Smart contracts excel at codifying and enforcing rules, but with a tradeoff: they can fall short in highlighting and protecting the values and vision that the system is meant to support. It is all too common in crypto that promising decentralized projects face novel attacks that their governance structure cannot prevent, leaving their entire community vulnerable. A purely human-driven governance approach, while capable of prioritizing collective values, risks being captured by adversarial actors. Combining onchain and human-centric decision-making is crucial.
The ZKsync Guardians enhance onchain governance through the power of the veto. By introducing a group of eight value-aligned individuals the system creates a check against purely token-weighted governance that adversarial actors might be tempted to take advantage of. The Guardian mechanism embeds long-term alignment to the vision and values of the ZK Credo, reducing governance capture risks. It ensures day-to-day voting and technical review can tap into value judgments when needed. Working alongside the Token Assembly and the Security Council, the Guardians organization is designed as a compass of Ethereum’s cypherpunk values.
As outlined in ZK Nation’s governance documents, the eight individuals who comprise the Guardians protect ZKsync’s mission and have the independent power to veto governance proposals that put at risk the values and vision of the ZK Credo. This includes the power to veto governance proposals that are abusive, malicious, or could otherwise adversely affect ZKsync or its governance system. The Guardians' decisions are made at their sole discretion, pulling from their individual experience and hard-earned wisdom gained from trials of building and protecting decentralized systems.
The ZKsync Guardians are:
- Juan Benet: Juan Benet is the inventor of IPFS, a protocol revolutionizing the web, and Filecoin, the world’s largest decentralized storage network. As the founder of Protocol Labs, Juan leads innovation in technologies like web3, AI, BCI, and more. A Stanford Computer Science graduate, he’s passionate about improving the internet and building more robust foundations for the digital future.
- Alex Gluchowski: Alex is a software architect with over 15 years of experience in engineering and startups. He is the co-inventor of ZKsync and currently serves as the co-founder and CEO of Matter Labs, where he leads a talented team focused on addressing blockchain scalability challenges using zero-knowledge proofs. Alex's passion lies in using technology to advance personal freedom, self-ownership, and decentralization.
- Bartek Kiepuszewski: Bartek is the co-founder of L2Beat, an independent research venture that focuses on deep technical risk analysis of Ethereum scalability solutions. Bartek brings over 20 years of experience in the computer industry (both academic and industrial environments) working on complex IT projects. Prior to L2Beat, Bartek served as an architect at MakerDAO.
- pcaversaccio: pcaverssacio is a dedicated open-source engineer, security professional, and entrepreneur deeply immersed in the Ethereum ecosystem. As the leader of SEAL 911, an emergency hotline, he addresses critical incidents with a focus on security. His technical contributions include active development on the Vyper compiler and its associated libraries, with notable achievements such as identifying a bug in the ZKsync Era Vyper compiler. Most significantly, he is the author of "The Ethereum Cypherpunk Manifesto", a testament to his unwavering commitment to privacy, security, and the principles of censorship resistance.
- Gabriel Shapiro: Gabriel is the founder of MetaLeX, a company devoted to cybernetic law solutions co-developed by devs and lawyers to fuse autonomous software with legal systems. Inspired and empowered by Bitcoin and Ethereum, he is pioneering the development of autonomous legal systems that operate independently of nation-states. Previously, Gabriel served as the general counsel at Delphi Labs and co-founder and head of legal engineering at ZeroLaw.
- Awa Sun Yin: Awa develops privacy infrastructure and is co-founder of both Anoma and Namada. At Anoma, Awa has worked to rethink decentralized application and infrastructure from first principles and introduces a new category of intent-centric protocols. In her work with Namada, Awa has brought cypherpunk values to the forefront by developing multi-chain privacy solutions and asset-agnostic data protection.
- Aleksandr Vlasov: Alexandr is a co-founder and the head of R&D of Matter Labs. A nuclear physicist with a master’s degree in high-energy physics and a doctorate in electrical engineering, he has extensive experience working with blockchain scaling solutions.
- Eric Wall: Eric Wall is a co-founder of Taproot Wizards and an engaged member of the Bitcoin and Ethereum communities. As a startup founder, engineer, investor and blogger, he has been an early proponent of rollup technology, ZK, and modularity. Eric also serves on the board of the Starknet Foundation.
The Guardians were evaluated on seven key criteria, ensuring a diverse and highly qualified group to guide the governance processes:
- Steadfast Personal Visions: Guardians have ambitious visions for the potential of crypto to change today's institutions and pursue those visions while prioritizing transparency, truth, public responsibility, and mutual accountability.
- Advocacy and Activism for Cypherpunk Values: Guardians strongly believe that freedom drives progress and prosperity. They are active advocates for cypherpunk values, as outlined in various manifestos and the ZK Credo, championing these principles persistently and strategically.
- Recognized Voice: Guardians are credible advisors or guides, with practical experience in roles such as board member or security council participant for other protocols.
- In-Depth Blockchain Technical Knowledge: Guardians possess extensive experience in the blockchain industry, ideally within Ethereum, across multiple cycles. They have a comprehensive understanding of blockchain markets, communities, and current challenges. They have experience participating in multi-sig arrangements and clearly understand responsible transaction signing.
- Experienced Entrepreneurs: Guardians have a proven track record as founders of one or multiple companies or projects. They have demonstrated the ability to bring visions to reality through complex coordination efforts and to listen to a community, distinguishing between popular demands and actual needs.
- Active ZKsync Builder or Partner: Guardians have long-term incentives aligned with the ZKsync Protocol, including product integration with ZKsync technology. They are experienced with ZKsync developers, community members, and the business team.
- Established Trust: Proven, long-term working relationship with the ZKsync and ZK technology senior contributors. They embody the cultural values of high-agency, truth-telling, iterative experimentation, and a willingness to challenge the status quo
By adhering to these criteria, the ZKsync Guardians are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of decentralized governance and ensure the long-term success and integrity of the ZKsync ecosystem.
While there are currently eight named ZKsync Guardians, all ZKsync community members are encouraged to advocate and build towards of the cypherpunk vision and values that blockchain technologies enable. Whether you’re a developer with a proposal for a new feature, a researcher with insights on protocol improvements, or a community member with ideas on how to enhance the ecosystem, your input is invaluable. Stay tuned for upcoming governance meetings, proposal submissions, and voting opportunities.
Join us in welcoming the ZKsync Guardians as we embark on this exciting journey together. Together, we will shape the future of decentralized finance, ensuring that ZKsync remains at the forefront of innovation and community-driven progress.
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