The Grants Council, in collaboration with the CoW Core team, has completed the evaluation process for the Value Distribution Mechanism RFP. We received six applications, shortlisted three for interviews, and after a thorough review, have selected Aragon to lead this engagement.
Why Aragon
Aragon brings direct, relevant experience designing and implementing value distribution mechanisms for protocols operating at scale. Their work with other similar organizations gave us confidence that they understand the second-order effects of mechanism design in live DeFi environments. During the interview process, they demonstrated strong awareness of CoW-specific constraints, particularly around solver economics and the importance of not disrupting the incentive structures that make the protocol work.
A key factor in our decision was Aragon’s ability to carry this work from design through to implementation. Aragon can take the research and design output and execute on it using the tested, audited components they already maintain. This reduces handoff risk and gives us continuity across both phases of the work.
Their approach is grounded in practical benchmarking against comparable protocols, with mechanism design informed by lessons learned from prior engagements. They were transparent about tradeoffs in their own capabilities and committed to open-sourcing all deliverables.
What Happens Next
The engagement will follow the structure outlined in the RFP: a research and benchmarking phase followed by mechanism design and recommendation.
Updates will be shared as the work progresses. If you have questions about the selection process or the engagement itself, feel free to post below.