TL: DR :
This proposal is to propose Meria be added into the VBL of Bifrost Polkadot for: Vdot.

Information:

Name of node provider: Meria

Brief Description on node provider: Active since 2017, Meria is an institutional-grade staking service provider running blockchain infrastructure over +800 nodes on more than 45+ blockchains.

In France, Meria also offers a regulated custodial crypto investment platform registered under the VASP license.

Number of nodes that want to join the Validator Boost List: 1

The address of the node that wants to join the Validator Boost List and which network:
15nLLFfX8jtyhnYogRqPU798qNpjvSp6n14AiH7ddHRFWnL8

Commission: 2%

Liquidity Contribution by VBL Applicant:

We primarily aim to operate as a validator node. As we are still building our track record in the Polkadot ecosystem, our focus is on maintaining reliable performance. Providing vToken liquidity is part of our plan, and we intend to progressively allocate a portion of our staking rewards once we have more visibility and consistent flow.

Marketing - Informational support/contribution by VBL Applicant:

• On the custody platform Meria serves 120K+ users. https://www.meria.com/en
• On the onchain part (Through our validators and staking solutions) Meria serves 63K+ users. https://stake.meria.com/en
  • Brief breakdown of your channels (Blog, Twitter,Youtube, Telegram,etc.) :
  • Newsletter: https://www.meria.com/newsletter 20K Subscribers
  • Twitter: https://x.com/Meria_Finance 62K Followers
  • Telegram: https://t.me/meria_finance 4,1K Subscribers
  • Youtube/Twitch through our Meria and CEO channels: 980K Subscribers
• Through Meria academy, we aim to promote Bifrost by creating articles focused on the solution and its surrounding ecosystem. Our goal is to enhance visibility and references while also engaging in educational efforts to increase awareness and comprehension of Bifrost and Polkadot among our audience.
• We will announce our partnership across our networks, highlighting Bifrost with direct links.
• Our newsletters will include mentions and updates about Bifrost.
• Our podcast also aims to highlight the Polkadot ecosystem, like in the recent episode we recorded with Andréa Vistoli to explore the DOT ecosystem and overall dynamics. https://www.youtube.com/@meria_finance/videos
• Lastly, it's important to highlight that our on-chain DApp, "The place to stake," is set to launch this year, accompanied by a significant communications campaign that is expected to drive new traffic to our various nodes and partner operators.

Other:
Security & Performance:
Since the beginning of our PoS operations we have not had any of our validators slashed.

A dedicated team monitors the nodes 24/7, ensuring stability and quick issue resolution.

Every access is restricted to a minimum user's population with rights depending on their roles. Each access is controlled, monitored and recorded thanks to Teleport.

High-Availability Hosting & Redundancy:
Our infrastructure is designed for maximum uptime and fault tolerance through redundancy.

Each validator typically operates on two to three leased servers across different providers (Scaleway, OVH, Latitude) and geolocations (France, UK, Germany).

If decentralization requirements demand it, we can deploy nodes in APAC or South America.

Regulatory Compliance:
We hold a French VASP license, ensuring adherence to strict financial regulations.

Regular audits, including surprise inspections, are conducted by ACPR (Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority).

Additional Improvements & Optimizations:
We continuously evaluate and optimize our infrastructure for efficiency and decentralization.

We remain adaptable to network upgrades, new consensus mechanisms, and client diversity to enhance resilience.

Thanks,
Meria Team