The recent SSV DAO Meetup in Berlin brought together SSV DAO committee members, SSV Network contributors, SSV Foundation, and SSV Divers (SSV Ambassadors). It’s incredible to see people from all over the world coming together to discuss important decisions that help shape the future of the SSV Network protocol and ecosystem. This blog post will outline the significant talking points covered in the meetup to inform the wider SSV community of the plans in the pipeline.

For those more inclined to video format, a recording can be found on the SSV Network YouTube channel.

Governance in Action

The SSV DAO Meetup provides a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, each a driver of SSV Network’s decentralized governance. Held bi-annually, these gatherings are a space for open discussions on the future of the SSV Network. Key players from the SSV Network DAO, SSV Foundation, Contributors, and community come together to review progress, set goals, and plan for the year ahead. Lisbon’s virtual meetup, held six months prior, set the stage for the in-person Berlin event, where the DAO solidified plans for the remainder of 2024 and H1 2025.

From Community to Contributor

The SSVDivers have consistently played a crucial role as champions of the SSV community. The meetup began by celebrating their accomplishments and highlighting their efforts to expand community engagement, support new operators, and drive impactful projects forward.

Ben – DAO Facilitator & Coordinator: Evolving the Ecosystem

As SSV Network grows, so do its operational needs. The DAO is placing a stronger emphasis on developing monitoring and alerting systems to better support builders within the ecosystem. Tooling has become a priority, providing all participants with the necessary metrics and insights to run operations efficiently.

Budget discussions were a key focus, especially around the grants program. Specifics of the budget will be released on the forum to allow for community discussions. With more teams looking to build on SSV, the DAO is exploring sustainable funding mechanisms to ensure these projects receive the support they need. The SSV DAO has committed $5M to grow the ecosystem, implementing the new grants strategy to support it.

The DAO has completed 26 grants so far, with another 46 in the pipeline. Apply for a Grant here!

Some key focus points:

• Maintenance of the Awesome SSV Repository
• Update the Builders Hub
• Update Grants Landing page on Notion
• Revamp the bug Bounty

GBeast & the VOC: Solo Staker Inclusion

GBeast, the Validator Operations Committee (VOC) head, provided exciting updates on including solo stakers in the Validator Operator (VO) program. New rules around operator history (90-day minimum) were implemented with a focus on fairness and transparency. Allowing solo-stakers to earn the VO badge is an essential milestone for getting them to gain more visibility in the network and contribute to decentralizing Ethereum.

In the medium to long term, the VOC is also working on improving data availability on operator performance. This includes streamlining the onboarding process for solo stakers and ensuring they have adequate support, including marketing programs.

SSV Labs: Optimizing for Scale

Taiga from SSV Labs shared an exciting vision for the future of the network’s infrastructure, scalability, and developer/operator experience. The SSV Network protocol has grown considerably, and scaling has become the primary focus. With the network already surpassing $3b TVL, maintaining high performance is the north star.

One of the significant landmarks discussed was the Alan fork, which will reduce network messages by up to 90%. By researching various optimizations, SSV Labs aims to implement sustainable long-term solutions for the network. If you’re interested, much of the research into scaling solutions is available in Alon’s (SSV Labs Founder) blog post.

The SSV Labs team will also investigate Operator performance to build tools and help operators improve their setups. This will improve operators’ performance and ensure the network remains robust despite continued growth.

The Foundation: Building Trust and Expanding

Elad from the SSV Foundation laid out the roadmap for creating a compliant, transparent, and efficient foundation that supports the DAO’s goals. The foundation’s role is becoming increasingly vital as it focuses on building trust through KYC/KYB processes and streamlining agreements and contracts. For 2025, long-term budget planning and treasury management are top priorities. The goal is to better understand the needs of the community, committees, and DAO members to shape the foundation’s activities accordingly.

Looking Ahead: Budget and Sustainability

One of the most anticipated discussions at the meetup was the budget plan. As the network continues to expand, proper financial planning is essential to support the various initiatives within the ecosystem. Decisions made during the meetup will shape how the DAO finances its activities, including the grants program and long-term growth strategies.

The DAO is in the process of proposing a budget framework for the next four years in the coming weeks. The aim is to clarify what the SSV DAO wants to do and how it intends to achieve it. Of course, the community will be informed beforehand.

See you in 6 months!

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