AIP-196: BORED AIP: Bringing Order and Reliability via Ecosystem Decentralization

PROPOSAL NAME

BORED AIP: Bringing Order and Reliability via Ecosystem Decentralization

PROPOSAL CATEGORY

Ecosystem Fund Allocation

ABSTRACT

The expiration of the APE Foundation’s administrator contract for the second time in 2022 has magnified the need to develop internal capabilities and avoid reliance on any external resource that could result in a single point of failure in the DAO. This AIP represents progress over perfection – the only thing possible in this messy and amazing world of decentralized governance we love.

Compared to the costs of the previous version of this proposal – the above expenses represent a savings to the DAO of $372,812 over the 3-month period. It’s important to note that there will be other expenses related to WG0, but their allocation will be based fully on specific budget requests made by WG0 Stewards and subject to the approval of the Special Council.

AUTHORS

Authors: 0xSword, AdventurousApe, AlexM, Amplify, Badteeth, Bored.eth, BoredApeG, Brooklyn, 8uddha, DrJDR, Gerry, Halina, Lost, Mantis, NFTC, NovoCrypto, RedVulkan, SSP, Vera, Waabam, ZastrowBradley, j-mart, wapow, wrongplace, 12GAUGE
Updated title courtesy of CoachMcGuirk

MOTIVATION

Summary

The problem:

  1. Per AIP-113, the current APE Foundation administrator contract expires December 31, 2022
  2. There is an imperative need to maintain continuity and compliance of APE Foundation operations
  3. ApeCoin DAO does not currently have the organizational structure or capabilities to execute any internal operations

The solution:

  1. Extend contract with current APE Foundation administrator (Cartan Group, LLC.) two months to maintain continuity and compliance
  2. Implement a transparent Request for Proposals (“RFP”) process to identify future APE Foundation administrators during the extension period (January 1 - February 28, 2022). If necessary, complete handover to future DAO administrator
  3. Form interim working group composed of key DAO stakeholders tasked with developing DAO working group structures and internal capabilities

RATIONALE

Summary

Along with implementing a transparent RFP process to find the next APE Foundation administrator, we’re motivated to further the decentralization of the DAO by creating a working group composed of key stakeholders. These stakeholders are community members who have shown commitment to the DAO through either participation in the governance process or willingness to hold significant amounts of $APE and all their voices are valuable in determining the future of ApeCoin DAO.

When we create a foundational and operational alignment of the stakeholders within this working group, we will further realize our core mission to serve as a more decentralized protocol layer for community-led initiatives that drive culture forward into the metaverse and continue to actively support the growth of the $APE ecosystem.

We have avoided granular specificity in this proposal for one very simple reason – we don’t know what we don’t know. Until we’re able to get under the hood with the current DAO administrator we won’t have a clear understanding of all the tasks we’re about to undertake. That is why we’ve established a clear way to assemble our first official working group of key stakeholders, who will then have a per wallet vote on the direction of the DAO for an intentionally short 3-month period, that will give us the structure and capabilities we need to take on any challenges we face in the future.

To summarize, it’s imperative to note that there are certain roles and responsibilities that a Cayman Foundation Administrator must legally fill for the ApeCoin DAO. The current DAO Administrator (Cartan) is filling those roles as well as items that are out of their initial scope of work. The aim of creating working groups is to fill in the areas that are out of scope for the current DAO Administrator (Cartan) and any future Administrators of the ApeCoin DAO going forward.

KEY TERMS

Summary
  1. Working Group: A working group is a group of individuals who have come together to work on a specific task or project. Working groups are typically formed to address a specific issue or problem, and they often have a specific goal or objective in mind. Members of a working group may be experts in a particular field or may represent different perspectives and viewpoints. Working groups are often used in organizations to facilitate collaboration and problem-solving, and they may be composed of employees, volunteers, or a combination of both. Working groups may be temporary or permanent, and they may be formally established by an organization or informally created by a group of individuals.

  2. Stakeholder / Key Stakeholder: Community members who have met any of the three following requirements:
    a. ApeCoin DAO members who have achieved Trust Level Status 2 (Member) or higher on ApeCoin Discourse (the Official communication platform for DAO functions) on or before December 21, 2022; or
    b. $APE holders who have voted on at least 50% of the AIPs that have gone to Snapshot; or
    c. $APE holders with 50,000 APE or more in voting power on or before December 21, 2022.

  3. Working Group Zero (or “WG0”): WG0 is an interim working group in ApeCoin DAO with a 3-month mandate to decentralize and operationalize the DAO. WG0 is composed of key stakeholders who have shown commitment to the DAO through either participation in the governance process or willingness to hold significant amounts of $APE and all their voices are valuable in determining the future of ApeCoin DAO. Along with specific operational tasks, WG0 will propose Official ApeCoin DAO Working Groups that will assume the responsibilities of WG0 upon the expiration of its mandate.

  4. Official ApeCoin DAO Working Groups: Official ApeCoin DAO Working Groups will be proposed by WG0 and serve to decentralize and operationalize DAO functions.

  5. Focus Groups: WG0 members will be expected to organize into focus groups based on particular domain expertise amongst the membership of WG0.
    a. Priority focus groups will be Operations, Governance, and Communications in order to effectively execute against the mandate of WG0.
    b. As subject matter experts, lead participants of any working groups currently approved by AIP, or in AIP Draft status, will form the core membership focus groups in their specific domain, if they so desire, for the duration of WG0. E.g. Boring Security, will form the core of the Security Focus Group, ApeComms will form the core of the Communications Focus Group, IRL Events will form the core of the Events Focus Group, et al.
    c. Additional focus groups will convene around any specific domains as desired by the members of WG0.
    d. The above does not preclude any WG0 participants from participating in any domain specific focus group.

  6. Steward: A total of seven members who serve Working Group Zero on behalf of the DAO. They perform administrative oversight, are responsible for budgeting based on the needs of WG0 as approved by the Special Council, and they are responsible for reporting on all WG0 activities between the Special Council, the Administrators, and the Community during the 3-month mandate of WG0.

  7. Steward Election Window / Election Window: The period between January 7th and January 14th in which WG0 will elect four of the seven total Stewards of WG0.

SPECIFICATIONS

DAO Administrator Functions Under 2-month Extension:

Summary
  1. Cartan Group LLC (“Cartan”) will continue to provide APE Foundation administration services as initially detailed in AIP-1 then extended in AIP-113, for the period January 1, 2023 - February 28, 2023.

  2. Cartan will assist the interim ApeCoin DAO working group (“Working Group Zero” or “WG0”) in determining and transitioning all functions that don’t explicitly require a Cayman foundation administrator to the DAO on a schedule as determined by WG0. WG0, in consultation with the Special Council of the APE Foundation, will determine which tasks explicitly require a Cayman foundation administrator.

  3. Cartan will assist WG0 in running a transparent RFP process to elect the next DAO administrator by sharing all relevant information related to the administration of the APE Foundation with WG0. Cartan is not precluded from submitting a proposal under the RFP process that will be evaluated on its merit along with all other applicants.

  4. Cartan will assist WG0 in transitioning APE Foundation administration to the next administrator in the case that they are not willing or elected to serve as the APE Foundation administrator following the conclusion of the RFP process.

Interim Working Group Functions Under 3-month Mandate:

Summary
  1. Working Group Zero will determine and submit a budget to the Special Council on a monthly basis for approval to execute the functions transitioned from the current APE Foundation administrator and complete the additional functions listed below during the 3-month interim period. The first month’s budget will be pre-approved up to US$44,710 in order to be able to begin executing immediately upon the start of the interim term January 4, 2023. WG0 will review budget requests weekly with the Special Council throughout the interim term. Any money not allocated to expenses approved by the Special Council during the interim term will be returned to the APE Foundation.

  2. WG0 will determine and transition all functions that don’t explicitly require a Cayman foundation administrator to the DAO on a schedule as determined by WG0. Due to the corporate structure of the APE Foundation it is not legal for WG0 to take on all of the responsibilities of any Cayman foundation administrator.

  3. WG0 will run a transparent RFP process to elect the next DAO administrator in Q1 2023.

  4. WG0 will propose recommendations for the extension or evolution of AIP-1 prior to its next expiration.

  5. WG0 will propose future Official ApeCoin DAO Working Group guidelines and objectives via AIP that will also delegate all WG0 responsibilities to said working groups by the end of the 3-month term and dissolve.

STEPS TO IMPLEMENT

DAO Administration

Summary

The APE Foundation will contract Cartan Group, LLC. for the 2-month period January 1, 2023 through February 28, 2023 under the specifications listed above in “DAO Administrator Functions Under 2-month Extension.”

Interim Working Group

Summary

The work-related activities of the ApeCoin DAO should take place within decentralized working groups. The future working groups will each have a specific focus area, budget and mandate, aligned with the needs, mission statement, and guiding values of the ApeCoin DAO.

This proposal will create an interim working group, tentatively named Working Group Zero, with a conceptual mandate of operationalizing the DAO, empowering and rewarding community members for domain expertise and work on DAO operations, while taking further steps towards decentralizing the DAO in order to eliminate single points of failure in core DAO operations.

This AIP establishes Working Group Zero as a 3-month trial under the specifications listed above in, “Interim Working Group Functions Under 3-month Mandate” to assess the effectiveness of the initial working group structure so we can iterate and improve as necessary.

Key Stakeholders Eligible to Participate in Working Group Zero:

Summary

To ensure participants in the working group have the necessary prior experience and skin in the game with ApeCoin DAO we propose the following eligibility criteria:

  1. ApeCoin DAO members who have achieved Trust Level Status 2 (Member) or higher on ApeCoin Discourse (the Official communication platform for DAO functions) on or before December 21, 2022; or

  2. $APE holders who have voted on at least 50% of the AIPs that have gone to Snapshot; or

  3. $APE holders with 50,000 APE or more in voting power and have voted on at least one AIP on or before December 21, 2022.

Stewards:

Summary

A total of seven members who serve within Working Group Zero on behalf of the DAO.

  1. Stewards are responsible for:
    a. Administrative oversight
    b. Budgeting based on the needs of WG0 as approved by the Special Council
    c. Reporting on all WG0 activities between the Special Council, the Administrators, and the Community.

  2. The APE Foundation Special Council will appoint three Stewards from amongst ApeCoin DAO members who have achieved Trust Level Status 3 (Regular) on ApeCoin Discourse on or before December 21, 2022, to lead the priority focus groups – Operations, Governance, Communications.
    a. The purpose of this appointment is to be able to have resources in place to hit the ground running immediately upon the commencement of this interim mandate.
    b. While the Special Council will appoint the first three Stewards, they will not be eligible to vote in the election of the remaining four Stewards.

  3. WG0 will elect the four remaining Stewards from amongst WG0 participants in a process to be completed no later than January 14, 2023, detailed below.

  4. Prior to taking their position as a Steward in WG0, all potential Stewards must pass AML and KYC checks. These are the same checks that anyone running for Special Council had to pass.

  5. Special Council members cannot serve in the position of Steward.

Steward Elections:

Summary

To ensure the integrity of Steward elections, a Snapshot Space will be set up by the authors of this AIP with the “Whitelist” strategy listed here: https://docs.snapshotx.xyz/protocol/voting-strategies#whitelist

  1. Authors of this AIP will publish a post titled: “WG0: A Call for Contributors” in the General category on Discourse which formally asks the community to register their interest in either voting during WG0 elections, or becoming a Steward of WG0.
    a. All members of WG0 are eligible to vote during the election window for Stewards, but those members qualifying through the Trust Level 2 Discourse criteria will need to provide their ETH Address to the author of “WG0: A Call for Contributors” in order to have their address included in the Snapshot Space before January 7th, 2023.

  2. Authors of this AIP will gather the ETH addresses in the following ways:
    a. A historical snapshot of holders of APE on Dec 21st with 50,000 or more in voting power who have voted on at least one AIP.
    b. A historical snapshot of holders of APE on Dec 21st that have voted on 50% or more of all AIPs.
    c. The authors will request ETH addresses from all participants in Trust Level 2 or above who wish to vote or run for Steward. This list will be used to verify that a user registering their interest is eligible to participate and vote on the Steward elections.

  3. Stewards may be removed at any time by:
    a. A two-thirds majority vote among WG0, with the outcome of the vote communicated in the ApeCoin DAO governance forum.
    b. Stewards may step down from their position at any time by communicating their intention to step down in the ApeCoin DAO governance forum.

  4. In the event that a Steward is removed, steps down, or is unable to continue as a Steward, for whatever reason, any temporary vacant positions will be filled by a contributor within WG0, as voted on by WG0.

TIMELINE

Summary

If approved, this AIP shall go into effect January 4, 2023 for a time period of 3 months.

  • The three Stewards for the Operations, Governance, and Communications focus groups within WG0 will be selected by the Special Council on January 4, 2023.

  • The window in which members of the community can register their interest in voting on Steward elections and be registered as a voter on the Snapshot Space is January 6, 2023.

  • The election window for WG0 Stewards will be live on a TBA custom Snapshot Space January 7, 2023 until January 14, 2023.

  • The RFP process and the future Cayman-based DAO administrator will be in place by March 1, 2023 barring any unforeseen delays.

OVERALL COSTS

Summary

The monthly cost for DAO Administrative Functions under this AIP are as below. All amounts are denominated in USD and payable in ApeCoin based on the previous 30-day average exchange rate. Any expenses beyond what are described below will not be allocated to Working Group Zero without approval of the Special Council:

Compared to the costs of the previous version of this proposal – the above expenses represent a savings to the DAO of $372,812 over the 3-month period. It’s important to note that there will be other expenses related to WG0, but their allocation will be based fully on specific requests made by WG0 Stewards and subject to the approval of the Special Council.

CHANGELOG

20221223 Update

Summary
  • Title changed
  • Reduced APE Foundation administration expenses by $225,000 during the 3-month term
  • Cost savings recalculated to reflect 50% cut in monthly pay to current DAO administrator along with reducing term by one month from 3 to 2 months for a minimum total savings of 60% over prior proposal
  • Authors: Alucard0x changed to Mantis, jmart changed to j-mart
  • New title credit added for Coach McGuirk
  • Removed AIP-1 extension after discussion with Special Council who confirmed AIP-1 processes remain in effect until changed by future AIP
  • Changed current Ape Foundation administrator extension term to 2 months instead of three
  • Changed Working Group v0 to Working Group Zero or WG0 to reflect typical usage
  • Changed “create” to “propose” where necessary when it comes to WG0 recommendations as WG0 has no power to create any official changes without sending to AIP for vote
  • Added definition and structure to priority focus groups – Operations, Governance, Communications
  • Reduced WG0 first month budget max approval from $150,000 to $85,000
  • Clarified description of Discourse Trust Level to reflect TL2 (Member) or higher
  • Updated WG0 requirements to reflect specific date (December 21, 2022) this AIP Idea was published to avoid gaming requirements for participation
  • Further defined SC appointed Stewards to reflect their need to have domain expertise in the priority focus groups – Operations, Governance, Communications
  • Changed deadline for start date of future APE Foundation administrator to March 1, 2023 from April 1, 2023
  • Provided further clarification that this is the maximum budget ask during the 3-month term

20221228 Update

Summary
  • Updated budget to reflect that bulk of WG0 expenses must be requested by Stewards and approved by Special Council.
  • Added Stakeholder / Key Stakeholder definition to clarify that they are community members that meet WG0 participation criteria
  • Added definition of Steward Election Window
  • Reduced first months budget pre-approval by $40,290
  • Changed BORED AIP mandate period to begin January 4, 2023 to reflect earliest possible date of implementation following vote
  • Added in provision that 50k $APE holders had to have voted at least once to participate on WG0
  • Updated Stewards section
    • Added deadline to achieve TL3 status in line with all other snapshot dates
    • Clarified that SC will appoint first three WG0 Stewards, but cannot vote on next four Stewards
    • Added AML and KYC requirements for Stewards
  • Added description of Steward Election process
  • Added Steward election dates to TIMELINE
  • Clarified the cost section to reflect that any expenses beyond what is described in OVERALL COSTS must be requested by WG0 Stewards and approved by Special Council

20221229 Update

Summary
  • Corrected 8uddha’s name in author section
  • Updated budget - DAO Administrator first month compensation adjusted to $125,000 to reflect new information received regarding transition tasks
14 Likes

I’m excited and proud of the work that many DAO contributors put into this AIP over the last 96 hours.

To provide a little context, this AIP was developed in consultation with 3 of the current members of Special Council, staff members at Cartan, and a number of significant delegates and larger voters in the ApeCoin community. We held numerous meetings with these groups over the last four days, and shared multiple drafts of the AIP with different groups, individuals and teams within the DAO, including ApeComms.

The goal has been to find a solution that has alignment between the most active members of the DAO, notably all of us here on Discourse, and the large delegates and voters who ultimately decide whether a proposal is passed or not.

Given the huge amount of uncertainty in the present situation, we thought it was important to craft a solution that addresses the urgent need for continuity of governance, while baking in flexibility for the community to develop decentralized working groups going forward.

I’m looking forward to hearing the communities feedback over the next 7 days, and more excited than ever about the future of ApeCoin DAO.

29 Likes

It’s clear a ton of work has gone into this proposal this past week. From phone calls to Discord messages, the amount of time the authors have put in has been admirable.

While the DAO currently faces a great amount of uncertainty, further decentralizing administrative tasks and functions while establishing working groups will be good for the DAO in the long run.

Getting and listening to feedback from the community both on and off Discourse will be key.

20 Likes

So much work has been put into this AIP Idea for the past week, this proposal has been the product of countless hours of discussion and deliberation between community members and we look forward to hearing more thoughts & feedback!!

Thank you for reading, and we’re exciting to build together and push the DAO forwards to thrilling new heights!

-Halina.eth :cherry_blossom:

16 Likes

When put into a difficult situation, the DAO stepped up and worked as a group to find intelligent solutions to complex problems. A lot of smart people worked hard on this and I think ApeCoin will be well-positioned for 2023! :rocket:

12 Likes

If nothing else, I appreciate you taking my suggestion of using the “Hide Details” Discourse function. Definitely makes things easier to read!! And could I get the @alucard in the authors changed to @Mantis ?

I think this proposal is a great alternative to what we had going on. Let’s see what a more decentralized effort can do.

11 Likes

For me reading this just reinforces my concern that an elected OVERSIGHT team, championing inclusiveness and fairness is needed more than ever.

Just so the wider community can have an idea, the criteria you have put in place, what numbers are we talking about?

3 Likes

I would like to make a same request as @Mantis,

We appreciate you taking ours suggestion of using the “Hide Details” Discourse function. Mantis requested “I could I get the @alucard in the authors changed to @Mantis ?”

I would like to politely ask if you can consider adding @apeancestor and @mantis to the Authors group:

3 Likes

Insane greed and corruption is killing the DAO, and I don’t know how to help it.

2 Likes

Thanks for getting something out so quickly @badteeth , Dec 31 is just around the corner.

Something I must have missed during the draft and where I’d truly appreciate some clarity is with #7:


As an active contributor to the DAO that has proposed and completed an AIP (AIP-64 and Recap), which was a feasibility study conducted to help determine and shape what is ultimately now a Decentralized Working Group for IRL Events - I’m just wondering, does the directive above give WGv0 the authority to reject our work done to date?

Our Decentralized WGIP (Working Group in Progress), which includes members from all over (Asia, UK, EU, USA), has been at this for a couple of months now and has basically been delayed from being published due to the staking drama, the Nominations/Election process and the Cartan Group AIP.

Do you envision some leeway being given for existing WGIPs or is there a hard-stop to all Working Groups until WGv0’s work is done, which in essence could delay WGIPs a further 3 months?


Thanks for your speedy reply and flexibility.

SSP :v:t4:

9 Likes

This point can be simplified:

  1. ApeCoin DAO members who have achieved Trust Level Status 2 (Member) or higher, on ApeCoin Discourse (the Official communication platform for DAO functions) on or before the day that this AIP is published as an “AIP Idea”; or

Unnecessary to even mention Trust Level 3 if Trust level 2 is eligible, all those with higher levels qualify, as there is also a level 4.

7 Likes

Initially got mixed up with the finer points - @badteeth kindly corrected me.

Seeing three month proposal initially, inclusive selection process, several members of the community I trust involved - so I am looking forward to 2023 and think this will pass.

5 Likes

It is clear an enormous amount of work has gone into this proposal. I know it required grit, intelligence, collaboration, compromise, and - above all - passion for our DAO community. Thanks to all of you for putting this together in such a short amount of time. It is a well-crafted next important step forward!

6 Likes

A lot of work behind the scenes, exemplary responsiveness, congratulations to all the members who contributed to this proposal.

Here is the best way to prove that the community is stronger than anything.

Eager to be able to contribute and get things done.

8 Likes

Good to see that we have a plan after Cartan’s AIP got rejected. My question is, what are the differences between DAO administrators, stewards, and operation expenses? They sound similar to each other. Are stewards not admins of the DAO?

5 Likes

Thank you for your support and comments @ChrisL,

Currently the way our DAO is structured is we consist of 3 parts that, together, form 'The DAO." We have the Cayman Islands Foundation, which is a legal entity in which Cartan are the Administrators. We then have the Special Council, and finally we have token holders.

Cartan is currently contracted to facilitate the operations of a Caymans foundation, while also facilitating “the process” laid out in AIP-1 which illustrates how an AIP goes from Idea to Snapshot. The overall goal of WGv0 is to learn and gather the resources needed to facilitate both an RFP process for a new Caymans administrator, as well as gathering resources for newly formed working groups to start taking on the responsibilities Cartan would be leaving behind, namely facilitating “the process” in AIP-1.

So while we have off-chain governance, we need Cartan to continue doing what they’re doing for up to 3 months or until we can form a new “Meta-Governance” working group to take on these responsibilities. The alternative is we go the full-blown on-chain governance route where anyone with x amount of APE can propose an AIP and we introduce a quorum needed to pass on-chain governance.

11 Likes

Incredible the work that this has had to carry out and in such a short time. My most sincere thanks to @badteeth and all the authors for what you have done for the whole community :clap: :clap: :clap:

7 Likes

Move to implement a full-blown on-chain governance route would be the greatest steps to start decentralization the DAO.

I would love to get involved, and be a part of the team to initiate a pilot project from defining the framework structures to developing, testing and implementing such on-chain governance system.

Is it possible to take this idea and create the AIP? Can we create a working group with 3-5 ApeCoin community members who have the same love to get involved. Financial incentive is not necessary but getting support and guidelines from at least one of the ApeCoin leadership team is a must. What do you think?

7 Likes

Good thing I did that tutorial :wink:

I’ve tried to edit a couple names that are incorrect but it errs out bc it’s over the 10 person tag limit. Had to take out the @ s to make it work

@Apeancestor the authors were people that contributed to the working docs as we edited, not forward looking. Alucard was Mantis prior name, we’re not adding anyone new now, but we appreciate your feedback.

I know how much this means to both of you!

5 Likes

The whole point of WGv0 is to put the structures in place to create good governance, we fully anticipate a governance working group evolving from this plan.

As it stands there were 122 Members and 16 Regulars at the time this was posted. There are around 5k wallets with at least 50k $APE. It’s not clear how many people from either of these groups would participate in WGv0, but we’re up for the challenge engaging all the stakeholders that believe in the DAO in order to set up structures for success moving forward.

Key note is that WGv0 will be voting on a per wallet, not per token basis.

7 Likes