Abstract
The Public Goods Working Group exists to fund initiatives that advance public goods funding within the wider ecosystem. We support builders, stewards, and community members working on public goods that are aligned with the values and goals of ENS.
This social proposal is submitted to satisfy the requirements set out in Rule 10.1.1 of the Working Group Rules (EP 1.8). If this proposal is passed, the funding request will be included in a collective executable proposal put forward by all Working Groups requesting funding.
Specification
This specification is the amount requested from the DAO treasury to the Public Goods Multisig to fulfil anticipated budgetary needs through to the next formal funding window in April 2026.
The Public Goods working group is requesting 110k USDC and 15 ETH from the DAO to support expected expenses as detailed in the expenditures section.
| USDC | ETH | $ENS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENS PG Main Multisig | 110k | 15 | 0 |
This amount will be added to the existing balance to cover all expected expenses outlined below while leaving a small prudent reserve to ensure continuity if future funding is delayed.
Description
Current Public Goods Wallet Balances as of Oct 21st, 2025
| USDC | ETH | $ENS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENS PG Main Multisig | 169.3k | 6.49 | 200 |
Updated balance information can be found at enswallets.xyz
Expenditures
The Public Goods Working Group allocates funds to support the public goods ecosystem through strategic grants and builder grants initiatives. While we aim to estimate expenditures accurately, actual spending may shift based on new opportunities or unforeseen needs.
Expected intended expenses through to next funding window in April 2026:
| USDC | ETH | $ENS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Grants | 225k | - | - |
| Builder Grants | 54.3k | 21.49 | - |
| Total Balance | 279.3k | 21.49 | - |
Description of Initiatives
1. Strategic Grants: High-impact funding for initiatives aligned with the long-term vision of ENS and the broader public goods ecosystem. We are working on developing strategic initiatives focused on foundational infrastructure alongside our existing grants.
The pilot for Strategic Grants was our funding of the DRC back in March 2025. Since then, we have allocated stragegic grants partly in tandem with the EF as part of our aligned collaboration on maximizing resource allocation to key projects in the ecosystem as follows:
*not associated with the EF
Strategic Grants is characterized by:
- Larger Funding Amounts: Providing substantial support to initiatives that require more significant resources to succeed
- Internal Expertise Utilization: Leveraging the expertise of our elected stewards rather than outsourcing key decision-making
- Focused Impact Areas: Targeting underfunded yet critical areas such as developer tools, core dependencies, and infrastructure. The matching funding from the EF in most cases ensures the funding achieves maximum impact for the projects funded.
- Measured Outcomes: Establishing clear criteria for success and impact measurement from the outset
The request for Strategic Grants is to ensure current grants discussions can be committed to and paid out until the end of term 6.
2. Builder Grants: Continues to support builders at all stages of their journey in building public goods. The platform now features USDC payments as well so better accounting and higher amounts of funding are easily distributed through this already tested and successful mechanism. This term we have received in excess of 200 applications for grants across project development cycles and verticals.
The request for Builder Grants is to ensure current approved grants are paid out as milestones complete and adding a buffer for ongoing applications that may be approved until the end of term 6.
Conclusion
This funding request will allow the Public Goods Working Group to continue its essential work in stewarding public goods funding until the new term starts in 2026 and the next funding window opens. These resources help us support a diverse set of builders, projects, and community-driven efforts, ensuring mindful long-term sustainability and alignment with ENS values.
We are grateful as always for the ongoing support and engagement with our work.
This proposal was prepared by @simona_pop, thank you @Coltron.eth & @Sov for the input and review.