> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.projectmerlin.io/projectmerlin/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.projectmerlin.io/projectmerlin/getting-started/camelot-proposal.md). # Camelot Proposal The **Camelot Proposal** is the **core monthly grant program** of the Project Merlin DAO.\ It is designed to fund the **most promising Web3 startups** through a **fully on-chain, task-based, and community-driven selection process**. Unlike many other grant programs where decisions are made by a small internal team or a private committee, Camelot is **100% run by the DAO community**—every vote is recorded on-chain and every winner is chosen by active members holding a **Project Merlin Community NFT**. *** ### **🔹 Key Features** 1. **Recurring Monthly Funding** * Every month, **four startups** are selected to receive funding. * Each winner gets a **$25,000 value package**: * $10,000 worth of MRLN tokens (claimable) * $15,000 worth of non-withdrawable service credits to spend on **Freelify**, **Taskium**, and **Funddex**. 2. **Multiple Chances for Startups** * A startup can participate in up to **three monthly Camelot cycles** after submitting a Raven Message. * This means even if you don’t win in the first month, you still have two more opportunities without paying a new submission fee. 3. **Structured Two-Stage Voting** * **Stage 1 – Shortlist Voting:**\ Startups are grouped into shortlists of five projects. These are assigned randomly to community members via smart contracts. Members rank them on-chain. * **Stage 2 – Final Proposal Voting:**\ The top-ranked startups from the shortlists move into one of four final proposals. Community members vote again to select the monthly winners. 4. **AI Fallback for Fairness** * If no community member votes on a shortlist after three attempts, the **Merlin Spirit AI** steps in to rank projects based on predefined, confidential criteria—ensuring no proposal is left unprocessed. 5. **Cross-Chain Voting Access** * Even though voting smart contracts are deployed on Arbitrum, members can vote from any supported blockchain using their Custodial Wallet. * This removes the need for manual bridging and makes participation easier. *** ### **🎯 Advantages Over Other DAO Grant Programs** * **Completely On-Chain:** Every vote, ranking, and funding decision is transparent and verifiable by anyone. * **No Centralized Filtering Bias:** Shortlists are random, and the community—not a private team—decides winners. * **Guaranteed Funding Allocation:** Every month, exactly four winners are funded—no delays, no skipped months. * **Service Credits + Tokens:** Startups get both liquidity (tokens) and practical resources (credits) to execute their plans immediately. * **Vote2Earn Rewards for Voters:** Voters are not just volunteering—they earn points for every action, which are later converted into MRLN tokens. *** ### **🗳 Who Votes and What Motivates Them?** * **Voters:** Only holders of a **Project Merlin Community NFT** can vote. * **Voting Method:** Voters receive assigned shortlists and final proposals in their Custodial Wallet. They rank projects directly on-chain. * **Motivation:** * Earn **Vote2Earn points** for each completed voting task (+5 for shortlist votes, +10 for final votes, plus matching bonuses). * These points are converted into **MRLN token rewards** every quarter if the DAO Treasury exceeds 30% of the total supply. * Gain early insights into upcoming startups and potential presale opportunities. *** ### How it works – Step by step 1. **Shortlist Creation** * All eligible startups from the Raven Message pool are grouped into **shortlists of 5 projects**. * Each shortlist is assigned to a community member via a smart contract. 2. **Shortlist Voting** * Community members vote **on-chain** through their Custodial Wallets. * They rank the projects in their shortlist based on preference. * If a member doesn’t vote within 7 days, the shortlist is reassigned (up to 2 more times). * If no one votes, the **Merlin Spirit AI** finalizes the ranking. 3. **Final Proposal Stage** * Top-ranked projects from each shortlist move to **four final proposal lists**, each containing **20 startups**. * Community members vote again—this time to select the winner from each proposal list. 4. **Selection of Winners** * Four startups (one from each final proposal) are declared winners for the month. *** 💡 **In short:**\ Camelot Proposal is **more than a grant program**—it’s a **fully decentralized, recurring funding engine** where the community has real power, startups have multiple chances, and participation is rewarded.\ It blends transparency, inclusivity, and practical utility in a way that sets it apart from most DAOs in Web3. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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