Sov: Delegate Communication Thread

I originally posted my delegate statement here when I started participating in Arbitrum governance. This thread will be for ongoing updates and communication.

What’s Changed Since My Original Statement:

I’m now Grants Manager at Uniswap Foundation (previously Head of Partnerships at Gitcoin, now in an advisory role there). I also maintain the Crypto Grant Wire ( Telegram: View @cryptograntwire ) and do advisory work with teams like Karma.

Current Approach:

I’ll focus on areas where I can add real value, primarily around grants, funding mechanisms, and program design. I’ll post my rationales regularly and share relevant insights from other DAOs where appropriate.

Disclosure:

All opinions and posts are my own and do not reflect those of Uniswap Foundation or any other organization I work with. I currently serve in roles across ENS, Optimism, Scroll, and COW, and maintain an advisory relationship with Gitcoin. I’ll recuse myself from votes with clear conflicts of interest.

Delegation: sovereignsignal.eth

Posting here some voting rationales from votes in the last 30 days. I will work on being more consistent moving forward to ensure these are posted more regularly.

AIP: Raise the gas target, min L2 base fee, & implement improvements to the pricing algorithm

Vote: For

Voting for this technical improvement to reduce L2 gas price volatility. The proposed changes helps offset reduced congestion pricing revenue while discouraging spam.


John Kennedy reconfirmation for AGV council

Vote: Abstain

Abstaining due to insufficient personal context on this individual’s performance during his initial term as an AGV council member.


Tim Chang reconfirmation for AGV council

Vote: Abstain

Abstaining for the same reason as the Kennedy reconfirmation—insufficient personal context on the individual or their performance.


AGV Council Compensation Calibration: Startup-Phase Bonus for Current Council Members

Vote: Abstain

Abstaining because I lack the context and details needed to evaluate this additional compensation structure. I supported the benchmark calibration for future terms as it establishes standards going forward, but additional startup-phase bonuses for current members require clearer justification of amounts and deliverables.


The DAO Incentive Program (DIP 2.0)

Vote: Against

Voting against as I felt the proposal adds complexity while claiming simplification. I’d support a revised version as described here: Rewarding Active Delegates (RAD) Program - #4 by Sov

Note: These kinds of votes may affect my compensation as a delegate if passed


[Temperature Check] Should we try a Delegate Incentive Program like the Arbitrum Triple Dip?

Vote: Against

Voting against as I think we need straightforward compensation for voting participation and rationales, with contributor work funded through clear scope-of-work proposals.

Note: These kinds of votes may affect my compensation as a delegate if passed

AGV - 2026 Council Elections

Vote: Participated (3 candidates selected)

Snapshot

I voted for three candidates in this election. Given the shielded voting format, I’ll respect the intent of that design and not disclose my selections publicly. I reviewed all six candidates and allocated my voting power to those I believe will best serve AGV’s mandate.

Vote: For

Proposal: Rewarding Active Delegates (RAD) Program

Voting in favor. As I noted during the forum discussion, DIP 2.0’s complexity pushed me away from active participation. I think RAD helps fix this with its eligibility requirements and a focus on voting and rationales rather than performance theater. The per-proposal structure and quarterly budget flexibility let OpCo adjust based on real data.

Disclosure: This vote affects my compensation as a delegate.


Vote: For

Proposal: Constitutional AIP: Activate ArbOS 51 (Dia) and Gas Pricing Updates

Voting in favor. Technical upgrade outside my expertise, but L2BEAT, Lampros, and Castle found no issues after detailed review and I trust their judgement.