Hey Gitcoin frens 
As Gitcoin 3.0 takes shape — where coordination is decentralized, rounds are ecosystem-led, and legitimacy comes from shared signals — we want to offer a cultural layer that aligns with this future:
The EPIC Awards — Ethereum People’s Choice Awards 
Think:
The Oscars meets RetroPGF meets Crypto Twitter
A signal mechanism as memetic as meaningful.
TL;DR
We’re proposing the Ethereum People’s Choice Awards (EPIC Awards) for GG24 — a community-powered recognition layer for Ethereum. Using Pairwise’s proven “Tinder-style” pair comparisons, multi-stakeholder voting power, the EPICs make voting fun, fair, and viral.
Delegations happen publicly via X/Twitter or Farcaster, sparking buzz while keeping votes privacy-preserving through ZK attestations. Categories will span DeFi, L2s, governance, public goods, research, and more — rewarding proven impact, amplifying overlooked contributors, and creating a cultural moment that strengthens legitimacy in Gitcoin 3.0’s decentralized, ecosystem-led funding future.
What are the EPIC Awards?
A public vote to recognize the best of Ethereum in multiple categories — with nominations from the community and voting via Pairwise’s Tinder-style UX.
Key features:
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Multiple award categories: We can collaboratively define categories (e.g. best borrowing and lending protocol, best identity protocol, best RWA, best public good, best core dev contribution, best research, best EIP, etc.) with the Gitcoin team and community input. -
Compare two projects at a time → no voter fatigue -
Multi-stakeholder voting power → ٍETH holders, ETH stakers, L2 reputation tokens, proven builders, relevant yaps, and more (let’s discuss what you want) -
Liquid democracy → Delegate your vote by category through X/Twitter. -
Delegation via X/Twitter → creates viral loops and visible legitimacy -
Pseudonymous ZK voting → privacy-preserving, on-chain attested
Background / method credibility :
- Inspired by the “Budgeting Boxes” research paper, turning pairwise comparisons into reputation-weighted rankings and budget allocations.
- Proven in Optimism Retro Funding rounds 3–6, where thousands of comparisons helped allocate millions of OP tokens. # , # , # , #
- Collaborated as referee in deepfunding
- Evolved into liquid democracy governance framework (Paper by Brill & Talmon), enabling voters to delegate specific comparisons to trusted experts, even by category.
- We are advised by Griff Green – DAO governance pioneer, Jordi Baylina (Polygon zkEVM and giveth co-founder) , Daniel Kronovet, Mathsguy (original Pairwise research writers)
Suggested Categories
Ethereum-Wide Recognition Categories
- Best Layer 2 / Rollup Experience – UX, infra, and tooling excellence.
- Most Impactful DeFi Protocol – Sustainable liquidity, security, and innovation.
- Best Newcomer Project – Early-stage builders solving real-world pain points.
- Best UX in Web3 – Raising the bar in dapp, wallet, or infra usability.
- Best ReFi / Public Goods Project – Advancing sustainability and commons-building.
- Best Governance Innovation – Novel DAO decision-making or treasury strategies.
- Best TradFi ↔ DeFi Bridge – Real-world integration, compliance, or on/off ramps.
- Best Educational Tool or Content – Improving Ethereum literacy and onboarding.
- Most Underrated Builder / Contributor – High-leverage work with low hype.
- Best Research Paper in Ethereum – Advancing theory, security, or scalability.
- Most Important Project Impact – Measured by demonstrable, positive change.
- Best Capital Allocation Mechanism – Innovative models for funding public goods.
Why it matters
In a Gitcoin 3.0 world of protocolized funding, the EPICs are the cultural counterpart:
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Community-sourced legitimacy
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Rewarding reputation, not only capital
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Creating moments of joy and visibility for contributors
Gitcoin 3.0 aims to build a “Network-First Funding Festival” where ecosystem-led rounds, decentralized legitimacy, and shared signals drive resources toward Ethereum’s most pressing needs. The EPIC Awards directly address Gitcoin’s priority problems — ensuring legitimacy comes from diverse voices via multi-stakeholder voting, tying recognition to proven impact through category-specific expertise, making participation fun and accessible with Pairwise’s low-friction UX, and producing public, privacy-preserving attestations that become reusable ecosystem signals.
By adding this cultural recognition layer alongside GG24, Gitcoin can close the “recognition gap” amplifying overlooked contributors and strengthening the shared narrative that guides funding decisions.
Problem Focus
Ethereum lacks a credible, community-driven recognition system that:
- Rewards proven impact, not just hype.
- Balances expertise with broad participation.
- Runs on infrastructure that is verifiable, privacy-preserving, and low-lift for organizers.
- Recognition still clusters around big narratives, missing quiet high-impact work.
Just as QF once went viral, we believe Pairwise-powered recognition can do the same — especially when voters can say:
“I delegated to @you for Best ReFi Protocol. You better win
”
Costs & Requirements
Pairwise is financial backed by GeneralMagic and Giveth Galaxy. But for initial setup and comms, this first version needs Gitcoin support.
After the initial recognition and getting credibility as a reliable signaling method, awards can attract sponsorship and co-funding for later rounds, potentially becoming a self-sustaining Gitcoin community event.
- Gitcoin covers setup + comms.
- Ecosystem sponsors (e.g., L2s, tooling DAOs) co-fund category prizes or voter incentives. For first round Gitcoin will support it.
- Media partners amplify coverage in exchange for visibility.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Custom platform setup + Support and Operations | $25,000 |
| Reward for winners | $25,000 |
Timeline
- Research / Feedback / Category Scope: 1 week
- Project nomination / verification: 2 weeks
- Implementation on staging: 1 month
Let’s co-create the EPICs
We’d love your thoughts:
- What categories would get the best signal?
- What about comparing categories and rank them by “The top 5 categories” as the first step forward?
- What about using Pairwise for domain evaluation?
—
This could be a lightweight yet lasting signal layer in Ethereum — one that reflects the Gitcoin ethos and gives the community a voice in who gets remembered.
Contact me for more details / questions and PLEASE drop you feedback here.
MoeNick (PM @ Pairwise)
TG: @moenick
X: https://x.com/moe_nick
Email: moenick@generalmagic.io
Site: https://pairwise.vote
Demo: App / Video
Submission Compliance
Problem clearly stated
No confirmed budget partners or delivery team
Scorecard Evaluation
Feedback for Improvement
Conditional Support