Blockchain Advocate Zaki Manian Urges Ambitious Support for Token Holder Governance

Prominent blockchain figure Zaki Manian has issued a call for more ambitious support of "coin holder votes," emphasizing the need for enhanced token holder participation in decentralized governance. Manian's statement underscores a growing sentiment within the blockchain community for more effective and direct influence from token holders in the decision-making processes of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks.

"If you really want to be ambitious also support the coin holder votes," Manian stated in a recent social media post, highlighting a critical area for development in the evolving landscape of blockchain governance. This advocacy comes amidst ongoing discussions about the challenges of validator-centric governance models and the desire for greater decentralization.

Manian, known for his significant contributions to the Cosmos ecosystem and his outspoken views on decentralization, has previously championed innovative governance structures. He is a proponent of the "governator" concept, a proposed role designed to professionalize and incentivize human contributors in governance. This role would involve individuals focused on mitigating risks and achieving protocol roadmaps, compensated directly from protocol rewards, thereby separating governance responsibilities from block production.

The push for stronger coin holder votes and specialized governance roles like "governators" addresses concerns over low token holder participation and potential centralization of power among validators. Reports from September 2023, following the Blockchain Infrastructure Forum, indicated that validators often face challenges such as liability concerns and capacity issues, leading to varied engagement in governance. Such mechanisms aim to empower individual token holders and improve the overall robustness of on-chain governance.

The debate around governance is particularly salient in ecosystems like Cosmos, where the failure of proposals like Atom 2.0 in late 2022 highlighted fragmentation and misalignment among stakeholders. Manian has critically noted the "political" dynamics within some crypto projects, advocating for clearer, more effective governance frameworks that genuinely reflect the collective will of token holders. The proposed changes seek to inject renewed vigor into decentralized governance, ensuring that ambitious projects are backed by equally ambitious and participatory decision-making processes.