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Overview

Evidence is proof of your work. Strong evidence makes review faster and increases your chances of approval. All evidence must be provided as URLs and text descriptions - file uploads are not supported.
No File Uploads: You cannot upload files directly. All evidence must be provided as publicly accessible URLs.

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Evidence Requirements

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What is Evidence?

Evidence demonstrates that:
  • You completed the work you’re claiming
  • The work meets the contribution type requirements
  • The work happened on or around the date you specified
  • The quality and scope warrant the point range

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Types of Evidence

Links to external resources:
  • GitHub repositories
  • GitHub pull requests
  • GitHub issues
  • Social media posts (Twitter, LinkedIn)
  • Blog articles (Medium, Dev.to, personal)
  • Video content (YouTube, Loom)
  • GenLayer Explorer transactions
  • Documentation pages
  • Live deployments

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Evidence Format

Each evidence item has two fields:

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Description Field

Brief explanation (recommended: 50-200 characters): 
"GitHub repo with smart contract source code"
"Tutorial published on Medium"
"Transaction hash for contract deployment"
"Twitter thread explaining the feature"

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URL Field

Publicly accessible link: 
https://github.com/username/project
https://medium.com/@author/article-title
https://twitter.com/user/status/123456789
https://explorer.genlayer.com/tx/0xabc123...
URLs are automatically normalized. If you enter example.com, the system converts it to https://example.com.

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Evidence by Contribution Type

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Validator Contributions

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Node Upgrade

Required Evidence:
  • Updated node version in profile (automatic)
Optional Evidence:
  • Screenshot of node status (upload to Imgur, etc., then link)
  • Command output showing version (paste.ee, GitHub Gist)
  • Validator dashboard showing updated version
Example: 
Description: "Node version updated in profile"
URL: [your profile page URL]

Description: "Terminal output confirming version 0.3.9"
URL: https://gist.github.com/yourname/abc123

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Daily Uptime

Required Evidence:
  • None (automatic tracking)
Daily uptime does not require manual submission or evidence.

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Network Participation

Required Evidence:
  • GenLayer Explorer showing your validator
  • Activity metrics
Example: 
Description: "Validator address on GenLayer Explorer"
URL: https://explorer.genlayer.com/validator/0x...

Description: "Participation stats screenshot"
URL: https://imgur.com/abc123

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Builder Contributions

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Contract Deployed

Required Evidence:
  • Deployment transaction OR contract address
  • GenLayer Explorer link
Recommended Evidence:
  • GitHub repository with source code
  • README explaining the contract
Example: 
Description: "Deployment transaction on GenLayer testnet"
URL: https://explorer.genlayer.com/tx/0xabc123...

Description: "Contract source code and tests"
URL: https://github.com/yourname/contract-project

Description: "Documentation explaining contract functionality"
URL: https://github.com/yourname/contract-project/blob/main/README.md

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GitHub Repository

Required Evidence:
  • GitHub repository URL
Recommended Evidence:
  • Specific files or features to highlight
  • README or documentation
  • Live demo or deployed version
Example: 
Description: "Main repository"
URL: https://github.com/yourname/genlayer-sdk

Description: "Documentation explaining features"
URL: https://github.com/yourname/genlayer-sdk/wiki

Description: "Example usage in README"
URL: https://github.com/yourname/genlayer-sdk#usage

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Blog Post / Article

Required Evidence:
  • URL to published article
Recommended Evidence:
  • Author profile showing it’s you
  • Social media post sharing the article
Example: 
Description: "Published tutorial on Medium"
URL: https://medium.com/@yourname/building-on-genlayer

Description: "Author profile confirming ownership"
URL: https://medium.com/@yourname

Description: "Tweet sharing the article"
URL: https://twitter.com/yourhandle/status/123456

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Tutorial / Documentation

Required Evidence:
  • URL to the tutorial
Recommended Evidence:
  • Code repository (if applicable)
  • Video recording (if video tutorial)
  • Engagement metrics (views, comments)
Example: 
Description: "Video tutorial on YouTube"
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123

Description: "Tutorial code repository"
URL: https://github.com/yourname/tutorial-code

Description: "Written walkthrough"
URL: https://dev.to/yourname/genlayer-tutorial

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Steward Contributions

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Community Support

Required Evidence:
  • Links to support messages
  • Summary of help provided
Example: 
Description: "Discord support thread helping with node setup"
URL: https://discord.com/channels/123/456/789

Description: "Telegram discussion resolving deployment issue"
URL: https://t.me/genlayer/12345

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Documentation

Required Evidence:
  • Pull request OR published documentation URL
Example: 
Description: "Pull request adding validator setup guide"
URL: https://github.com/genlayer/docs/pull/42

Description: "Published documentation page"
URL: https://docs.genlayer.com/validators/setup

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Multiple Evidence Items

You can add multiple evidence items to a single submission. More evidence = easier approval.

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When to Add Multiple Items

  • Complex contributions with multiple components
  • Want to show different aspects (code + demo + article)
  • Provide both source and result (repo + deployed contract)
  • Show process (draft + final version)

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Example: Complex Contribution

Contribution Type: Developer Tool
Description: Built a GenLayer CLI tool for contract deployment

Evidence 1:
Description: "Main repository with CLI source code"
URL: https://github.com/yourname/genlayer-cli

Evidence 2:
Description: "npm package published"
URL: https://www.npmjs.com/package/genlayer-cli

Evidence 3:
Description: "Tutorial on how to use the CLI"
URL: https://dev.to/yourname/using-genlayer-cli

Evidence 4:
Description: "Demo video showing CLI features"
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=demo123

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Best Practices

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DO: Provide Context

Description: "Smart contract source code with tests"
URL: https://github.com/user/project/tree/main/contracts

Description: "Deployment transaction on testnet"
URL: https://explorer.genlayer.com/tx/0x123...
Link directly to the relevant page, not generic landing pages. 
https://github.com/user/project/blob/main/README.md#features

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DO: Ensure Public Access

Before submitting, test your URLs:
  • Open in incognito/private browsing
  • Or log out and try accessing
  • Stewards must be able to view without login
Avoid links that expire:
  • Temporary file sharing services
  • Time-limited preview links
  • Session-based URLs
File paths, localhost, and local network addresses are not accessible to stewards.
Instead:
  • Upload screenshots to Imgur, Cloudinary, or similar
  • Push code to GitHub
  • Deploy demos to public hosting
  • Share videos on YouTube/Vimeo

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Handling Private Repositories

If your work is in a private GitHub repository: Make the repository public temporarily or permanently.

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Option 2: Alternative Evidence

Provide alternative proof:
  • Detailed code snippets in GitHub Gists
  • Screenshots (uploaded to Imgur)
  • Screen recording walkthrough (YouTube/Loom)
  • Deployed live demo

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Option 3: Steward Access

Add steward as collaborator:
  • Ask in Discord which stewards can review
  • Add them to repo temporarily
  • Remove access after review

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Using External Services

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For Code Snippets

GitHub Gist

Best for code snippets

Pastebin

Quick code sharing

Carbon

Beautiful code screenshots

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For Images/Screenshots

Imgur

Popular image hosting

Cloudinary

Professional image CDN

ImageBB

Simple image uploads

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For Videos

YouTube

Public videos

Loom

Screen recordings

Vimeo

High-quality videos

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For Text/Logs

Paste.ee

Log files and text

Hastebin

Quick text sharing

GitHub Gist

Markdown-formatted notes

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Common Evidence Mistakes

Problem: Steward can’t open the linkExample: Private GitHub repo, Google Drive with restricted accessSolution: Make content public or use alternative hosting
Problem: Description doesn’t explain what the URL showsExample: “Link”, “Here”, “URL”Solution: Write specific descriptions: “GitHub repo with contract code”, “Deployment transaction”
Problem: URL doesn’t work or goes to wrong pageSolution: Test all URLs before submitting. Copy-paste carefully.
Problem: Submitting blog post as “Contract Deployed”Solution: Choose correct contribution type for your work
Problem: Submitted contribution with no evidenceSolution: Always provide at least one URL showing your work

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Evidence Checklist

Before submitting, verify:
  • All URLs are publicly accessible
  • URLs link directly to relevant content
  • Descriptions explain what each URL shows
  • Evidence matches the contribution type
  • At least one evidence item provided
  • Tested URLs in incognito/private mode
  • No file paths or localhost URLs
  • Content clearly shows your work

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If You Can’t Provide Evidence

Contributions without evidence are very difficult to approve and often get rejected.
If you genuinely cannot provide URL evidence:
  1. Use the Notes field: Explain in detail what you did
  2. Contact stewards: Ask in Discord if alternative proof is acceptable
  3. Consider different contribution type: Your work might fit a different category
  4. Wait until you can provide evidence: Some work needs to be public first

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Next Steps

Submit Contribution

Ready to submit with your evidence

Contribution Types

Review specific requirements for each type

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