Thanks for the thoughts @shawn16400! I love these questions — please keep them coming.
I have some specific ideas below, but want to share some macro framing that I think might help first. Up until now, “governance utility” has been the only category of token utility available with GTC. IMO, much of our discussion about “adding token utility” across the DAO has actually been about adding “protocol utility” as another class alongside governance. In other words, how can GTC be used to enrich the experience of using our protocols? My goal with this post is to suggest a north star for this new category, so that it’s clearer what type of systems we should be designing:
- governance utility: how should Gitcoin DAO spend its treasury? What should we focus on?
- token utility: how do we signal trust in our protocol ecosystem?
Here are some thoughts on your specific questions:
how do I reconcile GTC as a unit if trust, if I can just go buy more GTC? I can see it as a unit of trust if we use limit the “trust” component to sybil resistant delegation of GTC (passport comes to mind) and count the delegation as a unit of trust. But is the idea a pile GTC by itself is more trustworthy?
Great point! If we go this route, I think we will need to design feedback loops that reinforce GTC as a unit of trust. We have the bones of an a supply system that supports this, in that GTC essentially enters the market from the Gitcoin community (via salaries, airdrops, etc). We’ll need to look at designs that make it hard for one whale to tip the scales (sort of like what QF does…)
Do existing trust or reputation mechanisms fit into this model? Here I am thinking Karma or boardroom.io or Kudos?
I think so! One idea that we’ve been talking about in GPC is the ability for different organizations to provide scores for projects or programs, so that other protocol users can see a community’s perspective. For example, you could see the “Gitcoin trust score” for a project (as determined by GTC staking perhaps) alongside a Karma score, or something else.
Your other questions are heady, but I like them! Happy to chat through them directly if you want to 