Proposal Summary

This proposal outlines the achievements of ssvlabs performed in the past, as well as, the required maintenance and potential improvements that might come down the line if the proposal were to be approved. Also, the proposals requests from the ssv.network DAO 6.000.000 USD denominated in SSV for these efforts over a period of ending with 2024 EOY.

These development efforts require a team of about 60 employees, including developers, Product Managers, and designers. It will further require Cloud services for hosting, testing and production environments, DevOps services, and audits of the smart contracts by a reliable third party. This is far from a comprehensive list of expected costs that SSV Labs bears. Still, the Core Dev is willing to bear a substantial part of the costs for the benefit of the project and the community, as done by other members of the SSV community.

Motivation

This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.

Proposal particulars

2. Potential improvements

Achievements

This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.

Potential improvements

1. Alan Fork (SIP-13)
   1. Objective: The Alan Fork represents a significant protocol upgrade, as outlined in SIP-13. Its primary goal is to enhance the network's scalability and efficiency, enabling the SSV Network to support up to 200,000 validators while simultaneously reducing the computational and resource demands on individual nodes.
   2. Key Changes: This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.
   3. Timeline: October 2024
2. Committee Consensus Upgrade
   1. Objective:
      1. The Committee Consensus upgrade is designed to scale the SSV node’s performance to support the growing network, particularly in the context of the increased validator capacity introduced by the Alan Fork.
   2. Technical Details: This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.
   3. Specific Upgrades:
      1. Increased Validator Cap: The maximum number of validators per operator will be increased from 500 to 1,000, providing greater flexibility and scalability for large-scale staking operations.
   4. Timeline: Q4 2024
3. Pectra Readiness
   1. Objective:
      1. The Pectra readiness update prepares the SSV Network for compatibility with the upcoming Ethereum “Pectra” hard fork (EIP-7600). This fork introduces significant changes, including an increase in the maximum effective balance for validators, which requires corresponding updates to SSV's systems.
   2. Key Changes: This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.
   3. Timeline: No later than one quarter after the Pectra hard fork (EIP-7600) occurs.
4. SSV Tooling
   1. SSV-DKG Enhancements:
      1. Objective: Continue advancing the Distributed Key Generation (DKG) protocol by adding resharing and resigning capabilities, which are critical for improving user experience and enhancing the security of the DKG process.
      2. Technical Details: This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.
      3. Timeline: Q4 2024
5. SSV-SDK Development:
   1. Objective: Consolidate all SSV-related tools into a unified Software Development Kit (SDK) that is available in multiple programming languages. This project is expected to continue into 2025 and beyond.
   2. Technical Details: This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.
   3. Timeline: Continuous work starting from Q4 2024.
6. Webapp & Explorer
   1. Objective:
      1. Ensure continuous maintenance and development of the SSV webapp and explorer to optimize performance and maintain compatibility with upcoming protocol changes.
   2. Technical Details: This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.
   3. Timeline: Continuous work.
7. Incentivized Mainnet Program
   1. Objective:
      1. Conduct research and development to design a revised incentivized mainnet program that ensures the continued operation and engagement of the SSV Network community beyond the program’s current conclusion in 2025.
   2. Technical Details: This section has been committed to keep the proposal within the snapshot's character limit. For extended details, please refer to the original discussion linked to this proposal.
   3. Timeline: Proposal estimated to be provided by EOY.
8. Second Client Development:
   1. Objective:
      1. Support the ssv.network DAO in shaping of requirements for a second client implementation. If the ssv.network DAO is happy with the outcome of such requirements and finds an implementation team for the second client, then ssvlabs will support the implementation team in whatever they might need to build and implement a performant and robust second client for the ssv.network protocol. This will be a considerable effort requiring multiple teams within ssvlabs to work with such an implementation team for months if not years.
   2. Timeline: Continuous from the DAOs decision to pursue this improvement to a production ready second client.
9. Audits
   1. SSV Spec (Committee Consensus Upgrade):
      1. Objective: Ensure the robustness and security of the new Committee Consensus specifications through a comprehensive audit process.
      2. Audit Scope: The audit will cover the updated consensus mechanisms, network topology changes, and any new protocols introduced. The goal is to identify potential vulnerabilities and optimize performance before full deployment.
   2. SSV Node (Committee Consensus Upgrade):
      1. Objective: Verify the integrity and efficiency of the SSV node software following the Committee Consensus upgrade.
      2. Audit Scope: This audit will focus on the implementation of the new consensus algorithms, memory and CPU optimizations, and the ability of the node software to handle the increased validator load. The audit will include stress testing and performance benchmarking.
   3. SSV Smart Contracts (Pectra Upgrade):
      1. Objective: Ensure that the smart contract changes required for the Pectra upgrade are secure and function as intended.
      2. Audit Scope: The audit will evaluate the modifications to the operator fee structures, staker payment mechanisms, and cluster liquidation processes. It will also assess the compatibility of these changes with the upcoming Ethereum Pectra hard fork.
   4. SSV-DKG (Resharing & Resigning Upgrade):
      1. Objective: Validate the security and functionality of the new resharing and resigning features in the SSV-DKG protocol.
      2. Audit Scope: This audit will examine the cryptographic security of the resharing and resigning processes, ensuring that they do not introduce vulnerabilities into the DKG system. The audit will also assess the user experience improvements these features are designed to provide.

Budget

As ssvlabs has requested in the past, the total compensation for the Achievements, as well as, Potential improvements is 6.000.000 USD denominated in SSV, based on a 30-day moving average calculated on the 1st of the month in which the payment is executed. All funds shall be sent to 0x935Cea9196a22E59934Aa036143dEDA0e482f3E4. This compensation is to be paid out by the ssv.network DAO Multi-Sig Committee in the following schedule:

• ⅓ in the first scheduled batch following the passing of the proposal as outlined in DAO Contributor: Proposal for Engagement as the DAO’s Master of Coin
• ⅓ in the first scheduled batch following the end of 2024, as outlined in DAO Contributor: Proposal for Engagement as the DAO’s Master of Coin
• ⅓ in the first scheduled batch in March 2025, as outlined in DAO Contributor: Proposal for Engagement as the DAO’s Master of Coin