As Phase II of the RootstockCollective roadmap is kicking off, we are thrilled to announce that the Collective Rewards program is now available for everyone in the RootstockCollective ecosystem.
In addition to Phase II kicking off, the Collective Rewards Whitepaper was also published, explaining how the rewards program will foster the growth of the Rootstock ecosystem by creating a self-sustained mechanism of builders and backers of innovative projects.
In this article, we break down the Collective Rewards whitepaper to describe how the program works, the roles of builders and backers, and how to get started.
Before we dig in, it’s important to understand the following terms:
The Collective Rewards program is a bi-weekly cycle of incentives designed to:
This program represents Phase II of the RootstockCollective’s roadmap approved by the community, which focuses on value capture and long-term ecosystem growth. Builders and backers collaborate to drive innovation, with rewards allocated transparently through decentralized mechanisms.
These two groups sustain the growth model of the RootstockCollective.
Builders: Developers or teams who create projects, dApps, or services on Rootstock. To be eligible for rewards, builders must:
Once builders achieve an “Active Builder” status, they would be eligible for rewards from the RootstockCollective Treasury.
Backers: RIF stakers who allocate their backing power (stRIF tokens) to support specific builders. Backers earn rewards from builders who choose to share a percentage of their earnings. The backers’ power is derived from their stRIF token balance, which can be allocated to one or multiple builders in proportions, chosen by the backer.
For example:
Rewards are distributed over a two-week cycle, based on on-chain activity and support.
In V1.0 builders received an equal share of rewards from the RootstockCollective Treasury. However, with the launch of Collective Rewards V2.0, rewards will be distributed to both builders and backers as follows:
In a nutshell, the percentage that each builder gets from the growth-reward treasury is based on the percentage of votes received from the community. So for example, if builder A receives 10% of the votes, and builder B receives 5% of the votes, builder A will receive 10% of the rewards allocated, whereas builder B will receive 5% with a backer-reward percentage allocated to RIF stakers backing the project.
Rewards for builders and backers are computed and distributed transparently through smart contracts.
Builders’ rewards are credited and displayed on the dashboards after each cycle. Both builders’ and backers’ rewards can be claimed manually any time after they’ve been credited in the RootstockCollective dApp. However, there is a difference between backers and builders rewards, which is:
The Collective Rewards program emphasizes transparency and long-term sustainability through:
The Collective Rewards program is more than an incentive mechanism—it’s a way for you to get rewarded for bringing utility to Bitcoin.
Builders can get some extra incentivization for their projects’ performance, while backers gain a tangible stake in the ecosystem’s success. Together, they create a self-sustaining network that strengthens Rootstock’s position as the leading Bitcoin Layer 2 solution.
For builders, the Collective Rewards program presents an opportunity to:
For backers, on the other hand, the program allows them to:
Start by getting RIF and join the Collective Rewards program:
