PROPOSAL NAME:
Kairos Research x ApeCoin: Growing the Ecosystem in Mexico
TEAM DESCRIPTION:
At Kairos Research we analyze and research web3 projects and provide high quality resources to the Spanish-speaking community in Latam. Our main goal is to simplify the understanding of blockchain technology, overcome language barriers and enable people to make informed decisions.
We are a team of 5 individuals conformed by:
Ariel Cardenas | Cofounder
Bachelor in Mechanical Engineer by BUAP, have conducted courses in Economics, Project Management and Game Theory in platforms like Coursera, Saylor Academy, Platzi. ETHGlobal Winner
Cofounder of Ethereum Mexico, former Finance and Community Lead. Prev. contributor at BanklessDAO, Cryptoversidad, Arch Finance
Jorge Magni | Cofounder
Bachelor in Finance by BUAP. Token Engineer by Token Engineering Academy, currently coursing Data Analyst certification by Data Camp.
Prev. Financial Analyst at Bulax, Researcher at Entorno Blockchain
Alejandro Ramos | Cofounder
Scrum Specialist. Producer and Director of 2 short films with international nominations, writer of film analysis for 2 film magazines in Mexico. Collaborator in +20 professional film productions. ETHGlobal Winner.
Cofounder of WavyNode Prev. Commercial Lead at Satellit Studio, Audiovisual producer at NFT Marketplace project.
Brenda Vega | Designer
Designer at Kairos Research, focused on AI image generation and infographics design. Continuously seeking to improve and acquire new skills.
Elvis Paz | Researcher
Analyst, specialized in strategies and analysis. Background in programming. He applies high-risk strategies, seeking to optimize results and expand his skills in technology and finance.
Here are some of our achievements:
- Worked with the House of Representatives in Mexico to host a Hackathon focus in Digital Voting
- Celo Incubator Program.
- Funded through Gitcoin Grants Rounds (Beta, Citizen, 18 & 19).
- Team members have been speakers in more than 10 IRL meetups in the last year.
- Honorable Mention by Brichis, delegate of Optimism.
- Honorable Mention by Bryce Patric from EAS’s team.
- Approved to receive RetroPGF 3.
- Partner with Makers Felloswhip to be mentors in their next batch for new web3 builders.
- Partner with Meta Pool to release a Deep Dive research for Meta Pool and a analytics dashboard
- Celo RPG Grantee
- Currently, we are working on a project with PBS Foundation to educate people about MEV and PBS across Latam. Here is our first and second report.
- Grantees from Arbitrum Oasis Onchain Ecosystem Fund
- CeLatam grantees to build a RWA in Latam report
PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION:
In this proposal we aim to improve the awareness about the ApeCoin ecosystem in Mexico with a mix of IRL activities and sharing updates about the ApeCoin Ecosystem each week.
The deliverables of this proposal are:
- 3 x Monthly Report about Ape Ecosystem
- 12 x The Planet of Apes Section in livestream
- 24 x The Planet of Apes Section in Newsletter
- 2 x Side events at Ethereum Cinco de Mayo
- The Ape Run - A 5k running session
- The Ape Soccer Cup
Below is an deeply explanation of each of these initiatives:
Monthly Report about Ape Ecosystem
We will create 3 reports about the ApeCoin Ecosystem. These reports will serve as the base for future builders to learn more about Apecoin and current dApps. The reports will focused on the following:
-
Report 1: An introduction to ApeCoin
This report will serve as an introductory guide, explaining the utility, vision, and opportunities within the ApeCoin ecosystem, making it easier for newcomers to get involved.
-
Report 2: The ApeCoin Ecosystem
This report will showcase the most relevant projects, dApps, and platforms building on ApeChain
-
Report 3: Building on ApeChain: A Practical Guide for Developers
This report would provide a hands-on guide for builders who want to launch dApps or integrate ApeCoin into their projects.
The Planet of Apes [El Planeta de los Simios] section
We will add a section call “El Planeta de los Simios” in our livestream and newsletter in which we will cover the most important announcement of the week around ApeCoin and highlight one dApp in the ecosystem.
This year we started a livestream every friday in our x account. After 8 weeks we have received good response from our followers achieving around 25% of our current follower base. In other hand, our newsletter has maintained an open rate of ~31% in the last two months and our user base is growing quickly.
Side events at ETH Cinco de Mayo
During Devcon our team joined to several side events with a fitness vibe. We are aiming to host two side events around ETH Cinco de Mayo. Last year ECDM gathered over 400+ people between mentors, hackers and attendees with several side events around it.
Our planned side events are the following:
- La carrera del mono (The Ape Race): A 5 km race with friends at Bosque de Chapultepec one of the most beautiful parks in Mexico
- The Ape Tournament: A flash tournament of soccer with the community. Each team consists of 5 members, with a total of 8 teams participating in a direct elimination format.
During this events we will explain what is ApeCoin and why as builders should consider to start building in it. For the race, we’ll provide ApeCoin-branded socks, along with drinks and food after the event. In the soccer tournament, participants will also receive socks, and we’ll design two custom ApeCoin soccerballs to award the top two teams.
BENEFIT TO APECOIN ECOSYSTEM:
Our proposal is all about bringing ApeCoin to life in Mexico—connecting builders, creators, and enthusiasts through high-quality educational content and real-world experiences.
Lowering the entry barrier: With our dive dive reports we are building knowledge base for builders in the region, lowering the entry barrier for new participants by making ApeCoin more accessible.
Continuous engagement: Sharing ApeCoin updates into our livestream and newsletter, will create continuous exposure and a recurring touchpoint for the community.
ApeCoin into the real world: The IRL activities will allow to connect participants with the ecosystem because they will associate ApeCoin with fun.
Our KPIs are structured across three milestones over 90 days:
Milestone 1: Awareness & Initial Engagement
- 1 Deep Dive Report (≥ 50 unique readers)
- 4 livestream segments (avg. 150 viewers per segment)
- 8 newsletter sections (Open Rate ≥ 30%)
- 5+ X posts related to the report
Milestone 2: Ecosystem Integration & IRL Presence
- 1 Deep Dive Report (≥ 250 unique readers)
- 4 livestream segments (avg. 200 viewers)
- 8 newsletter entries (Open Rate ≥ 32%)
- 2 IRL events with 25+ attendees each
- 10+ X posts from Kairos + 15+ organic posts from attendees
Milestone 3: Growth & Community Maturity
- 1 Deep Dive Report (≥ 300 unique readers)
- 4 livestream segments (avg. 250 viewers)
- 8 newsletter entries (Open Rate ≥ 35%)
- 15+ X posts about the report
STEPS TO IMPLEMENT:
Start date: Next Monday or Friday after approval
End date: 90 days after approval
Platforms needed: Canva, X, Streamyard, Beehiiv, Notion, ChatGPT, Luma
Payouts are distributed across 4 payments. 1 upfront, 3 after each milestone achieved.
Each monthly update will contain a detailed report of milestones and insights achieved.
Grant Approval:
Budget: $4,000 upfront
Milestone 1: - 1 Month
Budget: $5,000
- 1 Monthly report
- 4 sections in our livestream
- 8 sections in our Newsletter
- Monthly Update in the forum
KPIs:
- 100 unique readers in the monthly report
- Avg. of 150 viewers in each streaming
- Open Rate ≥ 30%
- At least 5 posts in X about the report
Personnel Required:
Our team for this milestone will be conformed by:
- 3 Researchers
- 1 Designer
- 1 Operations
Request to the APE Foundation :
- Amplify announcement of the grant
- Amplify the report after the release
Milestone 2: - 1 Month
Budget: $6,000
- 1 Monthly report
- 4 sections in our livestream
- 8 sections in our Newsletter
- 2 side events at Ethereum Cinco de Mayo
- Monthly Update in the forum
KPIs:
- 250 unique readers in the monthly report
- Avg. of 200 viewers in each streaming
- Open Rate ≥ 32%
- At least 25 participants in the side events
- At least 10 posts in X about the report
- At least 15 posts in X from attendees about the event
Personnel Required:
Our team for this milestone will be conformed by:
- 3 Researchers
- 1 Designer
- 1 Operations
Request to the APE Foundation :
- Amplify the report after the release
- Amplify the announcement of side events and post events material
Milestone 3: - 1 Month
Budget: $7,100
- 1 Monthly report
- 4 sections in our livestream
- 8 sections in our Newsletter
- Monthly Update in the forum
KPIs:
- 300 unique readers in the monthly report
- Avg. of 250 viewers in each streaming
- Open Rate ≥ 35%
- At least 15 posts in X about the report
Personnel Required:
Our team for this milestone will be conformed by:
- 3 Researchers
- 1 Designer
- 1 Operations
Request to the APE Foundation :
-
Amplify the report after the release
-
If the proposal is not approved before May 5th, we will pivot and organize the side events during the next major web3 gatherings in Mexico. This could include Ledger Leaders on May 23rd, or Ethereum MĂ©xico Monterrey later in Q3.
REPORTING EXPECTATIONS:
We will share our advancements each month after the publication of our reports in the forum.
We will provide monthly progress updates to the community, ensuring full transparency and accountability. Each update will be published in the forum after the release of our monthly reports, detailing:
- Key milestones achieved
- Engagement metrics from livestreams and newsletters
- IRL event planning and execution updates (Photos and video)
- Community feedback and impact assessment
These reports will allow the ApeCoin community to track our progress, measure the initiative’s impact, and stay informed about upcoming activities.
OVERALL COST:
Total amount requested from the ApeCoin Ecosystem Fund = $22,100.
Tranche Funding Expectations: 4 tranches of funding have been requested:
- Upon approval: $4,000
- Upon completion of month 1 & milestone 1: $5,000
- Upon completion of month 2 & milestone 2: $6,000
- Upon completion of month 3 & milestone 3: $7,100
| QTY | Description | Unit Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Monthly Report about Ape Ecosystem | $4,000.00 | $12,000.00 |
| Research | $1,800 | ||
| Writing and editing | $1,200 | ||
| Design and distribution | $1,000 | ||
| 12 | The Planet of Apes Section in livestream | $250.00 | $3,000.00 |
| 24 | The Planet of Apes Section in Newsletter | $150.00 | $3,600.00 |
| 1 | The Ape Run | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| 1 | The Ape Soccer Games | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Total | $22,100.00 |
Most of the funds will go toward compensating the team (researchers, designer, operations). As the proposal author, I want to clarify that I won’t be taking any percentage for managing this grant.
Fund allocation breakdown:
| Description | Percentage | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Team Salary | 70% | $15,470.00 |
| Flights & accommodation (1 week) to Monterrey, Nuevo LeĂłn | 10% | $2,210.00 |
| IRL Activities Expenses (merch, food & drinks for participants) | 10% | $2,210.00 |
| Platforms (Canva, beehiiv, streamyard, etc.) | 5% | $1,105.00 |
| Participation Incentives | 5% | $1,105.00 |
Note:
The participation incentives category is designed to encourage engagement. In past initiatives, we’ve hosted raffles and rewarded feedback. For each report, we’ll launch a small campaign — such as raffles, Q&A incentives, or feedback forms — to encourage responses, sharing, and actionable insights.
Out-of-scope expenses:
- Meals during Ethereum Mexico 2025
- Non-work-related expenses (e.g., side event parties or recreational activities)
- Local transportation within the city for non-work purposes (e.g. taxis, metro, ride-shares)
All KPIs associated with each milestone will be achieved before completing that milestone and receiving the corresponding grant disbursement.
