The Arbitrum Gaming Catalyst Program, an initiative to enhance the gaming ecosystem on Ethereum Layer 2, has come under criticism for missing deadlines.
Claims Against the Program
The program, passed in June 2024, allocated 225 million ARB tokens for boosting growth in the blockchain gaming sector. However, the value of the tokens has since dropped to around $122 million, raising further concerns about its progress.
Calls for Accountability
DAO member and DeFi founder Joseph Schiarizzi proposed recalling a majority of the program's funds due to its failure to meet commitments such as issuing RFPs and opening grant applications. Expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency, he stated: “It is unconscionable to allow a 3/5 multisig to hold $120M in ARB when they have failed to meet their agreed oversight obligations.”
Arbitrum Responds to Criticism
Offchain Labs co-founder Steven Goldfeder defended the program, acknowledging the delays but attributing them to the complexity of setting up the GCP. A.J. Warner, director of partnerships, noted that the lack of a transparency report was due to the program being in its setup phase.
Despite the challenges, Schiarizzi urges the DAO to remain committed to transparency and the program's success, stating that the program must continue towards fulfilling its goals.