Gnosis Chain and Dappnode Join Forces to Power Circles Community in Ghana

We are excited to announce our first Circles Node campaign aimed at building the Circles Ghana community by equipping a blockchain club in Ghana with a Dappnode.

This initiative represents a first-of-its-kind opportunity in Ghana, allowing a local blockchain club to take part in a groundbreaking project that brings decentralization to the forefront. By receiving and operating a Dappnode on Gnosis Chain, the selected club will be pioneering blockchain validation for Gnosis Chain in Ghana, positioning themselves as key contributors to decentralization in the region.

This is not just about running a node—it’s about laying the groundwork to empower local communities with decentralized economic systems, while ensuring Ghana’s active participation in the global blockchain conversation.

Blog Sections

• What is Circles?

• Increasing Decentralization

• Benefits of Applying

• What We’re Looking For

• The Application Process

  • Applications are open now! 

What is Circles?

Circles is a social money that empowers communities by fostering stronger connections and enabling local, circular economies to thrive. By allowing each individual to issue their own unique money, Circles ensures that everyone has access to a basic income, which can be used to support local businesses and community initiatives. 

The value of these personal currencies is determined by the trust-based relationships within the network, encouraging people to engage more deeply with their community members. In order to transact your Circles you must trust at least 1 person. This trust-based system reflect real life bonds. 

Additionally, Circles allows communities to pool their resources via group currencies to create shared economic opportunities. Circles prioritizes trust, fairness and collaboration offering communities a powerful tool to build resilient and inclusive economies, independent of traditional financial systems.

Increasing Decentralization

Currently, Gnosis Chain only has 1 active node in West Africa, which presents a significant opportunity for us to enhance the network's decentralization in a region with significant potential for blockchain innovation. Our mission is to increase Gnosis Chain’s Nakamoto coefficient—the measure of decentralization—by expanding node distribution across different geographies, particularly in underrepresented countries like Ghana. 

Our aim is to make becoming a validator on the Gnosis Chain more accessible to all, regardless of geographic location. We believe in the principle of credible neutrality, where the infrastructure of decentralized networks should be equally accessible to everyone, enabling a truly global and fair blockchain ecosystem. We are committed to ensuring that Gnosis Chain remains a decentralized, and credibly neutral network. 

Benefits of Applying

This campaign offers incredible benefits to the selected club, including hands-on experience with blockchain technology, giving participants the chance to gain valuable technical skills in a rapidly growing field. 

By participating, the club will play a crucial role in building a local decentralized economy through Circles, which can benefit their community for years to come. Additionally, the club will have the opportunity to network with blockchain experts from Gnosis Chain and Dappnode, gaining invaluable insights and mentorship that will strengthen their understanding of the blockchain ecosystem and potentially open doors for future opportunities.

In this campaign, we are offering:

• A Fully Equipped Dappnode: Pre-configured and ready to use hardware. A Dappnode is an all-in-one device that simplifies the process of running a blockchain node. With a Dappnode, even those without deep technical expertise can contribute to the decentralization and security of networks like Gnosis Chain.

• 4 Gnosis Chain Validators: Dappnodes usually come with 3 GNO however the Gnosis Chain team has generously given an extra GNO to allow for 4 validators to be set up!

• GNO Rewards: Validators on Gnosis Chain can expect to earn ~ 13% APY from successfully proposing and attesting blocks, and transaction fees from blocks built. These rewards can be withdrawn thanks to the Shapella upgrade.

• Onboarding to Circles: The selected club will receive community onboarding to Circles, guiding members step-by-step through the process of creating, integrating and leveraging Circles tokens within their local economy.

• Contribution to Decentralization: Your club will play a crucial role in enhancing the decentralization of the Gnosis Chain and by increasing the Nakamoto coefficient.

• Future liquidity for Community Treasury: In the future the rewards earned from running the Gnosis Chain validators can be used to back the community’s Circles tokens, providing additional value and stability to your local economy.

• Dedicated Support: we will set up a dedicated support channel between the selected club, the Dappnode team & Gnosis.

What We’re Looking For

The selected club will receive a Dappnode and will be expected to:

Transparency

Share the entire process of setting up and running the Dappnode through a dedicated blog or social media updates, which will be amplified through Gnosis' channels. This not only helps create visibility for the campaign but also provides valuable learning resources for other blockchain enthusiasts.

Excellence

Ensure continuous operation and high uptime of the Gnosis Chain validators. The club will be responsible for monitoring the performance of the node, ensuring the validators are performing optimally at 95% participation. To support this, the Gnosis and Dappnode teams will provide assistance as needed. 

Running a Gnosis Chain node typically requires around 3-4 TB data per month and more than 30 Mbps internet connection for operating your node, depending on the client used. Ongoing attention will be required to handle any syncing or performance issues.

Community

Provide monthly updates to the Gnosis community on the club’s progress, challenges, and successes. This will help foster a culture of transparency and collaboration while allowing the broader Gnosis and Circles communities to learn from your experience. You may also be asked to contribute to Gnosis-hosted events or webinars to share insights.

Commitment

The club will be expected to maintain the Dappnode for an extended period, not only for the campaign’s duration but also as a contributor to the long-term decentralization goals of Gnosis Chain. This means ensuring that the validators remain active and providing value to the local Circles economy, allowing the community to reap the benefits in the form of stable Circles tokens and validator rewards.

The Application Process

We invite all blockchain clubs in Ghana to apply for this opportunity. This is the application process:

1. Fill out the application form
   Provide detailed information about your club, including your current activities and leadership structure.

2. Attend an interview
   A 30-minute interview will be held to discuss how your club plans to use the Dappnode to support Gnosis Chain and how you will document and share your experience.

3. Final Shortlist
   After submitting your application and completing the interview, the shortlisted clubs will be reviewed by our team. The successful candidate will be notified of their selection and provided further details on the onboarding process.

   
   Application Deadline: August 28th, 2024

Applications are open now! 

Apply today via the link below ⬇️

This is a chance to shape the future of blockchain adoption in Ghana. By participating, your club will contribute to creating decentralized, self-sustaining economies that support local communities and foster trust and collaboration. The node you run will help to decentralize Gnosis Chain while creating real value for your community. 

Join us in this mission to drive blockchain adoption globally!

For more information on Circles and how to get involved visit our website, follow us on X, join our Telegram community or subscribe to receive our monthly newsletter in your inbox!