PIP-28: Development Grant for Modulo Labs – Support and Maintenance of Panther V1

Summary

This proposal seeks DAO approval to allocate a development grant to Modulo Labs LLC, WY USA for the continued development and maintenance of the Panther Protocol V1 core codebase. The grant will cover a 12-month period, ensuring the DAO retains reliable and professional technical stewardship over protocol operations.

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Background

Panther Protocol V1 was developed by Panther Ventures Limited (PVL). The IP was subsequently transitioned to the Panther Protocol Foundation (a Swiss-based entity) with the mission of fostering long-term success of the Panther ecosystem.

The Foundation open-sourced the Panther V1 codebase under the LGPL3.0 and MIT licenses on Gitlab and Github.

Governance of the protocol remains the responsibility of the Panther DAO, ensuring decentralized decision-making and community-driven development.

It is crucial for the DAO to secure long-term, structured development support for Panther V1. Modulo Labs has already demonstrated reliability and technical expertise, contributing to bug fixes and testing since the transition, and is well-placed to provide continuity of service and stability.

For additional context, see the forum discussion here:
👉 Development Proposal Request

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Grant Policy

The Panther Protocol Foundation has drafted a Grant Policy that defines the engagement model and responsibilities of each party.

Modulo Labs’ role:

• Research, coding, testing, and publishing contributions to the Foundation’s public Gitlab Repository.
• No involvement in deployment or operational activities.

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Deliverables (Ongoing Support Grant)

• Open-source UI/frontend code improvements (publishing only, no hosting).
• SDKs, developer tooling, and test frameworks.
• Smart contract research, specifications, and bug fixes (not deployed on-chain).
• Documentation, PIP's, and technical notes.
• QA testing, audits, and ecosystem feedback.

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Steering Protocol

• Deliverables will be agreed monthly with the DAO Council (or other designated DAO body).
• The Foundation may provide non-binding recommendations but will not issue binding instructions.
• Modulo Labs will act in an independent capacity in its engagement with the DAO Council.

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Additional Resources

Modulo Labs may provide additional resources (e.g., ZK Engineers, Researchers) on an as-needed basis for specific enhancements or projects approved by the DAO Council.

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Continuity of Service

This grant provides baseline support and continuity. Larger initiatives or major upgrades will be proposed separately and funded as distinct DAO-approved projects.

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Proposal

This proposal requests a grant to Modulo Labs LLC for a 12-month program of open-source development and maintenance contributions to Panther Protocol V1.

Funding requested:

• 16,950 USDC/month
• Total: 203,400 USDC (over 12 months)

If approved, Modulo Labs will enter into a Grant Agreement with the Panther Protocol Foundation, consistent with the Foundation’s Grant Policy.

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Evaluation

• Weekly public progress reports (via GitHub, forums, or DAO Council updates).
• Monthly review of deliverables with the DAO Council.
• Code and documentation published to public repositories.
• Community and DAO Council feedback.
• Final evaluation report at the end of the grant period.

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Duration

12 months (from 1 October 2025).

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Budget (Indicative Breakdown)

• Architect – dApp (Senior): ~20 hrs/month
• dApp Developer (Senior): ~80 hrs/month
• dApp Developer (Junior): ~80 hrs/month
• Smart Contract Developer (Senior): ~80 hrs/month
• Smart Contract Developer (Junior): ~80 hrs/month
• Project Manager (Mid): ~60 hrs/month
• Tester (Senior): ~60 hrs/month

Total Monthly Grant: 16,950 USDC
Total 12-Month Grant: 203,400 USDC (disbursed monthly)

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Legal Note

• Modulo Labs acts independently and not on behalf of the Foundation.
• All outputs will be open-source and non-operational.
• No deployment, hosting, custody, or upgrades of Panther infrastructure will be performed.
• Deliverables are steered through DAO Council consultation, with the Foundation in a facilitative (non-directive) role.

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Voting Eligibility

Voting is governed under PIP-7 , which defines eligibility criteria for Panther DAO governance.