The Kwenta Council Elections are live! All $KWENTA stakers are invited to participate in the elections by selecting a council representative on Snapshot. Your vote will shape the future of Kwenta.

What is the Kwenta Council?

The Kwenta Council is a 5 entity representative body which votes on Kwenta Improvement Proposals, or KIPs. A KIP may be submitted by any community member, and is a proposal to direct DAO policy and protocol development. All community members may participate in the KIP process by proposing KIPs, and attending KIP presentations in Discord, but only Kwenta Council members may vote. See the Kwenta Governance Page to learn more.

Once elected, each council serves for a period of 4 months. Following the election, the next council transition will occur on August 6th, and the new council will oversee KwentaDAO policy for.

How do I vote?

Only holders of Staked $KWENTA tokens may vote. In order to participate in this election, your Kwenta must have already been staked during the snapshot, as mentioned in our previous blog.

Each staked $KWENTA represents 1 vote, and each wallet may vote for a single candidate. The election was opened on July 23rd at 00:01 UTC, and will remain open for exactly 1 week, closing on July 30th at 00:00 UTC.

To vote, simply head to Snapshot and connect your wallet.

Who is running?

During the nomination period, prospective council members gave their pitch in Discord. While all community members are welcome to engage in Discord governance channels and ask questions to the candidates, we’ve compiled the pitches here in this blog for your convenience.

Please read the council pitches carefully and make your choice. Happy voting!

The Candidates

Bulls-vs-Bears🐻

Hello everybody!

I'm Bulls-Bears. I discovered Kwenta 8 months ago, and since then, I've been on Discord every day. Some of you know me; others maybe not. Enough about me; now it's time to move on to proposals.

Community Engagement

I have actively contributed to discussions and initiatives within the Kwenta community, demonstrating my dedication and understanding of the platform's goals. Through ongoing participation, I've built valuable connections and stayed informed about the latest developments.

Why I am Qualified

  • DeFi Enthusiast: I bring extensive knowledge and experience from my active involvement in the DeFi space.
  • Community Member: Engaging deeply in Kwenta discussions and initiatives underscores my commitment to the community's advancement.
  • Relevant Skills: With a background in marketing, I possess the skills needed to effectively promote Kwenta and attract new users to our platform.

Community Involvement and Rewards

I am passionate about enhancing community engagement by advocating for initiatives that benefit all Kwenta users. I prioritize supporting proposals that drive Kwenta's development and elevate the value of the Kwenta token. Together, let's fortify Kwenta's position and foster a community where every voice matters.

Thoughtful Voting

I pledge to vote responsibly, endorsing proposals that deliver tangible benefits to our community. Each decision will be carefully considered against our collective objectives. I am committed to refraining from backing initiatives that do not align with our shared goals.

Let's unite and propel Kwenta to even greater heights!

This is my ethereum address: 0x55dDa08152cB1dBDDaa789efBA3E0632a5Aa2C9E

50

Hello everyone,

perhaps a few of you already know me from Synthetix and other areas, but given that I generally tend to be more on the lurker side of things I'll take a couple secs to do a rapid-fire intro:

My irl name is Jonathan, and I'm from the UK - I was first properly introduced to crypto around 3/4 years ago after previously studying traditional financial derivatives. I now work as a software engineer in web3, and have over the past 5 months received grants from both Synthetix and GMX to build programs to automate funding rate arbitrage strategies.

Anyhow, with that out of the way:

What I will bring

My primary goal in any DAO governance environment is to prioritize focus; in my personal experience, many governance entities flounder due to a lack of direction - failing to sufficiently push ahead on the most valuable opportunities and spending too much time debating ideas that may be valuable, but have no clear execution path. You can probably expect me to be in favour of fewer initiatives on the whole, but to back those that possess the highest expected ROI with the seriousness and attention that they deserve.

Qualifications

Having a deeper than average understanding of the mechanisms and codebases of various perps protocols, I feel confident in my ability to assess new proposals - both on a technical level as it relates to Kwenta and more generally how it will fit into the wider ecosystem of on-chain perps platforms. I've also been active in on-chain governance for >3 years now, and have seen my fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly that goes along with it - I like to think I've learned a thing or two about communication in that time :)

In short...

Although I likely won't be leading any twitter promotion campaigns, I do intend to execute on the primary responsibilities of any council member: To filter out as much noise as possible and to help plan and execute upon clear, actionable initiatives that will have the most tangible ROI.

Wallet Address

Ethereum: 0xa6D1FEda6fc70680816eF6A23faf5e454e2f9C09 (don't laugh too hard at the trading history)

Final note

My DMs are open here on discord, and I can also be reached on telegram at @JonathanFeasby and on Github at 50shadesofgwei. I'm online more than is likely healthy for my eyes, so don't be scared to reach out and discuss or give me feedback at any time.

Andotlas | Kwenta

GM,

I'm nominating myself for council. I'm a Synthetix OG and an architect behind the Kwenta DAO. I'm currently a Core Contributor leading strategy and operations.

I envision a future for Kwenta that abstracts away being onchain by providing a login flow with email or your wallet (and more options in the future), which leads to a gasless experience for trading perps on all the major exchanges such as Synthetix, Perennial, Gains, GMX, and more. This will provide users with the easiest and most enjoyable way to access onchain perps, positioning Kwenta to control the majority of perps order flow and thereby capture fee share from the volume generated, as well as additional fees when appropriate, in order to cover development costs and payout staker rewards.

We are close to achieving this vision but we require a council that is willing to turn down opportunities that distract from this goal and collaborates with the current Core Contributors to execute.

I believe DeFi has forgotten that doing $1B dollar volume days with $10B spikes on a high volatility day is still on the table with the right marketing, onboarding, and product delivery mix. Let's bring the hopium back.

Address: 0x00faccB6E6E4d682EF7892d9362CAB52e896a244

JVK#6935

Gm,

I'm nominating myself because it appears there are not enough candidates applying to seat a full council. If needed, I can serve.

0x8be60fe9F7C8d940D8DA9d5dDD0D8E0c15A4288B

electric | Kwencat

gm Kwencats,

I am running for re-election as a community candidate for the Kwenta council.

After a relatively quiet epoch where much was brewing under the hood, we are approaching a very important period. The main focus will be on the Arbitrum Synthetix v3 and KSX launch, along with onboarding new users.

My long-term vision for Kwenta is straightforward:

  • A simple (mobile) app with the best UI and execution for trading perpetuals. No hassle of connecting wallets, choosing chains, selecting liquidity providers, or worrying about gas fees. Everything abstracted into two buttons for the degens: LONG or SHORT.
  • Perpetum mobile protocol with value accrual for the KSX/KWENTA holders.

Wallet Address: electricbabe.eth

GUNBOATs _/

As long-standing members of the Synthetix community, we, the Synthetix Ambassadors, are excited to run for the Kwenta Council. Our candidacy focuses on strengthening the synergy between Kwenta and Synthetix, two cornerstone protocols in the DeFi ecosystem.

As Synthetix Ambassadors, we feel well-equipped to contribute to the improvement and maintenance of Kwenta via governance and represent the Synthetix community on Kwenta.

Our Commitment:

  • Voice for Synthetix Stakers: We will advocate for Synthetix stakers, ensuring their interests are represented in Kwenta's governance and fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between Kwenta and Synthetix users.
  • Supporting Kwenta as a Key Integrator: Recognizing Kwenta as Synthetix's premier partner, we will champion initiatives that leverage this relationship, including the transition to Synthetix V3 and beyond.
  • Experienced Governance Contributors: With our extensive involvement in various external governance systems, we bring valuable expertise to enhance Kwenta's decision-making processes.
  • Responsible Governance: We pledge to vote promptly via our multisig, ensuring active and timely participation in all council matters.
  • Driving Kwenta's Growth: Our goal is to support Kwenta's continued development, expanding its user base and solidifying its position as a leading DeFi platform.

Our Skills and Areas of Expertise:

The Synthetix Ambassador Council is composed of five members who are signers on the OPsnxAmbassadors.eth multi-sig and we oversee governance for many ecosystem protocols.

We are currently active Delegates for several DeFi projects and have experience in submitting and deploying governance proposals and staying up to date on broader governance matters. We also have access to resources within the Synthetix DAO for purposes of protocol integrations.

Our current signers, whose Twitter handles can be found on @snxambassadors profile bio, are made up of a combination of SNX Core Contributors and long-time active community members who are well-versed in the operation of Synthetix and other DeFi/NFT projects. We have a diverse set of skills that include protocol/governance analysis, user acquisition strategies, varying degrees of DeFi integrations, general marketing/communication skills, and a wide range of other abilities in web3 and DeFi alike.

By electing the Synthetix Ambassadors, you're choosing a team committed to Kwenta's success and its vital partnership with Synthetix. Let's work together to unlock the full potential of both protocols.

SNX Ambassadors currently consist of: @mastermojo83 ⇌ @Matt | Synthetix @Westie and @dsacks

platschi | Kwenta

GM,

Running for this epoch as long-term Kwenta CC, previous Council member and devDAO PM. At Kwenta I'm responsible for planning (among other things), making sure Kwenta CCs deliver on KIP and milestones - organizing the chaos of tickets, bugs, improvements and future features to come.

As a council member I would give my input to make sure we are not flooded with KIPs that end up in the backlog for another year, and get features or new integrations approved where they pass feasibility and we are sure to have resources and conviction to build them in the short-term. Nothing worse than an exciting KIP to be then shelved into the voids of the backlog forever.

My address: 0x2fC607bA85DF810a61A7777c5EC0D4C45200c29C

Barko | Kwenta

Hello friends. It's my pleasure to announce the candidacy of Barko.eth, now operating as Bjarko.

Bjarko is a multisig candidate headed by Myself, @Jared, and @derivativesengineer coming back to Kwenta for 1 last epoch.

Who are you guys?

  • Burt: Works on marketing and growth at Kwenta.
  • Sativa Nakamoto: Works on communications, and has managed several product initiatives as our in-house pro trader.
  • Jared: The Smart Contract architect responsible for our Smart Margin system.

Alright Barko, what did you do the past 2 epochs?

The Barko Boys have taken an active role in every aspect of governance, so we have a proven track record in governance. If you've attended a KIP call, you've likely heard me leading the community discussion, presenting KIPs, and behind the scenes the Barko boys frequently lead the private council updates.

We take proactive governance very seriously and go above-and-beyond the call of duty. Our initiatives to increase the governance voice of the community include helping folks format and submit KIPs, and we spearheaded that tokenholder vote initiative for the KSX proposal. We also pioneered the "multisig candidate" for representative governance, which shows our willingness to experiment and improve the process (there are 2 multisig candidates at Synthetix now, and 2 running for KC).

We also aren't afraid to vote "no", which I believe is an underrated quality. While we aim for optimism, we believe it's more important than ever to make tough, realistic decisions. When we do vote "no", I always personally follow up with the reasoning, and changes which could sway my vote.

So what is your vision for Kwenta?

Wow, I'm glad you asked, me. One of the strengths of Barko is our sometimes differing viewpoints and ability to talk through proposals in realtime, however we all agree with a few points:

  • One of the biggest challenges at Kwenta is our backlog, and it's important to make sure existing projects can be appropriately prioritized before approving new, large integrations.
  • The key to winning is the trading experience, and this means having the BEST place to trade, and not necessarily the most places to trade. What does this mean? While we support some experimentation with new networks and integrations, we should consider carefully how new integrations are superior to, or add value to existing offerings.
  • The trader of the future will be on a mobile device.
  • The way forward for governance is more decentralization, and not less. Additional experimentation with tokenholder governance votes and other initiatives to increase participation will be a top priority.

Thank you all for participating in this very important election, and I look forward to serving one more time if you guys will have me. :salute~2:

Stay Informed and Engaged

Your participation in these elections shapes the future of Kwenta. We encourage every member of our community to stay informed, engage in discussions, and exercise their right to vote. Together, we are not just building a platform; we are shaping the future of decentralized finance.

Happy nominating and voting!

Join the Kwenta Community

If you haven't already, join the Kwenta community on Discord.

To be the first to learn about new updates to Kwenta, follow us on Twitter.

To trade synthetic assets and futures, visit Kwenta.