NEAR Digital Collective (NDC) Preamble
Since the launch of the NEAR MainNet nearly two years ago, our Ecosystem has collaborated, endeavored, and experimented with several iterations of governance processes and DAOs. With the advent of Sputnik, the community found the opportunity to experiment with self-governance and treasury management. As with every experiment, we learned much about transparency, accountability, coordination, and collective impact.
As we continued iterating during this exploratory phase, the NEAR community asked for further transparency and greater control of self-governance, which naturally meant having the ability to start managing the ecosystem treasury independently.
The mission of the NEAR Foundation is to empower a thriving ecosystem with self-sufficiency through decentralizing core functions to collectives that have sustainable mandates over time.
The NEAR Digital Collective (NDC) is proposing to take the next step in the decentralization exercise by creating and implementing ecosystem-wide:
- NEAR Constitution
- Governance Framework
- On-Chain Voting & Proof of Humanity
- Legal Framework
- Guidelines for Community Engagement
- Treasury Management
The NDC transitions aspects of the community infrastructure from purely DAO verticals to an overarching governance model that oversees and shepherds the growth and sustainability of the ecosystem. This will create a model for future initiatives and empower a community-governed ecosystem over time.
The NDC will be in complete alignment with the mission of NEAR:
“To empower people to manage their assets, data, and the power of governance.”
Mission
The NEAR Digital Collective’s (NDC) mission is to decentralize the process of funding, growth, and sustainability of the NEAR ecosystem through the “power of on-chain governance” by establishing an ecosystem-wide governance structure that facilitates transparency and accountability amongst stakeholders
Constitution
The NEAR Community constitution is a set of community principles that govern the conduct, membership, and participation in community driven initiatives.
- Transparency and Trust - Holding ourselves to the highest of standards
- Collaboration over competition and a shared purpose for common good
- Shared sense of belonging and where everyone feels welcome
- Equitable access to resources and opportunities
- Encouraging action-driven participation
- Civil and inclusive communication
- Rewarding impact over influence
- Incentive Alignment
Governance Framework
The governance structure and framework of the NEAR community will document, implement and enforce the Community Manifesto, the roles and responsibilities of each branch, stakeholder, and collective that unilaterally operate and govern all community-driven governance initiatives. It comprises boards, voting bodies, an operations branch, and trustees. A judicial branch can be operationalized when deemed necessary by the community.
House of Merit
Most impactful and notable community members act as representatives.
- Public applications and discussions
- Voting for candidates by existing members with public results
- Ability to remove operations leaders via voting
- Veto power over the other branches in extreme circumstances
- A board that advises the executive branch
- Allocates budget from the treasury
- Focuses on the long-term ecosystem development
- Members of the Operations branch are excluded from membership, they have a clear separation of powers and responsibilities
House of Stake
Open Ecosystem Participation (Every NEAR Account)
- HOS members will be elected by democratic elections
- Any NEAR wallet address can participate and propose a referendum
- Quadratic voting is based on the root square of your stake
- Larger referendums to overturn executive orders or merits
- On-chain voting mechanisms
- Members of the executive branch are excluded from membership, they have a clear separation of powers and responsibilities
Operations Branch (may be renamed)
Leader and stewards appointed for efficient decision-making elected by the
- Individuals appointed as stewards for each ecosystem’s vertical
- Facilitates support for Public Goods
- Economic planning and prioritization for organic growth
- Maintaining oversight over NDC operations
- Coordinating governance and streamlining the process
- Ensuring the funding process is optimal
- Ensuring the proposal process is clearly defined
- Aligning stakeholders around responsibilities
Treasury
- Has a Board of Trustees
- Acts as custodian of funds
- Empowers branches to deploy funds
- Services specific needs of the ecosystem
- Democratically governed fund of funds
- Timely allocation of resources