Electrical Coin Co. (ECC) manages a lot of Zcash-focused digital properties, i.e., the z.money web site, the Zcash technical documentation hub, the Zcash Twitter account, and the Cypherpunk Zero website and property. Stewardship of those tasks is a multidisciplinary endeavor involving content material technique, digital advertising, net improvement, design, copywriting, neighborhood engagement, and extra.
In June, as a part of our efforts to enhance the digital footprint of the Zcash ecosystem and lay a basis for larger neighborhood involvement, we launched a redesigned and refined Z.money. Right here’s what we wrote about it:
This web site relaunch is a milestone, nevertheless it’s additionally merely a begin — a patch of land to develop a backyard. Within the coming months, we’ll start working towards fostering larger neighborhood involvement with the final word aim of transitioning this website and different Zcash digital properties into shared public items.
As a follow-up to this launch announcement, and Josh Swihart’s current weblog about ECC’s proposals and plans for decentralizing Zcash, the submit you might be studying now’s meant to stipulate a course of (a minimum of the beginning of 1) to reimagine governance of z.money and different Zcash-focused digital properties.
Our hope is that, along with the bigger Zcash neighborhood, we are able to construct and enact a mannequin of communal possession and elevated collaboration — transitioning these digital property and instruments into shared public items, with a larger variety of contributors and a extra consultant voice for Zcashers all over the place.
Sounds cool, however why?
We consider making a decentralized possession construction, collectively managed by ECC and certified, unbiased folks and groups is necessary for a number of causes, together with:
Guaranteeing the long-term sustainability and resilience of the Zcash undertaking
Encouraging variety and innovation within the ecosystem
Enabling extra content material, extra collaboration, and a larger attain
Scope of proposal
This proposal encompasses the next digital properties at the moment managed day-to-day by ECC. For a full breakdown of constituent elements, corresponding instruments/platforms and necessary dependencies, please see the addendum.
z.money area and web site
Zcash Technical Documentation (ReadTheDocs/Gitbook)
Zcash Twitter account
Cypherpunk Zero website and property
Proposed decentralization course of
Broadly talking, we consider the trail to decentralization must be incremental and structured as follows. This can be a draft, meant to spur dialogue, and we welcome neighborhood enter on the method and timeline(s) detailed beneath.
Part 1 (Aug-Oct 2023)
Set up a transition process pressure composed of ECC representatives and certified neighborhood members.
Starting with a proper neighborhood utility course of, ECC will create a transition process pressure to contribute concepts and information and oversee the transition. The duty pressure must be comprised of representatives from ECC and as much as three key members of the Zcash neighborhood. This group of unpaid volunteers will probably be answerable for prioritizing tasks, growing the transition plans, participating with the neighborhood, due diligence on trademark and authorized implications, and guaranteeing a clean and orderly switch of obligations as applicable. The duty pressure ought to mirror the range of the Zcash neighborhood, guaranteeing {that a} broad vary of views, geographies, and experience are represented, if possible.
See process pressure choice course of proposal
Part 2 (Nov 2023-Jan 2024)
Develop standards for evaluating potential new possession buildings.
Based mostly on the evaluation and desired traits outlined on this submit, the transition process pressure ought to develop clear standards for evaluating potential new possession buildings for z.money, the Zcash technical documentation hub, the Zcash Twitter account, and the Cypherpunk Zero website and property. These standards will function a foundation for choosing probably the most appropriate candidate(s), guaranteeing the chosen construction(s) aligns with neighborhood values, targets, and long-term imaginative and prescient. By establishing these standards upfront, the duty pressure ensures a clear and goal choice course of that’s rooted in one of the best pursuits of the Zcash neighborhood.
Part 3 (Feb-March 2024)
Interact the Zcash neighborhood relating to construction(s).
To encourage neighborhood involvement and enter within the transition course of, the duty pressure will clearly talk the specified traits of the brand new possession construction(s). By offering a mechanism for open dialogue and change of concepts, ECC can collect worthwhile suggestions and insights from numerous stakeholders, guaranteeing numerous views are thought-about within the decision-making course of.
Part 4 (April 2024 onward)
New construction is finalized; transitioning and monitoring start.
The brand new joint administration construction(s) is finalized and transitioning begins. To information the method, the duty pressure and new proprietor(s) ought to develop a transparent roadmap outlining expectations and obligations, together with transition milestones. This roadmap ought to embody key duties such because the handover or opening up of technical infrastructure and the institution of recent governance mechanisms. By offering a structured framework for the transition, the roadmap can assist guarantee all facets of the method are fastidiously thought-about and managed.
As soon as the transition course of is full, the duty pressure ought to formally conclude its work, acknowledging the profitable switch of obligations and property to the brand new co-owner(s). Following this, a post-transition assessment could also be carried out to evaluate the general success of the method, determine classes realized, and doc insights for future reference. This assessment might present worthwhile suggestions for each ECC and the brand new co-owner(s), serving to to tell future decentralization initiatives and make sure the ongoing resilience of the Zcash undertaking.
ECC’s suggestions on construction
z.money area and web site:
The lately redesigned z.money expertise has been modularized to permit for a number of groups to handle numerous content material sections of the web site. The related WordPress CMS, instruments, and analytics platforms will be flexibly permissioned in accordance with the wants of the neighborhood.
We might ideally prefer to see people or entities collaborate with ECC to handle the content material inside sure modules, such because the Study and Ecosystem hubs.
Instance A: Entity X might handle content material for the Study part of the positioning, whereas Entity Y might individually handle content material for the Ecosystem part. ECC might proceed sustaining the general website expertise, website safety, related analytics, and net improvement. Representatives from all entities might collectively sit on an editorial board to make sure cohesive content material technique and constant high quality. Funding might come within the type of Zcash Group Grants, a renewed Zcash Growth Fund, or some mixture of the 2.
Instance B: Entity X might work with ECC to develop translations for z.money content material in languages apart from English. Funding might come within the type of Zcash Group Grants.
Ongoing prices:
Internet improvement and design at the moment prices ~$2,500 per thirty days by exterior companies.
Webhosting and utility safety value ~$20,000 per yr.
Hotjar at the moment prices ~$250 per thirty days.
Ahrefs at the moment prices ~$199 per thirty days.
WordPress plugins value in mixture ~$250 per yr.
Google Analytics is free.
Zcash technical documentation administration:
The prevailing Zcash technical documentation is hosted through ReadTheDocs and is in want of updates. Ideally, a separate entity might oversee the platform, independently or along side ECC, with funding from Zcash Group Grants.
Ongoing prices:
Copywriting and neighborhood administration assets prices TBD.
Internet hosting prices ~$50 per thirty days.
@Zcash Twitter account
We wish to see an entity or particular person (apart from ECC) assume social media administration obligations (inclusive of content material technique and manufacturing) for the @Zcash Twitter deal with. Funding might come within the type of Zcash Group Grants.
Ongoing prices:
~$250/mo for Sprout Social.
The associated fee to design visible property (ie. animated GIFs and movies).
Copywriting and neighborhood administration assets.
Cypherpunk Zero website and NFT property
Ideally, the Cypherpunk Zero world may very well be transitioned to an unbiased staff who might facilitate wider neighborhood participation and contributions. Maybe this might comply with a transition and possession mannequin much like the proposal for z.money. Along with the positioning and NFT assortment (~2,000 items), ECC has three accomplished comedian guide scripts that have to be illustrated and packaged. This undertaking was placed on maintain in 2022 for price range concerns.
Ongoing prices:
Internet improvement and design at the moment prices TBD (ECC is at the moment spending $0 per thirty days).
Webhosting and utility safety value ~$4,000 per yr.
Gasoline charges for switch of NFTs ~10 per asset.
Disclaimer: Any estimated prices are primarily based on present ECC infrastructure and configurations. There are different internet hosting and assist service choices that would trigger the operational prices to be increased or decrease.
Present questions, realities, and constraints
There are a selection of recognized (and unknown) points that we would wish to handle with the assistance of the neighborhood. Notably:
The best funding supply(s) for entities that assist handle Zcash digital properties is to be decided. Funding might come from Zcash Group Grants, a revised Zcash Growth Fund, or some mixture of the 2. We’re open to ideas from the neighborhood.
The prevailing Zcash Trademark Settlement and License Settlement could have to be amended to accommodate people or entities apart from ECC.
Another tasks (corresponding to Ethereum.org) have the luxurious of counting on giant communities to crowdsource a lot of the day-to-day administration of their digital properties. By advantage of the Zcash neighborhood’s small measurement, we consider a narrower, extra managed administration strategy is required whereas the undertaking is in its infancy.
The best governance construction is to be decided and will require experimentation.
The best function of third events (and the neighborhood’s capability to carry them accountable) is one thing that will have to be explored and codified by the proposed process pressure.
A shared Digital Property Roadmap, Fashion Information, and Design Rules (together with content material and model pointers) will have to be developed and agreed upon to make sure Zcash is represented in a constant and applicable method.
Different necessary concerns:
ECC at the moment depends on the z.money area as its Google Cloud Supplier main community for a lot of items of essential infrastructure (e.g., nodes and construct procedures). Any change of area administration should account for a ~6 month grace interval to permit ECC to transition off the z.money area.
Subsequent steps
In March, we requested that the Zcash Basis present ECC with time and area for neighborhood engagement on this subject at Zcon4, with an intent to start strategy and planning efforts in August. That request was formally denied in June (and once more earlier this month), so ECC is planning to host a facet occasion, in the course of the Zcon4 dates, and we invite the neighborhood to take part. Keep tuned for particulars on time and venue. If you wish to make certain you don’t miss this dialog, be happy to electronic mail me at [email protected], and I’ll hold you within the loop. We’re excited to listen to from you immediately and to work with certified members of the neighborhood on these efforts!
After this workshop, our hope is to kick off the duty pressure choice course of talked about above and detailed right here.
Addendum
This proposal encompasses the next digital properties at the moment managed day-to-day by ECC. Under is a breakdown of constituent elements, corresponding instruments and platforms, and necessary dependencies.
Notice: If you happen to or somebody has a dependency that isn’t listed beneath, please submit this type by Aug 16, 2023.
Z.money area, dependent infrastructure, and web site
Area identify registrar (at the moment through Google Domains)
@z.money electronic mail (at the moment through GSuite)
Google cloud companies for necessary ECC-managed infrastructure
Z.money web site frontend
WordPress CMS
Instruments and analytics
Hotjar
Google Analytics
Ahrefs
Confirmic
Z.money hosting (at the moment through Pantheon)
Z.money web site and utility safety (at the moment through Cloudflare)
Zcash Enchancment Proposals subdomain (zips.z.money)
Zcash Protocol Specification
zcash.github.io
Technical documentation (ReadTheDocs/Gitbook)
Zcash Twitter account
Instruments and analytics
Sprout Social
