[ARBITRUM] Extend AGV Council Term and Align Future Elections with Operational Cadence

Non-Constitutional

Abstract

This proposal seeks to extend the current Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (AGV) Council’s term to December 31, 2025, and establish a unified election cycle aligned with AGV’s business operations. By moving to a standardized calendar-year term with elections held during a quieter operational period, this adjustment ensures continuity, minimizes operational disruptions, and lays the groundwork for predictable Council elections moving forward. As communicated in our EOY Transparency Report, January 1, 2025 was the official start date of the AGV program, therefore this shift also serves to align Council terms with AGV’s annual cadence.

Motivation

AGV is entering its first full year of execution. This period is resource-intensive and strategically sensitive, involving active capital deployment, milestone tracking, ecosystem coordination, and team expansion. The Council has played a critical role in shaping AGV’s foundation across investment review, grant oversight, and organizational design, and remains central to its success.

To maintain momentum and avoid mid-cycle transitions, we propose extending the current Council term up to the end of 2025. Additionally, we aim to align all future Council appointments with a single election and onboarding window, providing AGV with the stability and foresight needed to plan around its core business cycle.

Rationale

When the AGV Council was first elected in late 2024, the goal was to rapidly establish a strong governance structure to oversee the launch of AGV’s investment and grant programs. However, due to departures of previously elected members, our current Council members have varied tenures with AGV due to the staggered nature of our previous round of elections.

Now that AGV is in full execution mode with multiple investments approved, milestone tracking underway, and new deals under review, it is crucial that our core operations remain stable. A staggered or mid-year transition could interrupt that continuity at a time when our Council’s experienced oversight is most needed.

Aligning all Council seats into a single, calendar-based term (January through December) simplifies the process for both the AGV operations team and the DAO, while also aligning governance processes with the natural rhythm of AGV’s operations.

Under this proposal, nominations for the next Council election will open in October, with voting held in November and a structured transition taking place in December, when AGV activity is expected to slow. This avoids governance turnover during peak quarters and provides incoming Council members with the time and context needed to onboard effectively.

Specifications

• The current AGV Council term will be extended through December 31, 2025, ensuring continuity during AGV’s first full year of execution.
• All future Council seats will follow a standard calendar-year term (January 1 – December 31), replacing any previously staggered elected timeframes.
• The first unified election cycle will occur in Q4 2025, with an indicative schedule of:
  • Nominations in October
  • Voting in November
  • Transition period in December
• In the event that a Council member resigns or relinquishes their role before the end of the term:
  • A replacement will be elected or appointed by the remaining Council members within 1-month.
  • The appointment must be ratified by the ArbitrumDAO through a Temperature Check vote within 30 days of the selection.
  • If the appointment is not ratified, the Council will propose a new candidate, and the same selection and ratification process will apply.
  • The new Council member will serve only the remainder of the current term, ensuring alignment with AGV’s unified governance calendar and avoiding the creation of personalized term lengths.
  • This structure reinforces predictability, simplifies transitions, and ensures that Council cycles remain anchored to AGV’s business rhythm.
• This new cadence will remain in effect for subsequent cycles unless otherwise amended through future DAO governance.

Steps to Implement

• Extend the existing Council’s term through the end of 2025.
• Change the call for Nominations kick-off to October instead of July.

Timeline

• Proposal submitted: 9th June 2025

• Planned Snapshot: 19th June 2025

• If approved, the extension takes effect immediately.

• Unified election cycle (the timeframe below are for loose reference):

  • October 2025: Nominations open
  • November 2025: Voting
  • December 2025: Transition and onboarding
  • January 2026: New Council term begins

Overall Cost

There is no additional cost associated with this proposal. Governance coordination will be handled within AGV’s existing operational framework.

EDITS:

11th June: Added more details on ratification process for replacing a Council member who resigns.

https://snapshot.org/#/arbitrumfoundation.eth/proposal/0xd7529f75df21183d0eb9bce0cc828d56e9a100f449857c16177d98db6497cc16