Ascent Rivals - Marketing Gaming Events In-Person & Online

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Ascent Rivals - Marketing Gaming Events In-Person & Online

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

50000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

8

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Cardano lacks presence at major game conventions and online events, leaving 3B gamers in a $300B industry untapped, unaware, and off-chain.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://www.ascentrivals.com/
,
• https://youtu.be/kJ53I-c5mVs
,
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoHPN4zg7ss&list=PLv6OI6cX9BZk93b6KSv46iK9zWTF7SL73
,
• https://x.com/ascentrivals
,
• https://youtu.be/VAC_PP8gQaA

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

MIT License (permissive, simple, most popular)

Anyone can use, modify, and distribute your code, even commercially.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Marketing

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.

Our proposal is focused and targeted on gamers, game developers, and game industry leaders who attend major conventions or participate in online tournaments or streams. We will reach them through in-person showcases, game streams, educational content, and creator partnerships, making Cardano visible where gaming culture thrives. This matters for Cardano because it connects the ecosystem to a $300B industry of 3B tech-savvy users, driving awareness, adoption, and long-term growth

Provide a list of key activities of your project?

Key activities include attending major gaming and developer conventions to showcase Cardano projects, hosting global online tournaments with professional production, creating educational content to onboard users, and partnering with influencers to amplify reach. Together, these activities expand Cardano’s visibility, demonstrate real-world use cases, and directly connect gamers and studios to the ecosystem.

What are your success metrics?

Success will be measured by:

• number of conventions attended (8+ annually)
• online tournaments hosted (4+)
• total audience reached (1M+ live/stream viewers)
• Additional metrics include Cardano wallet creations tied to events (5k+),
• engagement with educational content (50k+ views),
• partner Cardano projects showcased (10+).

These KPIs ensure tangible adoption, visibility, and long-term ecosystem growth.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

We are reaching conventions (as seen above), online events, digital broadcasts, and creator ecosystems into onboarding gateways bridging Cardano to millions of untapped, tech-savvy gamers and potential new builders.

1. We will continue and expanding showcasing Cardano globally by attending major consumer and developer events. So far we have reached a total of over going to conferences with over 1 million totalling attendees.

• Gamescom (Germany, ~300k attendees)
• PAX West/East (USA, ~130k )
• DreamHack Atlanta/Dallas/Melbourne (~50k each)
• TwitchCon (USA/EU, ~30–50k each)
• PDX LAN + 40 regional LAN events across the USA (~500–5k each)
• Tokyo Game Show (Japan, ~250k attendees)
• Game Developers Conference – GDC (San Francisco, ~30k developers)
• MomoCon (Atlanta, ~50k attendees)
• DICE Summit (Las Vegas, ~1k C-level executives/decision-makers)
• ETH Denver (~25k)
• Consensus (Austin, Toronto ~15k)
• Token2049 (Singapore/HK, ~10k each)
• Tech4Impact (Japan)
• Lvlup Expo (USA, 60k attendees)

These collectively span millions of gamers, creators, and industry leaders across both Web2 and Web3.

1. To reach a wider audience, we will also host online tournaments and broadcasts featuring Ascent: Rivals and other Cardano-integrated games, streamed globally and amplified through X/Twitter and gaming networks, creating evergreen content.
2. We will produce targeted educational content tailored to gamer needs guides on wallet setup, team play, wagering on matches, and other hands-on uses of Cardano which will be shown during these online tournaments and in person.
3. To Amplify visibility through creators by sponsoring influential content creators to showcase Cardano at conventions, online events, and across their communities.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

• Massive Audience Reach: By participating in global conventions (Gamescom, GDC, PAX, DreamHack, etc.) and hosting online tournaments, Cardano will gain exposure to millions of gamers, developers, and industry leaders who are currently unaware of the ecosystem.
• User Onboarding: Educational content and hands-on gaming integrations (wallet setup, wagering, team play) will directly onboard new users into Cardano, reducing friction and building lasting engagement.
• Ecosystem Visibility: Featuring Ascent: Rivals alongside other Cardano projects highlights the breadth of innovation on Cardano, positioning it as a serious player in gaming, Web3, and developer adoption.
• Partnership Opportunities: Presence at developer and executive-level events (GDC, DICE Summit, Consensus) creates opportunities to attract studios, publishers, and tech partners to build on or integrate with Cardano.
• Evergreen Content: Live streams, tournaments, and creator-sponsored content will generate ongoing visibility beyond event dates, creating a long-tail effect on awareness and adoption.
• Strengthened Brand Perception: Establishing Cardano’s presence in both Web2 and Web3 gaming spaces builds credibility, counters the perception of limited adoption, and positions Cardano as a forward-looking blockchain for entertainment and digital economies.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our team has a proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale gaming activations and has already represented Cardano at major global conferences, including GDC, PAX, DreamHack Atlanta/Dallas, ETH Denver, Consensus Austin/Toronto, Bitcoin Conference 2025, Games Dubai Expo, Google Gaming Singapore, and Gamescom Germany. This experience demonstrates our ability to operate across both gaming and blockchain ecosystems at a global level.

To ensure feasibility and cost efficiency, we have secured strategic partnerships:

MSI and Starforge provide hardware sponsorship, saving up to $70,000 USD per event.

Lanfast, a key partner for events like TwitchCon, PAX, and DreamHack, waives significant fees and ensures that our Cardano-integrated game comes pre-installed at major conventions.

For online events, we have already conducted test runs with professional-level production and casting teams. Our background in streaming and esports further validates our ability to deliver—our leadership includes an ex–Top 3 StarCraft streamer, with direct insights from industry leaders such as the VP of Product at Blizzard, Head of Esports at Riot Games, and former Principal Strategist at Epic Games.

These partnerships, combined with our hands-on experience and industry expertise, significantly reduce risk, enhance feasibility, and provide trust and accountability in executing this initiative at scale.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Amplifcation of Cardano Gaming Foundation and First Wave

Milestone Outputs

• Attend 1 major conference (e.g., PAX West) showcasing Ascent: Rivals + Cardano projects
• Produce highlight video + event recap content
• Host 1 pilot online tournament with wallet onboarding
• Publish 2 educational guides (wallet setup, team play)
• Launch 2 influencer partnerships promoting Cardano gaming

Acceptance Criteria

• verified precense at gaming conference for cardano evangelism
• One live streamed tournament containing at least 6 weekly streamers
• content posts accrueing 50k+ content views
• educational guides and material created
• influencers post content 15+ posts

Evidence of Completion

• Event photos/videos
  • example: https://x.com/AscentRivals/status/1954237946598658202
• stream recordings
• link to public analytics dashboard
• published guides for educational content
• document with creator links to posts

Delivery Month

2

Cost

12500

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

Expansion & Multi-Channel Growth

Milestone Outputs

• Attend Game conference (example Game Developer Conference) with Cardano showcases.
• Release 3+ pieces of content (recaps, clips, highlight reels).
• Host 1 global tournament with professional casters.
• Publish 2 new tutorials which onboard more users to Cardano (wagering, tournament participation).
• Engage 3 additional influencers.

Acceptance Criteria

• Verified presence and showcases at major conference
• 3 high-quality content pieces produced and distributed across platforms
• 15+ posts of Cardano gaming
• 6 professionally casted tournament streamed live with audience engagement
• Publication of 2 onboarding tutorials with practical Cardano use cases
• 3 influencer campaigns executed across multiple platforms with Cardano-focused content

Evidence of Completion

• Exhibitor listings, conference photos/videos
• link to public analytics dashboard
• Tournament stream recordings, viewership data, wallet creation data
• Tutorial links + user engagement metrics
• Influencer activity reports and campaign data

Delivery Month

4

Cost

12500

Progress

40 %

Milestone Title

Scaling Engagement

Milestone Outputs

• Attend another conference highlighting gaming use cases on Cardano
• Produce 4 professional videos including interviews and recaps
• Host 1 larger-scale online tournament with 1k+ participants/viewers
• Publish 2 advanced educational pieces (token gating, cross-game use cases)
• Activate 4 influencers with multi-platform coverage

Acceptance Criteria

• Booth presence verified at international conference with Cardano integrations
• 4 professional videos published across major platforms with community reach
• 1 large-scale tournament run with minimum 1k participants or concurrent viewers
• 2 advanced educational guides published addressing deeper Cardano integrations
• 4 influencer campaigns executed with consistent messaging and measurable impact

Evidence of Completion

• Event media assets and exhibitor listings
• Video libraries and analytics dashboards
• Tournament results, stream recordings, audience engagement data
• Educational guide links and distribution metrics
• Influencer content links and campaign reports

Delivery Month

6

Cost

12500

Progress

80 %

Milestone Title

Cardano Gaming Ecosystem Showcase

Milestone Outputs

• Attend 2 conventions (e.g., Tokyo Game Show + Consensus)
• Deliver 5 professional recap/educational videos
• Host 1 final online tournament featuring multiple Cardano projects
• Showcase 2 onboarding guides during events
• Partner with 5 influencers for closing campaign

Acceptance Criteria

• Verified participation at 2 conventions with Cardano projects prominently showcased
• 5 professional educational/recap videos published with broad audience reach
• Final tournament hosted featuring multiple Cardano-integrated games
• 2 comprehensive onboarding guides published covering ecosystem-wide use cases
• 5 influencer campaigns launched, reaching diverse global audiences

Evidence of Completion

• Conference photos, exhibitor listings, event media
• Video links with viewership and engagement analytics
• Tournament brackets, stream recordings, wallet usage data
• Onboarding guide links and distribution stats
• Influencer deliverables and campaign performance reports

Delivery Month

8

Cost

12500

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Budget Breakdown (50,000 ADA ≈ $32,500 USD)

1. In-Person Conferences & Conventions — 16,000 ADA (~$10,400)

Booth/exhibitor fees, travel & logistics (leveraging partner discounts from Lanfast, MSI, Starforge)

Hardware savings already covered by sponsorship (~$70k per event waived)

Covers presence at 2–3 targeted major conventions (e.g., PAX, DreamHack, GDC)

1. Online Tournaments & Broadcasts— 12,000 ADA (~$7,800)

Professional casting & production crew

Tournament platform, moderation, prize pools

Streaming, editing, and distribution for evergreen content

1. Educational Content Development — 8,000 ADA (~$5,200)

Tutorials and onboarding guides (wallet setup, wagering, team play, Cardano use cases)

Video editing, design, and localization for global accessibility

Distribution via YouTube, X/Twitter, and Cardano community channels

1. Influencer; Creator Partnerships— 9,000 ADA (~$5,850)

Sponsorship of 5–7 mid-tier gaming influencers for online and in-person amplification

Content creation packages (event recaps, live play, Cardano integration highlights)

Targeted campaigns to drive measurable impressions and engagement

1. Project Management & Operations — 5,000 ADA (~$3,250)

Coordination of event logistics, creator partnerships, and reporting

Administrative, compliance, and Catalyst reporting requirements

Ensures accountability, smooth delivery, and measurable KPIs

Total Requested:

50,000 ADA ≈ $32,500 USD

This distribution shows cost-effectiveness (partners waiving ~$70k hardware/event, event fees reduced) and that Catalyst funding is maximized toward direct impact (conventions, tournaments, education, influencer reach).

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

The requested 50,000 ADA (~$32,500) delivers disproportionately high value to the Cardano ecosystem by leveraging existing partnerships and cost savings. Hardware sponsorships from MSI and Starforge (≈$70k/event) and waived fees from Lanfast multiply Catalyst’s impact, allowing us to execute global activations at a fraction of market cost.

Every ADA spent directly funds user acquisition and visibility, including conventions, online tournaments, educational content, and influencer campaigns. These efforts collectively reach millions of gamers, developers, and industry leaders, driving wallet creation, onboarding, and new partnerships.

By converting Catalyst funds into real-world engagement touchpoints—conferences, online broadcasts, and creator campaigns—this project ensures Cardano is showcased where gaming culture thrives. The result is measurable ecosystem growth: new users, new projects featured, and long-term industry credibility, achieved at a cost far below typical marketing or sponsorship spends.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes