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AMA Recap: Project Merlin x Polkastarter
Recently, the Polkastarter community hosted an AMA with the Project Merlin team. In this session, they unpacked the vision, mechanics, and opportunities behind their upcoming launch on Polkastarter. Hereβs everything you need to know:
What is Project Merlin?
Project Merlin is a modular, multi-chain Web3 ecosystem that unifies crowdfunding, a freelance marketplace, community engagement, and an IDO launchpad, all governed by a DAO.
It offers founders a complete path: idea β evaluation β funding β execution β growth. The ecosystem runs on the $MRLN token, which powers governance, incentives, and cross-module transactions.
The Problem Merlin Solves
β Web3 founders juggle disconnected tools for fundraising, hiring, and community building.
β This fragmentation increases costs and slows adoption.
Merlin consolidates these steps inside one ecosystem, creating transparency, efficiency, and a self-sustaining economic loop where revenues recycle into grants and rewards.
Business & Revenue Model
- DAO allocates funding to startups.
- Part of those funds must be spent inside the ecosystem (Freelify, Taskium, Funddex).
- This creates guaranteed demand β attracts service providers β builds supply.
- Third-party projects eventually join, generating fee-based revenue.
- Revenue is recycled into new grants and community rewards.
Result: a sustainable, circular economy.
Unique Features
β End-to-end integration: funding + talent + community + launchpad
β Vote2Earn + DAO: active participation with direct rewards
β Cross-chain participation with custodial wallets (executed on Arbitrum)
β Dual grants: Camelot (monthly, on-chain) + Excalibur (quarterly, strategic)
β Bridge & modular design: EVM + SVM with mint/burn discipline
β Regulatory-aware: selective KYC for corporate partners only
Vote2Earn
- Link a Community NFT β earn points by voting in shortlists and finals.
- Bonuses for alignment with collective results.
- If the Treasury exceeds 30% of supply, rewards are calculated and distributed in $MRLN.
This incentivizes informed, consistent voting.
Raven Messages
- Official proposal submission (small $MRLN fee).
- Visible for 30 days, open to angel contributions.
- If the goal is met β funds are claimable by founders.
- If not β contributions refunded.
Provides early validation + capital access.
Camelot vs Excalibur Grants
- Camelot β monthly, fully on-chain. Four winners share $100k in $MRLN + $15k in service credits.
- Excalibur β quarterly, strategic/conditional. Includes perks like airdrops and priority access for voters on the winning side.
Community NFTs
Grant access to:
- Governance and Vote2Earn
- Raven Message discounts
- Priority allocations and airdrops
- Revenue sharing (equal rights for all NFTs)
Custodial Wallets
- Seamless cross-chain participation without manual bridging.
- DAO-governed logic for voting and distributions.
- Non-custodial: user assets remain in user wallets.
$MRLN Token Utilities
$MRLN powers:
- Governance access (via Community NFTs)
- Vote2Earn rewards and grant distributions
- Raven Message fees
- Premium features in Taskium/Freelify
- Microtransactions and education modules
- Cross-chain movement via the Merlin Bridge
How Users Benefit
- Vote2Earn β convert points into $MRLN
- NFT ownership β revenue share, airdrops, priority access
- Freelify & Taskium β earn by completing tasks or offering services
- Startup founders β secure DAO grants for funding
Driving Value for $MRLN
- Mandatory utility across all ecosystem modules.
- Startups must spend a portion of grants inside the ecosystem.
- This guarantees continuous demand and sustainable token value growth.
IDO Details
The Project Merlin IDO on Polkastarter is happening tomorrow:
- Date β September 15
- Guaranteed Allocation Round β 14:00 UTC
- FCFS Round β 17:00 UTC
Application is still open β https://polkastarter.com/projects/Project-Merlin
Project Merlin is positioning itself as a next-generation launchpad that combines funding, talent, and community in one sustainable ecosystem. With integrated governance, real incentives, and strong utility for $MRLN, Merlin is set to play a key role in the next wave of Web3 growth.
About Polkastarter
Polkastarter is a fully decentralized protocol for launching new ideas. Our curation process and industry access enable us to offer the best new projects in blockchain and digital assets. With Polkastarter, decentralized projects can raise awareness, build a loyal community, and receive long-term support. Users of the platform will be able to participate in a secure and compliant environment and use assets both in and beyond the current ERC20 standard.
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Iggy is a Web3 content strategist and writer with over 8 years of experience in the crypto space. She spent 4 years at TokenSuite, a leading Web3 marketing agency, where she produced content across 200+ projects including Biconomy and Natix Network, helping teams communicate complex blockchain concepts clearly and build engaged communities at scale.
Beyond agency work, Iggy has independently run content and marketing campaigns for projects like Oppi Wallet and Ta-da, covering everything from editorial and brand positioning to event coverage and video production. She brings genuine hands-on experience to everything she writes.