In Might, Zooko introduced that ECC had restructured to raised serve the pursuits of Zcash whereas decreasing prices and rising sustainability of the group. In that submit, he summarized two classes of our efforts shifting ahead: additional rising Zcash decentralization and focusing ECC. This submit is meant to supply extra element and an replace on our present plans. We welcome the group’s suggestions.
Rising Zcash decentralization
Our goal within the additional decentralization of Zcash is to meaningfully enhance Zcash’s resilience with out unduly rising centralization danger. An instance of a change that will not enhance resilience can be transferring duty to the Zcash Basis (ZF). As a result of ZF manages the Zcash trademark, its Zcash Neighborhood Advisory Panel, and the Zcash Neighborhood Discussion board, and since they now provide their very own consensus node (Zebra), including extra reliance on ZF wouldn’t make Zcash extra resilient in opposition to single factors of failure.
Transitioning among the work ECC owns, or has owned prior to now, to others locally will:
- Enhance Zcash sustainability and resilience, by means of a better distribution of duty
- Enhance goodwill and accountability with the group
- Enhance alternatives for others who’ve demonstrated dependable participation within the ecosystem
- Free ECC to give attention to enhancements to the mission that we’re uniquely certified to ship
This course of will take time, as ECC develops and rolls out mechanisms to make sure capabilities transition easily and safely to trusted members locally.
Transitioning some tasks could appear counterintuitive, as ECC’s existence depends upon Zcash group funding. Nevertheless, it’s exactly as a result of our funding comes from the group that we’re certain to honor one of the best pursuits of ZEC holders with good stewardship and management.
Focusing ECC
Our mission is to empower all individuals with financial freedom, and our “North Star” is delivering a world class UX for ZEC. Within the close to to mid time period, as introduced, we’re centered on empowering ZEC holders and giving them a voice.
This particularly consists of the next aims:
- Create a wonderful consumer expertise for proof-of-stake ZEC
- Construct and help a business pockets — constructed by and for Zcashers — that’s straightforward to make use of and accessible for anybody
- Construct and help a mobile-wallet SDK that’s helpful to different Zcash builders
- Guarantee ZEC, self-custody, and staking stay viable within the USA by means of centered coverage work
Timeline and specifics
ECC makes use of an OKR course of for prioritizing and delivering measurable work on four-month cycles. Usually, our phrases are: February – Might (Time period 1), June – September (Time period 2), and October – January (Time period 3). On account of ECC’s restructuring and our give attention to exiting emergency mode, we moved the kickoff date of Time period 2 to July 10. Time period 3 will kick off, as typical, in October.
Time period 2, 2023
The priorities set for the rest of Time period 2 are:
Earlier than the tip of July
- Exit emergency mode
- Launch the Z.money web site, model 3.0 (accomplished)
- Launch the brand new ECC SDKs (iOS and Android), model 1.0
- Launch the brand new ECC business pockets, model 1.0
- Launch model 0.1 of our proof-of-stake design suggestions
The lionshare of our instant focus stays on exiting “emergency mode,” which we anticipate can be potential this month, relying on how rapidly wallets are in a position to combine with our new SDK.
The brand new ECC SDKs will help pre-sync fund availability.
ECC’s pockets can be introduced and made accessible for early testing. This launch can be an expert, however no-frills, fundamental pockets that can function the inspiration on which to satisfy the particular wants and needs of Zcashers. We’ll drive characteristic growth based mostly on ZEC consumer suggestions. Future pockets options may embrace things like ZEC holder polling and staking capabilities, for instance.
Our analysis group will publish a top-level roadmap and proposed timeline to maneuver Zcash from proof of labor to a hybrid answer, after which doubtlessly pure proof of stake. We’ll publish this info this month after which host a workshop at Zcon4 to proceed the dialogue. This model 0.1 proposal is an early step within the design course of, printed particularly to garner suggestions and collaboration throughout the Zcash ecosystem, and to make sure this vital transition proposal is nicely understood and addresses group wants.
August – September (The rest of Time period 2)
We intend to pause new growth efforts on PoS analysis and business pockets and SDK growth to be able to give attention to decentralization actions. Our OKR planning for the rest of Time period 2 can be centered on:
- Clearly defining the particular use instances the place ECC will focus
- Figuring out use instances nicely fitted to decentralization, to enhance resilience and sustainability
- Mapping out the transition between ECC help and end-of-support for particular use instances (i.e., Can we cease engaged on these items fully, wrap them up, and/or transition them to others?)
- Meta transition planning the place applicable, together with the best way to establish and safely transition tasks to different Zcash contributors
- Starting the transitions
Some efforts can be comparatively swift, as is the case with ending ECC help for world regulatory relations. Others will take extra time, together with the transition of some capabilities at the moment supported by ECC in Zcashd (pending ultimate dedication of which use instances ECC will proceed to help). Others could take vital planning and time, resulting from complexities and to be able to decrease any disruption.
One such advanced decentralization effort referenced within the restructuring announcement is the administration of digital properties. This consists of the z.money web site, the Zcash Twitter account, Zcash.readthedocs.io, and the Cypherpunk Zero property. Our goal is to empower the group to contribute to, assist steward, and higher make the most of these property over time.
The stewardship of those digital properties, platforms, and property are extremely necessary and complicated, so transition efforts will take appreciable time and diligence to execute safely and in a approach that can foster the absolute best outcomes. In these instances, we consider “meta transition planning” is most applicable. We’ve been learning this for a lot of months and can present a really helpful method to the group in a weblog submit subsequent week. We’ve requested that the Zcash Basis present ECC with time and house for group engagement on this subject at Zcon4, with an intent to start method and planning efforts in August. We look ahead to working with certified members of the group on this effort and can present extra element quickly.
October – January (Time period 3, 2023/24)
A lot of the decentralization efforts, formalized in Time period 2, will happen throughout these months. As we’re in a position to wind down and transition work, we are going to flip our consideration again to new analysis and growth on the ECC outlined focus areas. As beforehand said, some transitions could also be fast, and a few could require months to years.
February and past (Time period 1, 2024 – )
Whereas we focus our analysis and growth efforts as said above, we are going to roll out up to date roadmaps and plans based mostly on the funding accessible to ECC underneath the present growth fund, which ends in November 2024.
The group is at the moment discussing the potential of a brand new growth fund and potential constructions. After we acquire readability on the time and effort wanted to decentralize core capabilities, we intend to supply a proposal to the group on what we plan to perform and at what stage of funding over one other time period.
Additional decentralizing Zcash by focusing ECC’s efforts on fewer issues is a significant contribution to the mission and ZEC holders in help of our mission. It is going to lead to a extra numerous group of contributors and arrange ECC to iterate on new innovation, extra rapidly and fewer expensively, by specializing in these areas we’re uniquely certified to ship.
I look ahead to seeing you at Zcon4! Please seize me for a while there when you’d wish to discover any of this in additional element.
