A fresh take on Ethereum’s funding woes has emerged, letting validators steer up to 10% of their staking rewards into ecosystem growth if over half agree 🦇. This sparks fresh talks on supporting public goods amid tightening budgets for core devs.
Fresh Idea to Tackle Eth’s Cash Crunch 🌙
Ethereum contributor Clément Lesaege dropped this “Validator Redirected Revenue” concept on his own. It gives validators power to pick both the slice of rewards to divert and who gets the funds. The setup tackles a real coordination snag where network-wide projects lack enough backers willing to chip in.
Under the plan, a redirect rate over zero clicks in for everyone once 51% of validators back it. The cap sits at 10% of rewards, with an easy out to reset to zero. Validators also choose favorites for cash flow, and execution clients tally preferences to set a distribution contract via vote. With 39.8 million ETH staked and a 1.91% yearly reward rate, a 5% redirect would push around 38,000 ETH annually into development while 10% scales that to 76,000 ETH.
Cartel risks top the worry list, since a 51% group could theoretically siphon the full 10% back to itself. Yet the upside seems too slim against heavy reputational hits and price drops that would follow.
Skeptics Poke at Power Plays and Payoffs 🕷️
Developer Micah Zoltu flagged how this creates a tempting pot of cash unlike older attack paths, shifting incentives in a risky way. He noted no clear fix exists and that’s why other chains skipped similar moves. Lesaege countered that Bitcoin and Ethereum already face theoretical cartel threats that never hit, with social layers like forking acting as solid brakes.
Some questioned if protocol funding even fits, as pseudonymous dev señor doggo pointed out Ethereum already handles smart contract revenue shares. They want any support to stay voluntary and competitive rather than baked into the rules. Check the take here
DeFi builder S. More leaned into optional giving, saying they’d happily split staking yield with favorite dev teams without forcing it. See their view here
Timing feels tense after ex-Ethereum Foundation voice Trent Van Epps flagged potential funding crunches soon as programs wind down and spending tightens. Other links like this research thread open fresh in new tabs for deeper dives.
Just another echo from the void by iconofsin.eth 💖
