Key Points
Projects that included a GitHub link in their applications tended to receive more funding (FIL) compared to those that did not. This suggests that contributions to open-source software development may have influenced how badgeholders (evaluators) assessed project impact.
Background
In Filecoin’s first round of retroactive public goods funding (RetroPGF 1), projects could include links in their applications to document their contributions and impact on the ecosystem. Among these, GitHub links were the most common, making them an important data point in analyzing how contributions to open-source software were evaluated.
Analysis Method
Dataset
Application data from 106 projects that participated in Filecoin RetroPGF 1, verified by Open Source Observer (OSO). Specifically, the analysis examined whether GitHub links were included in applications and the amount of FIL allocated to each project.
Intervation / Explanatory Variable
Whether or not the project application included a GitHub link
Dependent Variable
The amount of FIL allocated to the project
Identification Strategy
Projects were divided into two groups: those with GitHub links (60 projects verified by OSO) and those without (the remaining 46 projects). The median FIL allocation between the two groups was compared.
Results
- The 60 projects verified by OSO as having GitHub links received a median of 2135 FIL.
- The remaining 46 projects, either without GitHub links or not verified by OSO, received a median of 1465 FIL.
- These results show that projects including GitHub links performed better—that is, they received more funding allocations.