose beyond supporting and funding initiatives across the existing Gnosis ecosystem (particularly through Gnosis Ltd). We would love to see a future where the DAO and the Gnosis community is a primary driver of the ecosystem’s vision and future direction.

With that said, we observe a few key difficulties that we expect this proposal will run up against:

1. Overlap with Ltd - first there are various areas of likely overlap with Gnosis Ltd’s existing work, including all three of the example strategic directives. Though the proposal says "These strategic initiatives are not intended to undermine any Gnosis Core efforts, but to complement and support them", the proposal doesn’t yet contemplate how the two should interact. Ltd has just received approval for a significant amount of funding which will undoubtedly include work in all three of the example strategic directives… would we expect Ltd to weigh in on areas that it expects to address or to work closely alongside strategic directives? And if not, how can we manage the likelihood that both Ltd and the DAO will select similar areas of focus and run parallel (and potentially wasteful) initiatives?

2. Apathy - Right now, the DAO does not suffer from an absence of funding or things to do, but rather from a lack of interest and effort outside of the core contributors and bodies. Though funding will undoubtedly attract mercenary work, we don’t feel that it will necessarily give rise to genuine participation. We do observe a sort of “chicken and egg” problem, where many roles (including delegates) feel that some funding should be on offer before contributing effort, while the DAO is reluctant to spend on anything that’s unproven. However, we worry that this large-scale proposal isn’t especially focused on the specifics of engagement, but rather on beginning to throw money at the problem.

3. The Right Approach - in the last delegates’ call, we suggested that a trial period may be better than a full rolling commitment to a large annual budget. We were pleased to see that implemented with the 2-quarter trial. However, we still feel (and seemingly in line with the comments above) that a £400k upfront commitment is a steep one, especially for something so untested. We sense that the right approach to getting the wheels of funding in motion may instead be a gradual, bottom-up approach to funding. We note to that end that the Gardens team is considering offering a pilot program for bottom-up funding to be considered. We would be keen to explore a range of options, including a lite-version of StableLab’s strategic vision and a trial fund with Gardens.

Thank you again

[lighthousegov.eth]

Hey @staworth is the delegate/governance call public? I’ve seen logs here Gnosis DAO Governance Calls but cant seem to find a Governance calendar link.

If i recall there was some light consensus with regard to an RFP process Call for Proposals: Strengthening Governance at GnosisDAO has there been any progress on this?

[staworth]

Hey @lighthousegov.eth - the calls are organised by @Kene_StableLab, and details are posted for each meeting in the delegates Telegram chat. I’ll defer to Kene on making them public (though I’m not aware of any specific reason for confidentiality).

On the RFP process that @john_szczepaniak outlined, the items in that initial document are at various levels of progression. I understand the Snapshot maintenance is still under discussion for Gnosis Ltd. But we sought (with John’s approval) to take forward the governance analytics piece here. I would say though “light consensus” is the best description at this stage… there is no formal process, and no meaningful progress on one since John’s initial post.

[lighthousegov.eth]

Thanks for clarifying so quickly ser. Would be good to attend if possible.

[Kene_StableLab]

Gm @lighthousegov.eth, the Governance Calls were initially intended to coordinate between delegates, but it makes sense to open it up to the entire DAO if there is interest.

You can use this link to add the governance calls to your calendar. I will also be updating the Governance Call Thread with the Google Calendar link.

[lighthousegov.eth]

Thank you ser. Appreciate it. Will catch up on the last call once posted and see you at the next one.