Sei Creator Fund: Round 2 Results - Empowering Creative Media and IP Development

TL;DR

• The Sei Creator Fund's second round, focused on Creative Media and IP Development, has successfully concluded.
• A matching pool of 1,108,333 SEI (approximately $332,499.90 at $0.3 per SEI) supported creators in the Sei ecosystem. 
  • As a surprise to the community, The Sei Foundation increased the matching pool by 33% to acknowledge the enthusiasm and support that the round received.
• 181 unique projects participated, showcasing the diverse creativity within the Sei community.
• The crowd raised $82,162 from over 13,000 unique donors.
• An enhanced Connection-Oriented Cluster-Matching (COCM) was implemented for fair and Sybil-resistant funding distribution.

Sei Creator Fund: Nurturing a Creative Ecosystem

The Sei Creator Fund, a $10 million initiative, launched its second round with a clear focus on Creative Media and IP Development. This round marked a significant milestone in nurturing the Sei ecosystem, emphasizing the power of storytelling, visual content, and community engagement.

Round Philosophy and Objectives

The vision for this round was every project's success strengthens the entire community. Projects that complement existing initiatives were encouraged, demonstrating a commitment to sustained impact and growth within the Sei ecosystem.

Key objectives included:

• Supporting projects contributing to Sei's creator ecosystem
• Encouraging wider Web3 community involvement
• Driving innovation in creative media and IP development

Spotlight on Creative Projects

This round saw an incredible array of projects aligned with our eligibility criteria, focusing on four main themes:

1. IRL Video Content: This round saw vlogs, live streams, and documentary-style content that brought the Sei ecosystem to life. Sei Cabal, for example, launched a series of on-the-ground videos introducing Sei to New Yorkers in Time Square.
2. Podcast Hosting: Several projects launched podcasts and Twitter Spaces to discuss Sei's technology and community. Frances's weekly updates quickly became a community favorite.
3. Video + Animations: Informative and entertaining content flourished. Among them, Joey & Friends produced a series of animated interviews that dive deep into creators and ecosystem projects building on Sei.
4. Storytelling and Lore: This category saw incredible creativity. Sei Fckers played a part by building a cult like following, featuring rituals, sayings, and community gatherings #YRRRRR.

These projects, amongst many others, met our technical criteria and demonstrated strong community engagement, clear roadmaps, and strategies for user adoption.

Key Metrics

• Total Matching Pool: 1,108,333 SEI (approximately $332,499.90 at $0.3 USD per SEI) featuring a 33% surprise increase from the Sei Foundation
• Total Raised by Crowd: $82,162
• Number of Unique Projects: 181
• Number of Unique Donors: 13,164
• Total Donations: 31,122
• Top Funded Project: S3 Labs (39,686.19 SEI)

These metrics reflect the strong community engagement and diverse projects across the Sei ecosystem.

The final results & SEI distributions are linked in a spreadsheet here. Once the payouts occur, they can also be found on the dashboard linked below.

https://reportcards.gitcoin.co/1329/9

Note: Referral bonuses, of 3k $SEI, for those who referred applicants that placed in the top 10 will be distributed in the coming days.

Milestone Tracking using GAP

The Sei Foundation has partnered with Karma GAP to keep grantees accountable and help them share their progress with the community. Grantees are required to use Karma GAP to create their milestones and provide progress updates. All participating projects will be synced to the GAP platform. Grantees can log in with their wallets to add milestones and post updates upon completion. You can learn more about GAP and how to use their platform here. 

Requirement: To be eligible for future rounds, grantees must share their progress and explain how they utilized funds via milestone tracking.

Steps:

1. Connect Gitcoin Profile to GAP: Log in to GAP with the same wallet used for your Gitcoin profile. (All participating projects are automatically synced to the GAP platform)
2. Set milestones: Upload your project milestones to GAP. (For example, if you’re a content creator, outline your content milestones with a timeline)

Funding Distribution: Enhanced COCM

To ensure fair and Sybil-resistant funding distribution, we implemented an enhanced Connection-Oriented Cluster-Matching (COCM) version. This approach goes beyond traditional QF by quantifying the coordination levels of supporter groups based on shared social signals.

The enhanced COCM for this round included the following:

1. Analysis of Wallet Contribution Patterns
2. Identification of suspicious wallets showing bot-like behavior
3. Integration of this filtering with our standard COCM approach

To identify the wallets in question, we looked at transaction counts across both Sei and Sei v2 EVM networks. This helped us identify a subset of wallets that could be flagged for COCM..  This methodology allowed us to maintain COCM's benefits while adding an extra layer of protection against potential manipulation.  

Visualization

We conducted a visualization of the wallets and their connections, revealing several noteworthy patterns. In the standard results, a broader dispersion of clustered wallets is evident. Additionally, clear instances of botting are observable at the lower end of the chart.

In the final visual, the outliers and instances of obvious botting have been removed, providing greater confidence in the credibility of the round and its results.

Looking Ahead

With the success of this Creative Media and IP Development round, the focus now shifts to the next phases of the Sei Creator Fund. Future rounds will continue to build on this momentum, supporting more innovative projects and further expanding the Sei ecosystem.

Details on subsequent rounds will be shared shortly via the Sei Blog!

All creators, developers, and innovators are encouraged to stay tuned for upcoming opportunities. Whether you're a seasoned content creator or have fresh ideas for bringing Sei to life through media, the Sei Creator Fund supports your vision.

Conclusion

The second round of the Sei Creator Fund has been a resounding success, showcasing our community's incredible talent and creativity. From engaging video content to immersive storytelling, the funded projects are set to play a crucial role in Sei's growth and adoption.

Thank you to everyone who participated - creators, voters, and the Sei community. Together, we're not just building a blockchain; we're creating a vibrant, creative ecosystem that tells the story of Sei in compelling and innovative ways.