[PROPOSAL] OpenGuild - Accelerate Polkadot Builder Activation in SEA & Broader Asia
Polkadot’s builder community in SEA & broader Asia remains underleveraged, despite the ecosystem’s technological advantages. Considering this year Polkadot have important narratives to push on Polkadot Cloud, Polkadot Hub and JAM**,** with a proven track record of engagement, technical expertise, and deep connections in the region, OpenGuild team propose a coordinated 12-month activation plan focused on builder community growth and developer engagement across key strategic markets in particular SEA & support broader Asia community following its success in 2024, with the following specific objectives:
OPENGUILD'S KEY OBJECTIVES IN 2025-2026
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Localized Technical Enablement:
Offer in-depth workshops, bootcamps, and training focused on Polkadot SDK, Polkadot Smart Contracts, and cross-chain innovation to empower developers with the skills to build on Polkadot.
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Grassroots Community Empowerment:
Facilitate monthly meetups, and community-driven activities that bring builders together, fostering collaboration and a sense of ownership within the Polkadot ecosystem in different countries.
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Regional Ecosystem Activation:
Host region-specific Polkadot Hub campaigns, hackathons, and events to amplify adoption and showcase SEA as a leading contributor to Polkadot’s global vision.
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Establish Web3 Community & Tech Universities Partnership Grow partnerships with Tech Universities and Web3 Communities in Southeast Asia for education and incubation efforts, creating value exchange opportunities through Grants, Hackathon Campaigns, Co-hosted Activities, and continuous updates.
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Career Pathways for Builders:
Connect talented developers to opportunities within Polkadot’s global ecosystem through mentorship programs, bounties, and ecosystem partnerships.
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Ecosystem Coordination Coordinating builder community activation efforts with other Asian builder communities partners primarily through the Marketing Bounty, Event Bounty, Web3Foundation grant, EasyA Fast grant, PBA, etc to provide necessary resources.
CORE BENEFITS OF OPENGUILD INITIATIVE
| Asian Builder Aggregation Hub | Serve as a coordination point for developers in SEA and broader Asia market. |
| Cross-chain Collaboration | Bridge projects built by Asian builders from different ecosystem considering Polkadot as a standing options for collaboration. |
| Accelerated Ecosystem Growth | Provides structured onboarding for new SEA builders and indie projects. |
| Polkadot Cloud & Hub Advocacy in SEA region | Drives awareness and adoption of Polkadot Hub for consumer apps through workshops, and local communication. |
| Regional Standing Position and Communication | Maintain, accelerate Polkadot techstack and ecosystem position in SEA market, and become the main communication channel for builders in region. |
ABOUT OPENGUILD
OpenGuild is a community of passionate Web3 builders dedicated to growing the Polkadot ecosystem. Our mission is to discover, connect, and support top talents in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines. Indonesia, etc) while also providing valuable resources to builders across Asia. Through collaboration and innovation, we strive to create real impact, develop groundbreaking products, and build a thriving community around Polkadot.
We focus on helping builders and organizations navigate and master Polkadot’s technology by offering well-structured resources, hands-on events, and engaging activities. Our goal is to make it easy for anyone to learn, build, and contribute to the ecosystem.
With 1,500+ members on our Discord, including majority of developers and innovators in marketing and business, plus 3,000 supporters across social media, OpenGuild is becoming the go-to hub for Web3 enthusiasts looking to explore and grow within the Polkadot ecosystem in SEA and broader Asia market.
OpenGuild Team's Track Record - Check here
DETAILS EXECUTION PLAN - Read our FULL PROPOSAL
HOW THE SUCCESS OF OPENGUILD BEING SEEN?
| Deliverables | Key Numbers | Description |
Monthly Meetups | 42 Meetups | Organize content curated & community-led monthly mini meetups with builders across SEA countries (Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia) by our team and/or coordinate with regional community partners. |
Open Developer Bootcamps | 4 Bootcamps (4 key countries each) 200-300 participants | Organize across SEA countries with more updating Bootcamp Materials focusing on Polkadot Hub before the Buildathon with expected 200 new qualified students, then we provide onboarding flow in Polkadot ecosystem to PBA activations, building projects, career support. |
Community Calls & Office Hours | 40 Weekly Sessions | Update Polkadot ecosystem, invite Key builders to update information to SEA builders community. |
Polkadot SEA Buildathon 2025 | 10 Dapps winning (out of the expectation of at least 50 submitted projects) | Onboarding at least 10 quality applications in production to Polkadot Hub (Testnet or Mainnet dependable on the state of the chain) and still support other submission to on-going improvement for other grants paths to launch on the chain. |
Coordinate Grant Submissions | 8-15 Projects | Coordinate with Grant opportunities (Fast Grant, Open-Source Grant, & Ecosystem Grants, etc) to onboarding successful at least 8-15 quality open-source/business-oriented projects with milestones delivered. (This depends on finalization from grants curators). |
Support Channel | Daily through out the year | Maintain as builders support communication channel in SEA market, provide mentorship, coordinate with ecosystem players (Marketing Bounty, Meetup Bounty, etc), make sure all builders acquire a mix of resources to go-to-market (including finance, ecosystem connection, marketing support, community engagement). |
Event Representation | 10 Events (at least) | Represent Polkadot in SEA extraodinary events, acquiring speaking slots for Polkadot’s representatives communication, podcasts and stuffs. |
Established Strategic partners | 20-25 entities | Establish strategic relationship with more than 20 entities across SEA market (Community Partners, Key Universities, Organizations) for educational and builders onboarding efforts. |
Onboarding open-source projects |
| Continue our job as finding builders contributing open-source small projects for Open Contribution Bounty. |
WHY OPENGUILD IMPORTANT TO POLKADOT ECOSYSTEM IN 2025-2026?
OpenGuild has grown into an irreplaceable team and community of core contributors to Polkadot in Asia. We’ve built strong connections with key ecosystem players while also becoming deeply embedded in Web3 builder communities across the region—making us a true native Polkadot builder hub in Asia.
2025-2026 is a huge year for Polkadot with major upgrades like Polkadot Cloud, Polkadot Hub, and JAM. OpenGuild is here to bridge the gap for Asian builders, helping them navigate these changes, providing mentorship and guidance, and making sure they have the right tools and knowledge to choose the best blockchain for their Web3 projects.
We’re not just about sharing updates—we’re about creating a welcoming and accessible space where builders across Asia can connect, collaborate, and grow together. Our goal is to make the Polkadot ecosystem easier to approach and work with, ensuring builders feel supported in their journey.
With exciting plans and partnerships in motion, OpenGuild is set to become the go-to builder hub for Southeast Asia and beyond. By tapping into existing resources and upcoming GTM partnerships, we’re making it easier than ever for builders to dive into Polkadot and be part of something big.
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READ OUR FULL PROPOSAL - HERE
Comments (14)
Comments (14)
OpenGuild is a key player driving Polkadot’s presence in APAC specifically SEA—a region often misunderstood by the broader ecosystem. They are our superteam equivalent in Asia, excelling in developer community building, forging connections across key regions whereby builder talent pools are high such as Vietnam, but also where Polkadot can showcase and lead on specific usecases such as in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand etc. Furthermore, they have been leading Polkadot’s representation in SEA and were key partners in last years Sub0 Bangkok supporting the WebZero team. With Polkadot’s key development roadmap and upgrades for 2025, their proven expertise and deep connections across these regions, make OpenGuild an indispensable partner for activating and scaling the builder community in SEA & beyond. It would be an absolute shame to lose such a key partner for Polkadot.
AYE
Having seen OpenGuild's team efforts online and in-person across multiple developer related events last year, I can vouch for their capability, work ethics and most importantly the enthusiasm they bring to the table which plays a key role in attracting developers to the Polkadot ecosystem. With a decent track record so far, I'm looking forward to actively collaborating with OpenGuild in activating developers in Asia.
OpenGuild is a key player driving Polkadot’s presence in APAC specifically SEA—a region often misunderstood by the broader ecosystem. They are our superteam equivalent in Asia, excelling in developer community building, forging connections across key regions whereby builder talent pools are high such as Vietnam, but also where Polkadot can showcase and lead on specific usecases such as in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand etc. Furthermore, they have been leading Polkadot’s representation in SEA and were key partners in last years Sub0 Bangkok supporting the WebZero team. With Polkadot’s key development roadmap and upgrades for 2025, their proven expertise and deep connections across these regions, make OpenGuild an indispensable partner for activating and scaling the builder community in SEA & beyond. It would be an absolute shame to lose such a key partner for Polkadot.
AYE
Having seen OpenGuild's team efforts online and in-person across multiple developer related events last year, I can vouch for their capability, work ethics and most importantly the enthusiasm they bring to the table which plays a key role in attracting developers to the Polkadot ecosystem. With a decent track record so far, I'm looking forward to actively collaborating with OpenGuild in activating developers in Asia.
https://openguild.notion.site/OpenGuild-PolkadotSEA-1-Year-Activities-Report-cb9ceec1f58c4bf2bdcbc5e5c65a0b86