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CIP-0083: DTCC Super Validator Participation

ApprovedGovernanceby Eric SaranieckiCreated 01-10-2025Approved TBD
TL;DR

CIP-0083

Summary

This CIP proposes granting DTCC participation as a Super Validator (SV) with Weight 10. Given the strategic importance of DTCC to the Canton ecosystem, their inclusion will bring credibility, alignment with traditional financial infrastructure, and meaningful contributions to network governance and adoption.

This CIP establishes an umbrella, milestone-based program through which the DTCC can receive SV Weight (up to 10) for initiatives that materially advance the Canton ecosystem.

Unlike other CIPs, this program contains confidential commitments to the ecosystem. Those commitments and milestones have been agreed with the Canton Foundation and will be made available to the Tokenomics Committee when appropriate and as needed.

  • Total Earnable Weight: 10 (max)
  • Accrual Destination: Escrow, consistent with existing SV escrow mechanics.
  • Confidentiality: The Committee will review the milestones and inform SVs if they have been met.

Motivation

DTCC is the largest post-trade financial services company in the world and a critical part of the global capital markets infrastructure. Bringing DTCC into the Canton SV set strengthens:

  • Institutional credibility of the network.
  • Alignment with traditional financial market infrastructure.
  • Adoption and integration pathways for large-scale institutional use cases.

Deliverables & Milestones

The specific deliverables and milestones for DTCC have been agreed privately with the Canton Foundation. These will be reviewed by the Tokenomics Committee on a confidential basis.

  • Milestone Review Process:
    • The Tokenomics Committee will confirm whether DTCC has successfully met each milestone.
  • Reward Mechanism:
    • Upon confirmation, rewards associated with milestones will be released from escrow.
  • Confidentiality:
    • DTCC’s specific commitments will not be made public until the Foundation and DTCC determine it is appropriate.

SV Reward Mechanics:

  • An extraBeneficiary PartyID associated with the ‘escrowed’ Super Validator will be setup by the Foundation, or another SV node operator approved to provide SV rewards escrow services, with an SV Weight at the maximum earnable weight.

    • The Applicant is responsible for coordinating the process of setting up the escrowed weights with the GSF and the operator of the SV node.
    • The Applicant is responsible for all costs associated with the operation of the escrow SV
    • The escrow SV will NOT mint rewards on a block by block basis
    • All escrow SV rewards will go to the Unclaimed Rewards pool

  • ⅔ of the Super Validator Operators will update their configurations to allow the escrowing SV node to host the full weight to be earned by the given Super Validator

  • Applicant is required to present proof of successful completed milestones to the Tokenomics Working Group

    • Applicant is required to present a calculation for number of Canton Coin it should earn for meeting the requirements of the milestone

  • If the Tokenomics Working Group agrees the milestone has been met and agrees with the calculation, an announcement will be sent via the Tokenomics-Announce mailing List

    • The GSF will update the extraBeneficiary to an active PartyID controlled by that Super Validator.
    • ⅔ of Super Validator Operators will then assign a portion of the Unclaimed Rewards to be minted by the Applicant’s Validator, based on the calculation approved by the Tokenomics working group.

  • If any milestones and associated rewards are not achieved by the deadline

    • Applicant will be notified they have not met a deliverable by the GSF
    • Remaining SV Weight assigned to the extraBeneficiary SV will be removed from the GSF node configuration, and the total SV weight of the GSF SV node will be reduced by the same amount by a vote of the Super Validators.
    • The Tokenomics Working Group will make a recommendation to the SVs on what to do with the Unclaimed Rewards

  • Applicant is subject to CIP-0045 : SV Operating Requirements

    • If, at any time, the Applicant has been rewarded SV Weight > 2.5, they are required to operate their SV within 6 months of crossing that Weight. This SV node will join the network with an SV weight of zero (0) and may add weights as the SV completes the milestones listed in this CIP.

Copyright

Changelog

  • 2025-10-01: Initial draft of the proposal.
  • 2025-10-06: Approved CIP.