Aurora Labs - Delegate Proposal

Ecosystem Governance
1

A. Delegation Address:
auroralabs.near

B. Forum Username:
Charlie

C. Twitter Username:
auroraisnear

D. Website:
aurora.dev

E. Target Voting Participation:

We aim for 90% or higher voting participation on all proposals.

F. History of Interactions with NEAR Protocol:

Aurora Labs has been an integral part of the NEAR ecosystem since Aurora’s inception. As an EVM built on NEAR, Aurora enables Ethereum compatibility for both developers and users, and our team has made substantial open-source contributions—from tooling and developer education to ongoing community support. Notable innovations include our BTC light client, EVM wallet integrations, and NEAR intent technology, reflecting our position as a premier engineering powerhouse within the NEAR ecosystem.

In addition, we have actively explored and championed the concept of Virtual Chains on NEAR, with over 50 chains already deployed. Virtual Chains let developers build chains on top of NEAR, leveraging its performance and security while customizing execution environments for specific use cases. By integrating Virtual Chains into the broader Aurora and NEAR toolset, we streamline onboarding and offer application-specific solutions that empower developers to seamlessly deploy, manage, and scale new dApps and chains.

This Virtual Chain offering has proven pivotal in attracting high-profile projects to the NEAR ecosystem. Examples include Turbo, a $1B-market-cap project from the Ethereum ecosystem backed by major investors like Binance and Wintermute; WAGMI Hub, originating from the Base ecosystem with over one million followers on Twitter; and StrawberryAI, a leading AI and crypto initiative building BerrySwap (a DefAI protocol harnessing NEAR intent).

G. History of Governance Participation (in NEAR or other ecosystems):

  • We have actively participated in NEAR’s forums, offering feedback on major proposals related to staking, protocol economics, and developer grants.

  • In other ecosystems, our team members have engaged in DAO governance, championing cross-chain collaboration and sharing best practices with the NEAR community.

  • We have contributed to community calls, provided public comments on NEAR Enhancement Proposals (NEPs), and championed NEAR’s presence at Ethereum-oriented conferences.

H. Top 3 Priorities for the NEAR Ecosystem:

  1. Cross-Chain Interoperability and Ecosystem Growth
    Expand NEAR’s bridges, liquidity channels, and cross-chain integrations to attract more users and assets, fueling broader adoption across the ecosystem.

  2. Developer-Focused Tooling & Education
    Strengthen the developer experience with better documentation, tutorials, and incentives. Provide more hands-on support with go-to-market strategies, empowering both developers and founders to bring their ideas to life.

  3. Sustainable DeFi and Virtual Chain Development
    Encourage the growth of robust DeFi protocols while promoting the next wave of Virtual Chains to unlock specialized dApp environments and AI use cases. Nurture early-stage, high-potential projects with personalized guidance and resources, ensuring they can successfully grow within the NEAR ecosystem.

I. Reasoning for Any Past Votes in the NEAR Ecosystem:

  • We have supported proposals that increase developer incentives, improve security and transparency, and enhance cross-chain or multi-chain functionality. We generally vote for initiatives that drive broader adoption and ecosystem growth while preserving protocol sustainability.

J. Conflicts of Interest:

  • Direct: Aurora Labs operates an EVM on NEAR and actively promotes Virtual Chains, so we have a vested interest in proposals that advance these technologies.

  • Mitigation: We will always disclose potential conflicts and recuse ourselves from voting where proposals exclusively benefit Aurora Labs at the expense of the wider NEAR ecosystem.

K. Answer Hypothetical Delegate Scenario

Prompt Recap: The NEAR ecosystem is evaluating proposals to stimulate on-chain activity. Three proposals are presented:

1. Incentives for DeFi protocol users.
2. A subcommittee for marketing NEAR to developers and users.
3. A Protocol-Owned Liquidity (POL) position managed by the House of Stake.

Additional Information Needed

Proposal #1: Clear timeframe, budget, KPIs (e.g., TVL, user retention), and a plan to transition post-incentives.

Proposal #2: Defined deliverables, targeted sub-segments (within developers, users), and transparent KPIs for measuring marketing success.

Proposal #3: Detailed risk assessment (impermanent loss, price volatility), governance oversight, and guidelines for entering/exiting liquidity positions.

Key Metrics to Evaluate

User/Developer Growth & Retention
TVL and Sustainable Liquidity
Alignment with existing NEAR initiatives (including the Virtual Chain roadmap)
Risk-Adjusted ROI

Voting Rationale

Proposal #1: Support if the incentive structure is time-limited, well-defined, and transitions to a self-sustaining model.

Proposal #2: Support if the subcommittee implements strong accountability measures, detailed budgets, and proven marketing strategies.

Proposal #3: Support if managed transparently, with robust risk controls and alignment to the NEAR community’s objectives (e.g., synergy with Virtual Chains, ecosystem expansion).

L. Motivation for Becoming a NEAR Delegate

Aurora Labs is deeply invested in the protocol’s growth and long-term success as one of the largest projects and a major contributor to the NEAR ecosystem. Our expertise in EVM compatibility, Virtual Chains, and cross-chain infrastructure such as NEAR Intent uniquely positions us to play a key role in shaping NEAR’s strategic direction. By serving as a Delegate, we seek to actively contribute to governance proposals that drive meaningful adoption, ensuring that NEAR’s evolution aligns with both technical innovation and real-world use cases.

M. Anticipated Delegation Support

We expect strong support from the Aurora community and potential self-delegations from our team members. Additionally, several ecosystem partners and investors have expressed interest in delegating to Aurora Labs given our leadership in EVM and Virtual Chain initiatives.

5. Self-Assessment Criteria

Please note our self-assessed score (out of 10) with brief notes per category.

A. Experience (2/2)

  • Notes: Our team has deep blockchain industry roots—operating Aurora on NEAR, exploring Virtual Chains, and building cross-chain bridges. These experiences give us firsthand insight into smart contract development, protocol growth, and user adoption.

B. Diversity of Perspective (1/2)

  • Notes: We bring a cross-chain/Ethereum-focused viewpoint integrated with Virtual Chain deployments & NEAR Intent. However, we acknowledge other grassroots or non-EVM contributors may have different, equally important viewpoints.

C. Alignment with NEAR Ecosystem (2/2)

  • Notes: Our success directly hinges on NEAR’s growth. As Aurora thrives, we invest even more resources into Virtual Chain innovations that benefit the broader ecosystem.

D. Governance Engagement (2/2)

  • Notes: We have participated actively in NEAR forums, calls, and working groups.

  • Our CEO, Alex Shevchenko, served as one of the 7 members of the Council of Advisors for NDC.

  • Our Head of Finance, Alexy Ulazovsky served as one of the 15 members of the House of Merit.

E. Conflicts of Interest (1/2)

  • Notes: Aurora Labs, along with Virtual Chain initiatives, stands to gain from proposals that benefit the EVM and sidechain/virtual chain segments. We mitigate this by disclosing conflicts and recusing ourselves if needed.

Total Self-Assessment Score: 8/10

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Statement: “We have actively participated in NEAR’s forums, offering feedback on major proposals related to staking, protocol economics, and developer grants.”

Reality: Oh, absolutely. Except for the part where that never actually happened. The Aurora community was flat-out misled about the VOTE token, and discussions around Aurora DAO proposals are conveniently held in some obscure place instead of the Aurora Gov forum—because transparency is overrated, right? And as for your supposed “active participation,” well, not a single comment from you can be found on any proposal. Impressive.

Statement: “In other ecosystems, our team members have engaged in DAO governance, championing cross-chain collaboration, and sharing best practices with the NEAR community.”

Reality: Ah yes, “championing”—otherwise known as getting handed positions in the Infrastructure Committee and event planning, not because of merit, but thanks to Ilya’s cozy connection with Alex. Open competition? Never heard of it. And once in, you conveniently forgot to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the Infrastructure Committee Charter—like those required quarterly transparency reports. But hey, who needs accountability when you can just click “approve” on grants for yourself with zero explanation? The perfect case study in nepotism.

Meanwhile, the Infrastructure Committee wasn’t about actually doing anything—it was just a mechanism to secure grants while ignoring blatant conflicts of interest. And let’s not forget that the Aurora community essentially ceased to exist after NDC was shut down. You can’t even launch an ambassadors program after five months.

Aurora Labs is basically the gold standard of nepotism—positions handed out with no competition, tasks assigned to personal friends, and the result? A half-baked Intents launch with UX/UI that screams “rushed hackathon project.” But hey, let’s brag about our “achievements” while conveniently omitting that the grant for Intens development was handed over without a competitive process. Right?

The whole point of House of Stake is to put an end to this kind of backroom dealing. Introduce competition. Make governance actually mean something. But Aurora Labs? A masterclass in how not to run a decentralized ecosystem.

Of course, none of this really matters—because no matter what, Ilya will always have his buddy’s back. I won’t even be surprised if Labs gets a seat on the NEAR board. Let’s grab some popcorn and watch.

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