This thread is written by @SuperchainEco with input from the Lisk DAO Grant Council and Steering Committee and provides an overview of the Lisk DAO Season 2 developments between the passing of the proposal on Aug 4th and now Sep 30th.
Introduction
Lisk DAO Season 2 launched with the mission of accelerating the Lisk ecosystem by aligning with four core Social and Economic Intents and supporting builders through a structured framework. Running in parallel with Optimism Season 8 and concluding on December 17, 2025, Season 2 builds directly on the foundation set in Season 1.
Guided by a Grants Council and Steering Committee, Season 2 directs a total of 3,925,000 LSK (including the 1.7M LSK carryover from Season 1) toward builders, programs, and incentives on Lisk Mainnet. Of this, 3,750,000 LSK is directly allocated to support ecosystem growth.
With the theme “Lisk Season 2: Collaborations that drive real-world development,” the DAO is focused on expanding the base of builders, fostering stronger collaborations, and growing usage and TVL on Lisk.
Reflection on the first 8 weeks of operations
The first eight weeks of Season 2 have been focused on building on the foundation laid in Season 1 and ensuring continuity for projects that remain committed to building on Lisk. A key priority has been supporting existing grantees, incubation and accelerator projects and ensuring that early momentum translates into long-term ecosystem growth.
The initial development and infra grant budget primarily awarded to returning grantee or previous incubator and accelerators participants, enabling them to continue nurturing and scaling projects within the Lisk ecosystem. For Ecosystem Incentives, planning is underway to build directly on the success of the first season of Lisk Surge, which attracted more than $25M in TVL to Lisk. Work is currently being done to coordinate and launch the next iteration of the program, with an aim to further scale liquidity, user adoption, and cross-Superchain flows.
Initiatives
The Lisk DAO Season 2 Budget is split between four different key initiatives, which all aim to progress the Season 2 Intents as specified in the proposal. We have produced a S2 Grants Dashboard which can be viewed here. It provides an overview of all approved grants and budget allocations over time.
Below is an overview of the current budgets of each of the Season 2 initiatives:
| Initiative | Budget | Approved | Spent | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development & Infra Grants | 1,250,000 | 365,000 | 183,400 | 735,000 |
| Incubation & Acceleration Programs | 750,000 | 750,000 | 750,000 | 0 |
| Ambassador Program | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 0 |
| Ecosystem Incentives | 1,500,000 | 150,000 | 0 | 1,500,000 |
Initiative Progress
Development and Infra Grants
Season 2 has already seen strong engagement with 43 applications submitted, of which 5 have been approved. In total, projects requested 3,825,715 LSK, with 365,000 LSK approved, leaving a budget of 885,000 LSK for the remainder of the season.
The focus in Season 2 has been on working with projects that demonstrate clear commitment to Lisk and strong alignment with the Season 1 intents: driving cross-chain volume, growing TVL, and deepening usage of the network.
The core learning this season has been the importance of estimating and justifying budget requests based on the ratio of LSK spent to ecosystem value returned. While not every project can frame its impact in purely financial terms, others have demonstrated value by outlining clear KPIs and milestones that show how adoption, usage, and long-term impact will flow back to Lisk.
This approach maintains a high bar for quality while ensuring the DAO is backing teams with the greatest potential to deliver meaningful results.
Incubation & Acceleration Programs
All 750,000 LSK allocated to incubation and acceleration has been approved to strengthen a pipeline of projects committed to Lisk. This funding supports three established programs that continue to expand global participation.
1. AyaHQ’s Africa Incubator, which has already helped 25 projects launch with 12 graduating into real products; 2. Lisk Spark in Indonesia, run with AngelHack and the government-backed 1000 Startup Digital program, which has attracted over 60 applications and has 7 projects progressing toward deployment; and the Lisk Pioneer Program, a 4-month accelerator led by 3. Key Difference that focuses on go-to-market readiness, refining tokenomics, and preparing for investors, with 10 teams to be selected from 190 applications.
Together, these initiatives provide a structured pipeline for identifying, supporting, and scaling new builders in the Lisk ecosystem.
Ecosystem Incentives
The Grants Council has approved one Ecosystem Incentive grant with Kyo Finance, the leading DEX on Soneium with over $30M in TVL. Kyo is beginning its Superchain integration with Lisk, marking a significant step in cross-ecosystem collaboration.
The program is designed to attract more than $3M in non-LSK TVL within the first months of launch and to generate over $5M in monthly trading volume, highlighting the potential impact of bringing established Superchain-native protocols into the Lisk ecosystem.
Planning is also underway for a second season of Lisk Surge, building on the success of Season 1 which attracted more than $25M in TVL. More details on Surge Season 2 will be shared soon.
Ambassador Program
All 250,000 LSK earmarked for the Ambassador Program has been allocated. Building on the success of the Lisk Pioneers, Season 2 will see the DAO take on a greater role in enabling and supporting Lisk Ambassadors, a task previously executed solely by the Lisk team. The aim is to provide ambassadors with resources and structure to expand outreach, education, and community growth in a sustainable way.
Future Outlook
The first half of Season 2 has demonstrated strong progress across grants, programs, and ecosystem coordination. With over 40 grant applications submitted, all major incubator partnerships funded, and groundwork underway for both Ambassador activities and the next season of Lisk Surge, the DAO is positioned to drive meaningful impact in the months ahead.
On the economic front, the Development and Infrastructure Grants and ecosystem incentives are expected to deliver new applications and features that bring measurable activity to the Lisk Mainnet. By applying the value-per-LSK framework, the DAO will be able to assess the efficiency of these grants in driving TVL, usage, and cross-chain flows. The upcoming launch of Lisk Surge Season 2 is anticipated to be a cornerstone initiative, aiming to surpass the $25M TVL milestone achieved in Season 1.
On the ecosystem front, the above mentioned incubators will continue to serve as a global pipeline for new builders. Their outputs, combined with expanded Ambassador engagement, are expected to bring more talent, awareness, and committed teams into the Lisk ecosystem.
As Season 2 progresses, we see strong reasons to continue the DAO Seasons framework. By aligning funding, programs, and governance cycles with ecosystem-wide milestones, the DAO has a unique opportunity to show how Lisk can accelerate real-world usage and become a leading contributor to the Superchain
By embracing this unified, full-ecosystem approach, we have a real opportunity to demonstrate Lisk’s potential to grow into a thriving and cohesive ecosystem.
We warmly invite all Lisk stakeholders to test, participate in, and share feedback on the current programs. Your input is not only welcome but essential — let us know not just what you think, but how you believe we can create meaningful value for the Lisk ecosystem.
A thriving ecosystem cannot be built by standing still. With shared effort and continued collaboration, we have a real opportunity to shape something unique together.