Key Takeaways
- The Lido group is contemplating a brand new strategy to protocol decision-making known as twin governance.
- At present, solely LDO holders can vote on selections; the brand new strategy would give stETH holders veto rights as effectively.
- The plan additionally seeks to solidify elements of the Lido protocol by inserting them exterior the management of the Lido DAO.
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The Lido group is discussing a possible change in governance that might make the most of each of the protocol’s tokens.
All Holders Might Have a Governance Position
The Lido group is suggesting a brand new strategy known as dual governance. It goals to resolve conflicts of curiosity between holders of staked ETH (stETH) and Lido (LDO) tokens.
The proposal initially needs to “introduce a dispute and backbone mechanism for misaligned incentives” by giving each varieties of belongings a job to play in governance selections.
At current, solely those that maintain the LDO token have the best to take part in governance. Which means LDO holders have collective management over most technical facets of the protocol. As such, they might probably collude to improve the stETH contract in a means that exploits stETH holders.
stETH tokens are distributed to customers who deposit ETH and are meant to be used on DeFi companies. The brand new proposal would add an extra governance function for these belongings: stETH tokens would maintain veto and anti-veto powers, giving holders the power to counter the choices of the Lido DAO.
This strategy would create a “checks and balances” system seen in lots of world governments, which depend on the separation of powers to forestall hazardous selections from coming into legislation.
Along with introducing this twin voting system, the proposal goals to “cut back the scope of governance … by way of ossification.” This implies the proposal would solidify a few of the parameters of the protocol—unchangeable to even the Lido DAO itself.
Nonetheless, ossification is not going to instantly be attainable, and the proposal will concentrate on twin governance at first.
Plan Is Effectively-Regarded, However Not Remaining
Sam Kozin, Lido’s Lead Good Contract Developer, put ahead an idea for twin governance on Jun. 10. The workforce should nonetheless create a extra technical model of the proposal earlier than a vote takes place. No date for voting has been introduced but.
The proposal has been well-received inside Lido and related circles. Lido co-founder Cobie (Jordan Fish) stated that “the purpose of LDO needs to be to attenuate its personal means to affect over time.” He added that this relinquishing of energy will end in “the very best progress [and] longevity potential.”
Some have prompt that the plan marks a wholly new strategy to DeFi governance. Hasu, a Paradigm-based researcher who co-authored the protocol, called it a “revolutionary proposal for Lido Finance and DeFi normally.”
Lido is slowly changing into a sufferer of its personal success, as greater than 30% of the overall ETH provide has been staked by the protocol. This has created considerations concerning the energy the protocol might have over the Ethereum community itself.
The Lido group additionally thought-about limiting the protocol’s share of ETH in Might to confront that downside.
Disclosure: On the time of writing, the creator of this piece owned ETH and several other different cryptocurrencies.