Optimism, a layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum, has announced significant changes to its governance structure aimed at improving decentralization and stakeholder representation. The update, titled 'Season 8', will take effect on August 1.
New Stakeholder Groups
The update introduces four distinct stakeholder groups: tokenholders, end-users, applications, and chains. Each of these groups will participate in governance processes, helping to prevent any single category from dominating. The Optimism team stated: 'Season 8 takes steps to ensure governance is accountable to all major stakeholders of the Collective, not just financial ones.'
Experimental Citizenship Framework
The citizenship framework remains experimental, with definitions requiring public on-chain verification. Citizenship is divided into three categories: end-users, applications, and chains. However, existing citizenship status does not guarantee future inclusion in further updates.
Auto-Pass Proposal System
Starting August 1, most governance proposals will follow an 'optimistic approval process', allowing automatic passage unless stakeholders actively veto them. This aims to streamline decision-making while reducing bureaucratic friction on network participants.
The governance overhaul in Season 8 represents a significant step towards decentralization for Optimism, testing whether a new approach can maintain effective oversight while reducing bureaucracy.
