▶️Foundation Delegation

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN - 08/12/2023 - 18/12/2023

Introduction to the Foundation Delegation Program

The Quicksilver Foundation believes that the long-term success of the Quicksilver chain goes hand-in-hand with fostering a vibrant and resilient validator ecosystem. Validators are the backbone of the Proof-of-Stake environment and play a critical role in ensuring the performance and security of the network. The key objective of the Foundation Delegation Program is to delegate the Foundation tokens to active validators who make significant contributions to support the Quicksilver chain and ecosystem.

Each iteration of the Foundation Delegation Program is considered independently of previous rounds. Delegations from previous rounds will not automatically carry over to the new period; therefore, validators who received tokens in the past must apply in this round to continue to receive delegations. Based on scoring, grantees from previous rounds may receive more or fewer tokens than before. New validators and validators who did not receive Foundation Delegations in the previous round are encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Please be advised that all decisions made by the Quicksilver Foundation regarding the Foundation Delegation Program, including but not limited to the selection of validators, allocation of delegations, and any other related determinations, are final. These decisions are made at the sole discretion of the Quicksilver Foundation and are not subject to negotiation or appeal. By participating in the program, applicants acknowledge and accept that the Quicksilver Foundation’s decisions are conclusive and binding. The Quicksilver Foundation reserves the right to make these decisions based on its assessment criteria and organizational priorities, ensuring the best interests of the Quicksilver ecosystem.

Guiding Principles for Our Validators

1. Decentralization: Diversifying Data Centers and Locations

In the spirit of blockchain's foundational principle, we expect our validators to actively pursue decentralization in their operations. This means avoiding concentration with specific data center providers and geographic locations. By diversifying operational infrastructure across various data centers and locations, validators contribute to the network's resilience and uphold our vision of a truly distributed blockchain ecosystem.

2. Operations & Security: Maintaining High Standards

Effective and secure operations are fundamental. Validators must ensure their configuration and architecture are robust, with server specifications that meet our high standards. Monitoring tools should be employed to maintain network health and security. Key management and security setups must be top-notch, and hosting providers should be chosen with care to ensure reliability and security. Validators are responsible for maintaining an operational environment that safeguards the network against threats and ensures continuous, stable performance.

Prerequisites & Ongoing Requirements

The following are must-have requirements in order to receive and keep a Foundation Delegation. Failing to maintain any of these requirements may result in the removal of a Foundation Delegation.

• Ongoing participation in the active Quicksilver Testnet.

• Maintaining commissions at or below 15%.

• Cloaking of RPC endpoints (as in, RPC endpoints are not exposed to the public).

• The validator’s security address on-chain is set.

• After the distribution of Foundation Delegations, a validator becoming jailed will result in the removal of Foundation Delegations. A validator who received a Foundation Delegation and had it removed due to being jailed will be ineligible for the next round of Foundation Delegations.

In the spirit of decentralization, the top 5 validators (thanks to self-bonded assets or delegated assets besides Foundation Delegations) will not be eligible for Foundation Delegations.

Judgment Criteria

• Mainnet Requirement: Validators must be actively running a validator on Quicksilver’s mainnet. This applies to validators both inside and outside the active set.

• Validator Uptime: During Quicksilver’s evaluation period, validator uptime must be 95% or greater for those in the active set. Validators moving inside and outside the active set due to stake size will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Commission Rate: Validators must have a commission rate set no higher than 15%.

• Quicksilver Ecosystem Contributions: Active participation in governance, community and marketing contributions, business development contributions, and influencers with large communities are highly valued. Contributions made to growing the Quicksilver ecosystem, such as building, maintaining, or administering IBC relayers, public RPC nodes, testnet nodes, dashboards, explorers, developer resources, and community tools; supporting other validators; creating educational content, actively contributing to the community, etc.

• Behavioral Standards: After securing delegation, validators must maintain compliance with the mainnet criteria (uptime, commission rate) to keep their delegation. If a validator misbehaves, becomes slashed or jailed, or is not keeping up with the mainnet parameter requirements, the Quicksilver Foundation reserves the right to undelegate previously granted stake. Additionally, if a validator operator acts in such a way that is considered by the Foundation to be against the interests of the ecosystem, the Foundation reserves the right to withdraw delegations.

Scoring System - Ecosystem Contributions

In the Quicksilver Foundation Delegation Program, we recognize the importance of validators' contributions to the Quicksilver ecosystem. To evaluate these contributions, we employ a scoring system ranging from 1 to 5 points. It's important to understand that the assessment of Quicksilver Ecosystem Contributions is inherently subjective. While we strive for objectivity and fairness, the nature of these contributions often requires a nuanced evaluation that goes beyond mere quantitative analysis. Factors such as the complexity of the contribution, the time and resources invested, and the overall enhancement to the Quicksilver ecosystem are taken into account. Contributions that demonstrate a significant positive impact, foster community growth, or enhance the network's capabilities are likely to score higher.

Validators are encouraged to provide detailed information and context about their contributions to enable a comprehensive evaluation. This approach ensures that each validator's unique efforts are recognized and rewarded appropriately, fostering a vibrant and collaborative Quicksilver ecosystem.