Last updated 6 months ago
Over 1400 DReps are registered but fewer than 300 consistently vote. Participation is hindered by limited knowledge, no incentives, and lack of mentorship support
We will test a community-based mentorship program where experienced DReps guide newcomers and earn incentives, validating whether this model boosts active participation.
This is the total amount allocated to DRep Mentorship Circle: Peer-to-Peer Governance Growth Model.
Please provide your proposal title
DRep Mentorship Circle: Peer-to-Peer Governance Growth Model
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
45000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
5
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Over 1400 DReps are registered but fewer than 300 consistently vote. Participation is hindered by limited knowledge, no incentives, and lack of mentorship support
Supporting links
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
No dependencies
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
Yes
License and Additional Information
All mentorship guidelines, onboarding materials, forms, and reporting templates will be open-sourced under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) for reusability.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Governance
Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.
We are targeting two key groups:
We will reach them via Cardano’s most vibrant community spaces; Discord, X (Twitter), and Telegram, leveraging DRepChain’s existing presence and partnerships with governance communities.
This matters for Cardano because governance sustainability depends not only on technical tools but on human mentorship, accountability, and incentivisation.
Provide a list of key activities of your project?
Key activities include:
What are your success metrics?
Success will be measured by:
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
Cardano’s governance stands at a critical inflection point. Despite its strengths, participation remains staggeringly low: as of August 2025, about 1,409 DReps were registered, yet only 984 are active, a clear indicator that nearly a third of registered representatives are disengaged. Coupled with this, the reality is that while 153,800 ADA holders have delegated over 11.73 billion ADA to DReps, a staggering 6.23 billion ADA is delegated to the Abstain DRep, meaning 68% of decision-making power isn’t actively directed. Only 14% of ADA in circulation are trusted with real governance influence. These statistics reflect not just apathy but a structural inertia, we need to build bridges, not blame silence.
Our solution builds that bridge: a DRep Mentorship Circle pilot, manually coordinated, non-technical, and human-centered. We propose to:
This approach is necessary for the following reasons:
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
The mismatch between numbers and meaningful engagement highlights the urgent need for structured support and incentives. The DRep Mentorship Community directly addresses these gaps by creating a peer-to-peer guidance model where experienced DReps support newcomers through mentorship, reinforced by small but meaningful incentives.
In this pilot, we aim to recruit 15+ mentors and 30+ mentees, ensuring a minimum of 45 active mentorship pairings across two rounds. Through structured sessions, we expect at least 60 mentorship sessions to be delivered and validated by mentees. If 70% of mentees remain active through both rounds, this will result in 20+ newly confident and better-prepared DReps entering governance with practical guidance and a stronger understanding of governance tools, ethics, and processes.
By incentivizing participation, we will also test whether modest ADA rewards can drive consistent mentor activity. If 75% of mentors consistently deliver validated sessions, this provides measurable evidence that incentivisation can enhance governance engagement. The insights gathered, participation rates, retention, satisfaction levels, and diversity metrics, will form an open dataset that strengthens future Catalyst proposals, especially the envisioned Fund 15 smart contract–powered platform.
Looking further ahead, the scaling potential is substantial. If expanded globally and automated in later phases, this model could support 150–200 mentees annually, onboarding new waves of capable DReps. Over time, this has the potential to close the gap between registered DReps and active contributors, improving not only participation rates but also the diversity and inclusivity of governance voices in Cardano’s Voltaire era.
This project therefore delivers a dual impact: short-term gains in confidence, mentorship, and retention, and long-term structural change toward a healthier, more decentralized governance ecosystem.
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?
The DRepChain team, led by Nana Safo (Governance Lead at Wada Global, Intersect Civics Committee member), brings experience in governance facilitation, DRep education, and community coordination.
Milestone Title
Community Setup & Recruitment
Milestone Outputs
Through milestone 1, we will focus on achieving the following:
Acceptance Criteria
At least 15 mentors and 30 mentees will be onboarded through validated registration forms, ensuring diversity across 3+ languages and 4+ global regions. Target regions include Africa, Asia, South America, and North America, fostering a truly inclusive and multilingual mentorship network.
Evidence of Completion
Three active platforms; Discord, Telegram, and X, will be utilized to engage the community, manage communications, and share updates. Completed registrations and a verified list of confirmed participants will ensure transparency, accountability, and smooth coordination throughout the program.
Delivery Month
1
Cost
9000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Orientation & Mentor–Mentee Matching
Milestone Outputs
We will conduct structured orientation sessions for mentors to align expectations and responsibilities, distribute comprehensive resource packs to equip them with guidance tools, and manually pair mentees with mentors based on shared goals and preferences to foster meaningful, tailored mentorship.
Acceptance Criteria
We aim for 100% of mentors to complete orientation, ensuring readiness and alignment with program goals. All 30 mentees will be successfully paired with suitable mentors and confirmations secured, guaranteeing full participation and effective mentorship engagement across the cohort.
Evidence of Completion
Orientation session logs will be documented to track participation and outcomes, shared learning packs will be distributed to mentors and mentees as reference materials, and formal pairing confirmations will be recorded to validate successful mentor–mentee matches and program accountability.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
10000
Progress
40 %
Milestone Title
Mentorship Delivery & Incentivisation
Milestone Outputs
Structured mentorship sessions will be delivered over 6–8 weeks, with detailed logs maintained for each interaction. Feedback will be collected from both mentors and mentees to measure progress and improve delivery. Mentor incentives will be disbursed upon validated session completion and accountability checks.
Acceptance Criteria
A minimum of 60 mentorship sessions will be delivered and independently verified. At least 70% of mentees are expected to complete both program rounds, while 75% of mentors will remain actively engaged throughout, ensuring strong participation, measurable impact, and sustained mentorship quality.
Evidence of Completion
Session logs will be maintained and shared to verify activities and track progress, mentee surveys will capture learning outcomes and satisfaction, and payout records will document incentive disbursements, ensuring accountability, transparency, and accurate reporting of the mentorship program’s implementation.
Delivery Month
4
Cost
16000
Progress
80 %
Milestone Title
Evaluation, Reporting & Knowledge Sharing
Milestone Outputs
A comprehensive project report will be published, detailing engagement metrics across platforms, mentor and mentee retention rates, and satisfaction levels captured through surveys. The report will highlight achievements, lessons learned, and impact, providing transparency and a strong foundation for future mentorship cycles.
Acceptance Criteria
The final report and complete dataset will be made publicly accessible for transparency and community learning. Additionally, tailored recommendations for Fund 16 will be presented, focusing on smart contract automation to streamline mentor pairing, feedback collection, and incentive disbursements.
Evidence of Completion
The published report and accompanying dataset repository will provide full transparency, allowing stakeholders and the wider community to review program outcomes, engagement metrics, and insights for future mentorship initiatives.
Delivery Month
5
Cost
10000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
The project requires a total of 45,000 ADA. This budget covers:
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
This proposal delivers strong value by testing an incentivized mentorship system at low cost and low risk. Instead of rushing into building tools, we validate the concept manually, using the results to guide a scalable Fund 16 solution.
The outputs, engaged mentors and mentees, open datasets, and lessons learned, will directly strengthen Cardano’s governance ecosystem.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
The DRepChain team is made up of four individuals with complementary skills to ensure smooth execution of this pilot: