[Moving proposal from Phase 0 to Phase 1]
Thank you everyone who provided their insights and feedback to the governance framework! Across the forum post, Google doc and the governance calls we received over 100 comments and identified over 50 distinct feedback topics.
We’ve thoroughly reviewed each one and integrated much of your feedback. We have made an effort to acknowledge everyone who contributed (please see the section at the end “Acknowledgements”), but if you feel you’ve been overlooked or that your feedback hasn’t been adequately addressed, please let us know. We aim to ensure that no contribution is missed and that all voices are recognized.
- A consolidated list of all feedback, along with responses if it was incorporated or not at this stage, can be found here.
- The most recent version of the governance framework can be found in the second post of this thread and here as a Google Doc.
- Additionally, you can compare the iterations between Phase 0 and the current Phase 1 version here.
With these updates, we’re excited to advance this proposal to Phase 1.
Many of the comments we’ve received touched on future governance experiments (e.g. additional voting types) or resource allocation (e.g. incentivizing delegates or guardians v2). As such they are not part of the initial governance framework.
We’ve also received several inquiries about the Foundation’s function and its role in limiting liability for SafeDAO. To provide context:
Origin and function:
The Foundation was implemented as part of Gnosis spin-off proposal (GIP-29: Spin-off safeDAO and Launch SAFE Token - GIPs - Gnosis). It acts as the steward of SafeDAO. The Foundation’s goal is to provide an innovative Swiss solution to the legal challenges of DAOs, such as lack of legal personality, the limitation of DAO participants’ liability, and the tax treatment of community assets by leveraging SEF’s legal personality in engagements with contracting parties and acting as a legal wrapper of the treasury for tax purposes.
Accountability
Checks and balances are in place as the Foundation is
- legally bound by its Deed,
- the purpose of the Foundation (the full text of the purpose of the Foundation in its legally binding, German version can be found here. An unofficial translated version (German / English) can be found here.) and
- is under supervision of ESA to foster the Safe ecosystem.
Relation to SafeDAO
The Foundation and SafeDAO are two separate entities. To increase the interaction and control, the Foundation and SafeDAO can utilize the native bodies of DAO committees to interact closer and delegate responsibilities to DAO members constituting these DAO committees. Currently, SEF is clarifying the organizational requirements for the establishment of DAO committees with the relevant authorities. Once these requirements have been clarified, it is intended that SEF and SafeDAO will jointly coordinate the establishment of DAO committees.
KYC requirements
Some queries also revolved around KYC. KYC is required to be part of DAO committees and to receive resources from SafeDAOs treasury administered by the Foundation. We are currently evaluating the details of this and which service providers can be used to streamline this process.
As we gain more legal clarity on the DAO committees, we are looking to add more info to the Foundation section of our SafeDAO Governance Hub and will also release a dedicated blog post.