MY VOTE: For: Upgrade to v1.7
I’m voting for this proposal but I want to be transparent that I have concerns about the DIP program as it stands today. The original intention is good. We all want to support governance participation, reward delegates who contribute, and bring more structure to how value is recognized in the DAO. But over time the program has become bloated and difficult to manage. The overhead it creates is significant. It takes time and energy away from the actual work of growing the ecosystem. And the process feels increasingly misaligned with the spirit of a lean and resilient DAO.
I don’t think small fixes will be enough. If this program is going to continue, it needs a complete redesign. We need clearer goals and simpler mechanisms to evaluate impact, and I would love to see AI tools like x23.ai more integrated into the process. We need to reduce friction and make it easier to participate without creating extra bureaucracy. And we need to do a better job at capturing the kinds of contributions that actually move Arbitrum forward.
It’s also important to remember that the DIP program should be about strategy discussion and roadmap alignment, not execution. Those are two very different responsibilities. We shouldn’t confuse high-level governance decisions with individual contributions. If we want work to get done, we either need to hire people directly or create a well-designed reward system for contributions. But we need to be clear about what we’re trying to achieve and how each action fits into a broader strategic framework. Otherwise we risk blurring responsibilities and losing focus.
My vote in favor is largely about supporting the addition of Tier X. I see this as an interesting experiment that might activate some of the larger delegates and encourage them to engage more with the process. If it leads to more people reading proposals, showing up, and voting, that could create positive momentum meanwhile we are also strengthening quorum.
I still believe in the potential of a program like DIP. But to live up to that potential, we need to be honest about what is and isn’t working. A full revamp is needed. And if we do that work together, I think we can create something that serves the DAO better and lasts.