Shutter Champions: Melee 1

The arena is open.

We’re excited to launch Shutter Champions, a new ecosystem growth program funded by Shutter DAO 0x36. It’s designed to support people contributing to the Shutter ecosystem - researchers, builders, dApp developers, and creators - with funding, support, and marketing.

Shutter Champions is powered by Shutter DAO 0x36 and Octant v2. In mid March 2026, Shutter DAO 0x36 deposited 1.2M USDC into an Octant v2 ERC-4626 audited vault configured with Morpho’s “Steakhouse” USDC yield strategy. The yield generates approximately $5,000 worth of SHU per month, which will be distributed to Shutter Champions in a series of rounds called “Melees”.

Ecosystem contributors compete head-to-head for community funding. Members of Shutter DAO 0x36 vote to support the contributors they believe create the biggest impact. The contributors that command the most support are crowned Shutter Champions, securing funding and the full backing of the Shutter ecosystem.

Scope

Melee 1 will distribute $5,000 worth of SHU tokens to one or more Shutter Champions, selected by SHU voters and delegates.

The scope for this Melee is intentionally as broad as possible, including:

Creators (communicate about Shutter on social media)
Encrypted Mempool EIP Contributors / Promoters
dApp Developers (build dApps using Shutter API)
Tool Developers (build tools for better Shutter DAO 0x36 governance)
Keypers (run decentralized nodes to generate en/decryption keys)
Delegates (discuss and vote on Shutter DAO 0x36 proposals)
Other

Anyone may submit an application (or two), on their own behalf or for someone else.

Anyone can seek funding for past contributions (funding delivered immediately) or current/future contributions (funding delivered upon fulfillment of milestones).

Slate Voting

Melee 1 introduces a new way of making funding decisions: slate voting.

Rather than voting on individual applications, SHU voters and delegates will evaluate curated funding slates. Each funding slate represents a coherent strategy for how best to advance the Shutter ecosystem with the funding amount available for the Melee. SHU voters and delegates will select their preferred slate using ranked choice voting, ensuring that the final outcome reflects broad community alignment. Slate voting is designed to improve both decision quality and voter experience:

Offers clear opinionated directions
Reduces the burden on voters
Eliminates partial funding outcomes

In Melee 1, brainbot gmbh (a core contributor to Shutter) will create the slates with the assistance of AI agents. In future Melees, Shutter ecosystem contributors will be able to submit their own slates.

Activities & Dates

Get Voting Power: Now - May 11

Community members: Buy SHU and delegate your voting power to yourself or a delegate.

Apply: April 14 - May 4

Applicants: Apply for yourself or on behalf of someone else, by posting your application in the Shutter Champions: Melee 1 channel on the Shutter Forum. Use this template.

Give Feedback: April 14 - May 4

Community Members: Post your comments and questions in response to applications in the Shutter Forum.

Slate Creation: May 5 - May 11

brainbot gmbh (a core contributor to Shutter) will create up to 5 funding slates for SHU Voters and delegates to vote on.

Vote: May 12, 9:00 UTC - May 15, 9:00 UTC

SHU Voters and Delegates: Support your favorite slates using ranked choice voting on Snapshot.

Results and Recognition: May 15

Community Members: See the voting results. Celebrate the new Shutter Champions, who will receive funding and support from the Shutter DAO 0x36.

About Octant:

Octant's mission is to foster a thriving Ethereum ecosystem where critical projects receive sustainable funding. Octant v2 continues this mission by providing tools and products that are accessible to any Ethereum-based project.

Since its inception in 2023, Octant v1 has launched 90-day “epoch” funding rounds to explore new models for funding and community governance. Over $18 million in grant funding has been distributed to impactful projects on Ethereum across 10 epochs. The funding model was simple: lock $GLM, earn ETH every 90 days, and let the community decide how matching funds are allocated. These epochs supported Ethereum’s builders, core developers, creators, and public goods — powered by 100,000 staked ETH from the Golem Foundation.

Today, Octant operates as an independent project dedicated to building tools that help ecosystems earn, allocate, and grow through DeFi. Octant v2 includes institutional-grade vaults and a comprehensive funding management toolbox — featuring Octant Atlas, the Regen App, and Funding Round Operator tooling.