Introducing the Community Council

Governance Community Council
1

GM, Astar community! :dizzy:

We’re thrilled to introduce the Astar Community Council, a governance body that represents the collective voice and interests of our growing ecosystem. The Community Council will play a pivotal role in ensuring that Astar remains a community-driven project with transparent and efficient decision-making processes.

:key: What is the Astar Community Council?

The Astar Community Council is a governance body consisting of 6 members from across the ecosystem:

  • 2 Core Team Members: Selected by the Astar Foundation.
  • 2 Ecosystem Agents: Elected internally within the Agent group.
  • 2 Community Representatives: Chosen by the broader Astar community through a public nomination and voting process.

This structure has been carefully designed as an initial setup to ensure that the Council benefits from a variety of perspectives, skills, and experiences during its formative stages. By including members from different stakeholder categories, the Council aims to:

  • Represent diverse viewpoints across the ecosystem.
  • Leverage the unique skills and expertise of each group.
  • Create a balanced foundation for decision-making and governance.

However, this structure is not fixed. As the Council evolves and the ecosystem grows, adjustments will be made to meet the changing needs of the community. The 2-2-2 composition is a starting point, but future iterations may see members selected without strict adherence to these categories, allowing for greater flexibility and inclusivity.

Such changes will be proposed and decided upon through community governance, ensuring transparency and collective input in shaping the Council’s long-term structure.

:hammer_and_wrench: Responsibilities of the Community Council

The Community Council’s core responsibilities include:

  1. Community Treasury Management: Allocating funds to projects and initiatives that support ecosystem growth and sustainability.
  2. dApp Staking Management: Evaluating applications, proposing guidelines, and overseeing staking operations tied to the community treasury.
  3. Unstoppable Community Grant (UCG) Program: Reviewing and awarding grants to projects that contribute to Astar’s long-term vision.
  4. Ecosystem Agent Tips: Assessing and approving requests for Ecosystem Agent compensation from the community treasury.
  5. Governance Participation: Acting as stewards of Astar’s decentralized governance processes to uphold transparency and trust.

The Council is empowered with specific on-chain privileges that enable it to play a role in managing key aspects of the ecosystem. These privileges include:

  1. Registering a dApp in the dApp Staking Protocol

    • The Council can register new dApps into dApp staking.
    • Requires a 2/3 majority agreement among Council members.

  2. Unregistering a dApp from the dApp Staking Protocol

    • The Council can unregister a dApp from dApp staking if necessary.
    • Requires a 4/5 majority agreement for additional scrutiny and consensus.

  3. Utilizing dApp Staking on Behalf of the Community Treasury (UCG)

    • The Council can manage (proxy) the Community Treasury in dApp staking to support ecosystem growth and projects.
    • Requires a 2/3 majority agreement.

  4. Approving or Rejecting Spending Requests from the Community Treasury

    • The Council is responsible for overseeing community treasury spending decisions.
    • Requires a 2/3 majority agreement to ensure alignment with the community’s best interests.

:gear: Commitment to the Astar Community

Serving on the Astar Community Council is not just an honorary position—it is a responsibility toward the community. Members must:

  • Dedicate ~10-12 hours per week to Council work, including reviewing proposals, participating in discussions, and attending calls.
  • Actively engage with the community and ecosystem stakeholders.
  • Be transparent, ethical, and impartial in all decisions.
  • Work for the community. This is a role of service, and candidates must fully understand and accept this commitment before applying.

If you are considering applying, ensure you are prepared to meet these expectations. Elected members will be held accountable for their performance and contributions.

:moneybag: Compensation for Council Members

To recognize the time and effort required, we are proposing that Council members receive $800 in ASTR tokens per month as compensation, calculated using the EMA30 of ASTR’s value on the payment day. Compensation will be distributed quarterly by the Main Council on a pro-rata basis, based on the number of days each member has been active and elected during the given period.

Key Calculations and Reasoning for $800/Month Compensation

Community Treasury Wallet: Subscan | Astar Account Details

Treasury Income & Expenditure

  • Current Treasury balance: 105,060,083 ASTR.
  • Yearly Earnings from dApp Staking (15% APY): 15,759,012.45 ASTR.

Proposed $800/Month Compensation

  • Total Annual Cost for 6 Council Members:
    • 800USD Ă— 6 members Ă— 12 months=57,600USD/year.
  • In ASTR terms (at $0.076 per ASTR), this equals approximately 757,894.74 ASTR/year.

Proportion of Treasury Earnings

The $800/month compensation represents approximately 5% of yearly earnings from dApp staking, ensuring a conservative allocation of resources while leaving ample funds for other critical initiatives such as grants, operational costs, and ecosystem growth.

Hard Cap for ASTR Payouts

To manage risks associated with market volatility, a hard cap of 18,000 ASTR/month per council member has been introduced:

  • This cap ensures the treasury is not overly strained in case of significant price fluctuations (e.g., if ASTR’s price drops to $0.04).
  • It provides predictability in compensation, aligning with sustainable treasury management principles.

This compensation reflects the Council’s responsibilities and the need for active, sustained participation.

:arrows_counterclockwise: Rotation and Elections

The Community Council operates on a 6-month rotation cycle, ensuring active engagement and opportunities for fresh perspectives:

  • Existing members can reapply for their positions, but inactive or underperforming members may be replaced through elections or governance votes.
  • Elections for Community Representatives will be conducted via Astar Subsquare, allowing all ASTR holders to vote and participate in the governance process.

:clipboard: Election Process

Here’s how you can participate in shaping the future of Astar’s governance:

  1. Submit Your Candidacy: Candidates must create a Candidacy Post on the Astar Forum (using the Community Council category), detailing:

Title of the post: [Community Council Application - CANDIDATE NAME]

  • Name & Timezone
  • Qualifications: Highlight your skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the Council’s responsibilities.
  • Background: Share your history of contributions to Astar and the broader ecosystem.
  • Motivation: Explain why you want to join the Council and what inspires you to contribute to Astar’s growth.
  • Plans: Outline your goals and plans for your term on the Council. What do you hope to achieve? How will you represent the community’s interests?
  • Track Record: Provide examples of your past work, contributions, or initiatives within Astar or similar ecosystems.
  • Availability: Confirm that you can dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to Council responsibilities.
  • Potential Conflicts of Interest: Disclose any affiliations or interests that might impact your impartiality.
  • Onchain Identity: Candidates must have a verified onchain identity. You can contact @Gaius_sama on Telegram or Discord for assistance with getting your identity verified. Add your onchain address to your candidacy.
  1. Community Review: The community will have an opportunity to review and discuss candidacies before voting begins.
  2. Voting Period: Elections will be conducted via Astar Subsquare, where all ASTR holders can vote for their preferred representatives.

Term

Community Council members will serve a term until a new election is held, no later than July 1st, 2025. This provides a clear timeframe for governance rotation and ensures a steady influx of fresh ideas and perspectives to drive the ecosystem forward.

Election Timeline

  • December 10, 2024: Announcement of the election process.
  • December 19, 2024: Deadline for candidacy submissions.
  • December 22, 2024: End of community discussion on candidates.
  • December 23, 2024: Start of voting.
  • December 30, 2024: Close of voting and announcement of results.
  • January 1, 2025: New Council members take onchain office and begin their term.

:globe_with_meridians: Join the Movement

The Astar Community Council represents a significant step toward building a decentralized, transparent, and innovative ecosystem. Whether you’re interested in running for a position or actively participating in the election, your involvement matters.

Together, let’s shape the future of Astar and empower our ecosystem to achieve its full potential. :muscle:

:speech_balloon: Have questions or suggestions? Share them in this disccusion!

For an in-depth technical explanation of Astar Governance v1, please refer to the Astar documentation or blog:

The Astar Foundation

9 Likes
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This is a great step forward in the decentralized governance of Astar! The Astar Community Council is structured and transparent, and the 2-2-2 composition ensures that the three key stakeholders in the ecosystem are represented.

This highly outlines the responsibility, especially in treasury and dApp staking management, as part of a well-thought-out vision for sustainable growth. The proposed compensation plan is fair and sustainable, reflecting strong accountability to the community and community-driven development.

Looking forward to this initiative bringing innovation and inclusivity to Astar’s ecosystem. Let’s BUIDL together!

1 Like
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Who will decide the 2 members from Astar Foundation? Is this also a public vote or is this more decided on those who are involved in the community of Astar?

Can AstarHood also apply for the community representatives? The reason why I’m asking is that this account is relative new and don’t want to frontrun any community OGs with their application :blush:

4

Finally, we are making great progress toward on-chain governance!
By the way, in your previous blog, I think the Community Council consisted of 3 members from each category, for a total of 9 members, but now you are saying that it has changed to 2 members each, for a total of 6 members?

5

I also noticed the point that you425 mentioned. The total number of people changed from nine to six, so I thought the parameter was reduced. Indeed, I felt that six people are about right compared to nine.

6

This is correct.

After internal discussions, we’ve decided to reduce the number of seats from 9 to 6. We believe a smaller group will be easier to form and offer more flexibility in agreeing on topics or reaching a consensus.

4 Likes
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As for the two Astar Foundation members, they will be chosen from among members who are already active in Astar governance and the community, as well as on the basis of their own willingness and interest in joining the Community Council.

1 Like
8

Thank you very much.
You are right, six may be enough.

9

Thanks for the clarification G. I agree that the 2,2,2 formula is more streamlined, quicker and more functional, especially in this initial phase. 6 members are a fair compromise (in terms of number) to have a reactive board that is able to make decisions quickly and compactly

10

Great, wait for this for a long time, although Astar is decentralized a specialized point of view is needed and this is given by a council, I am glad to see figures like this emerge that will support decentralized governance, this way direct control is exercised to reward good actors and drive away bad actors.

11

I would ask for doxxing community members before they join the council seat.

12

Hello @pitcoin777 ,

By the way, to what extent do you mean by “doxxing” in this context?
The reason for my question is that I feel we, as agents, have not fully disclosed our identities at this point.