Proponent: DefiLlama Research
Wallet address: 14BAh9QarAD7S8t6TKt2oVoM938tm647UJWHrp4KDf5qHZZW
Requested DOT: 53050.4 ($200,000). This is based on the $3.77 / DOT exchange rate as of November 4, 2024.

Short description:
We aim to secure support from the Polkadot community to fund an impactful year-long campaign with DL Research and DL News, delivering in-depth reports, insightful articles, and a range of sponsorship opportunities to elevate awareness and engagement around the Polkadot ecosystem. Our content will spotlight Polkadot’s innovations, development, and community initiatives, aligning with its mission to drive a multi-chain future.

About us:
DL News/DL Research is an award-winning, independent news organisation dedicated to providing deep insights into the often misunderstood world of cryptocurrency and decentralised finance. Known for our rigorous journalism — recognized with a “Best Trust Initiative” award from the World Association of News Publishers — we deliver original stories, investigations, and reliable content that brings clarity to the digital asset landscape. With 2661% audience growth year-over-year and an average of 1.4 million site visits per month, DL News stands out with the lowest bounce rate in the industry.

Launched in 2023, DL Research is the commercial arm of DL News, serving clients with tailored research reports, promotional campaigns, and custom content focused on the digital assets industry. Our combined expertise under LlamaCorp, the parent company of the top onchain data provider DefiLlama, positions us uniquely within the crypto ecosystem. DefiLlama’s reputation as a trusted onchain data provider amplifies the influence and brand value of DL News and DL Research, making us the preferred source for insightful, data-driven content.

Our audience reflects the modern investor profile: 86% are active investors, and 55% identify as “technophiles,” with 67% under the age of 45. Globally diverse, our readers are primarily based in the Americas (51%), followed by Europe (22%) and the APAC region (20%), underscoring our broad, engaged reach in the digital assets community.

Deliverables:
Spotlight Articles (6pcs)
Every other month, Polkadot will be featured “under the spotlight” on DL Research, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement for each article, as these pieces are showcased prominently on the website. The Spotlight articles will focus on timely topics and initiatives within the Polkadot community, aligning with its evolving narrative and milestones.

To further expand reach, each article will be amplified across our social channels on X and Telegram, engaging followers of both DL News and DL Research and driving discussions around Polkadot’s contributions to the ecosystem.

Custom Ecosystem Reports (4pcs)
Each quarter, we will produce a Polkadot-branded custom research report, spotlighting key qualitative updates within the Polkadot ecosystem. These reports will provide in-depth analysis on major upgrades, strategic partnerships, new initiatives, and more, delivering insights that resonate with Polkadot’s mission and milestones. Additionally, each report will include a tailored quantitative section featuring data from DefiLlama, offering a clear view of Polkadot’s positive growth metrics. Our in-house team of analysts and designers will create all content, graphics, and charts to ensure a high-quality, branded experience.

These reports will reach a broad audience through our social media channels on X and Telegram across DL News, DL Research, and DefiLlama, maximising visibility and engagement.

Newsletter Sponsorship (6pcs)
Polkadot will receive sponsorship placements in each of our three newsletters—The Decentralised, The Guidance, and The Roundup—reaching a combined audience of over 30,000 subscribers with a strong open rate of 30%+ and a click rate exceeding 5%. These sponsorships will amplify awareness around Polkadot’s custom research reports and highlight specific community initiatives, ensuring targeted visibility within our engaged reader base. Each sponsorship is designed to drive additional reach and engagement for key Polkadot updates, making it an ideal channel for further amplification.

Value to Polkadot:
This campaign is designed to keep Polkadot’s growth and initiatives front and centre while staying rooted in the authentic, community-focused ethos that resonates with the different DefiLlama audiences including award winning DL News, DL Research and DefiLlama. Each deliverable aims to showcase Polkadot’s ongoing progress and innovations in a natural, engaging way — prioritising depth and organic reach over flashy, PR-heavy promotion. With a focus on authentic, community-driven content, each article, research report, and newsletter placement is designed to align naturally with Polkadot’s ecosystem.

Reporting:
We will provide a quarterly brief summarising key campaign wins, including total report downloads, article views, newsletter reach, and social impact. This concise overview will highlight the campaign’s ongoing engagement and visibility within the Polkadot community.

Team:
Director — Roosa Kivisto [email protected]
Head of Research —  Ryan Celaj [email protected]

Link to the full proposal: DefiLlama Research - Polkadot Proposal