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Infrastructure Committee
This Mandate establishes the responsibilities, composition, general objectives, and functioning of the NEAR Protocol Ecosystem Infrastructure Committee (the "Infrastructure Committee" or the "Committee").
The Committee is chartered to offer expert guidance to the NEAR Foundation (the "Foundation") and the broader NEAR ecosystem through reviewing, evaluating, and recommending infrastructure funding proposals. The Committee's purview includes, but is not limited to, enhancements of wallets, indexers, RPC services, explorers, oracles, bridges, NEAR Protocol features, and related ecosystem upgrades.
The responsibilities of the Committee are as follows:
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Guide NEAR ecosystem-wide infrastructure development priorities;
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Conduct monthly meetings to review and consider infrastructure funding proposals;
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Provide feedback and suggestions to improve the submissions;
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Coordinate with proposers and relevant stakeholders to refine and finalize recommendations;
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Prepare detailed analysis and recommendation reports for the Foundation's review and final determination.
The NEAR Foundation mandates the composition of the Infrastructure Committee, retaining authority over appointments and terminations to tailor the Committee's expertise to current ecosystem needs. Initial members of the Committee shall be:
- Alex Shevchenko (Aurora Labs)
- Bowen Wang (NEAR One)
- Vlad Frolov (DevHub)
- Eric Winer (Pagoda)
- Evgeny Kuzyakov (FastNEAR)
- Sandi Fatic (Calimero) (On Parental Leave)
- Illia Polosukhin (NEAR Foundation - serving as an ad-hoc member on an as-needed basis)
- Abhishek Vaidyanathan (NEAR Foundation - serving as a non-voting meeting Chair)
- Christopher Donovan (NEAR Foundation - serving as an ad-hoc member on an as-needed basis)
The Committee shall vote after considering any given funding proposal whether or not to recommend funding it. The Infrastructure Committee's deliberations will target consensus; absent unanimity, a majority ruling prevails. If equally split, the CEO of NEAR Foundation (Illia Polosukhin) acts as the final arbiter.
The NEAR Foundation retains the authority to evaluate and review the work and suggestions of the Infrastructure Committee as it deems appropriate.
Meetings shall be scheduled bi-monthly or at such other intervals as the Committee may, at its discretion, see fit. The Committee shall be presided over by the Chair and Committee members. Sessions are not open to the public except for persons or entities whose proposals are being considered by the Committee. The agenda, however, will be publicly disclosed, allowing the community to propose discussion points for Committee consideration.
Appointees serve annually, subject to re-selection based on their demonstrable contributions and at the discretion of the Foundation.
The Infrastructure Committee oversees two classes of funding proposals:
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Minor Requests: Initiatives requesting up to $200,000, with an annual budget of up to $2,000,000, subject to increase at the Foundation's discretion.
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Major Requests: Proposals requiring investment beyond $200,000.
The Infrastructure Committee is open to various proposals to enhance the NEAR Protocol's infrastructure. Submissions may be presented in any form, including requests for payment for development services relating to NEAR Protocol infrastructure or investment in ecosystem infrastructure providers.
The Committee will evaluate each proposal's merits, considering factors such as technical feasibility, price, potential for enhancing the NEAR ecosystem's capabilities, and alignment with the strategic vision of the NEAR Protocol. Oversight will ensure that proposals adhere to the 'Best Cost Principle' and deliver value for resources expended.
Submission Timeline and Repository
Proposals intended for review by the Infrastructure Committee must be submitted 14 days before the scheduled Committee meeting. This timeline ensures sufficient public review and committee preparation.
All proposals should be lodged in an explicitly created GitHub repository. The designated repository should be easily accessible to proposers and the community for visibility and engagement.
Proposal Format
Submitters must draft their proposals in a format that closely follows the NEAR Enhancement Proposals (NEPs) structure, as outlined on GitHub. This structure will be documented to guide the expected content, style, and organization of the submissions.
Public Comment Period
Upon submission, proposals will enter a public comment period, which will remain open until the Infrastructure Committee convenes. This period enables the wider NEARbroaderystem to review, discuss, and give feedback on proposed initiatives.
Transparency of Recommendations
After the Infrastructure Committee's review, the evaluation and subsequent recommendations will be communicated to the community.
A summary of the Committee's decisions will be promptly published on gov.near.org.
Committee members must disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from Committee deliberations and voting where such conflicts arise. Where disagreements occur on the Committee as to what constitutes a conflict of interest, NEAR Foundation shall determine whether a disqualifying conflict of interest exists.
Together with the NEAR Foundation, the Infrastructure Committee will publish a quarterly report detailing its recommendations and allocated funds, which will be made available on gov.near.org for public review.
Service on the Infrastructure Committee is voluntary; members shall not receive compensation for their service.
Advisors must maintain the confidentiality of all sensitive information they receive during their advisory role, including proprietary or non-public information related to the Foundation, the NEAR Protocol, and its associated ecosystem.
Committee members must coordinate with the Foundation when engaging with the media to ensure alignment with NEAR's strategic communication approach.
The Foundation retains the right to amend, modify, or supplement these terms at its sole and absolute discretion.