Blockfrost's transformation to not-for-profit
Blockfrost is a reliable way for developers to interact with the chain without running their own infrastructure or node. This proposal transitions Blockfrost into a free, community-governed public good, owned by the people who build on it where the Blockfrost source code, trademarks, and domains are transferred into community stewardship under an independent, community-governed not-for-profit. It funds a 18-month transition and operations into community ownership. Total ask: **₳9,832,979** (\$1,868,266 at \$0.19/₳).
Reasoning
Written after the vote was cast
What this asks for, and from whom
9,832,979 ADA ($1.87M at $0.19) to transition Blockfrost. Source code, trademarks, and domains. Out of private hands into an independent, community-governed not-for-profit, funding an 18-month transition and operations. A five-seat board: four for open-source Cardano infrastructure entities, one open community seat, elections targeted by end of year.
What would have to be true for this to be a good use of treasury funds
The dependency has to be real. It is: the Cardano Foundation's own developer surveys show Blockfrost as the number-one hosted platform developers use, climbing from 39.3% in 2022 to 56.5% in 2023 and still growing. Half the ecosystem reaches the chain through this one door. Founded by Five Binaries, absorbed into IOG in 2024 with decentralization as the stated goal. This proposal is that goal actually happening instead of staying a slide.
What specifically concerns me
Nine-point-eight million ADA is a serious ask, and "not-for-profit transition" can hide a lot of payroll. What got me to yes: single-vendor dependency on infrastructure this central is a standing risk. If Blockfrost's owner ever pivots, half the dApp ecosystem scrambles. Community ownership of the front door beats renting it. The governance design is concrete rather than hand-wavy: named preliminary board, defined seats, election timeline, PRAGMA under consideration as the structural home.
What I am asking of the proposer if this passes
It was dropped this round, so the transition stays unfunded for now. My yes is on the record. If it returns: tighten the 18-month operations budget line-by-line, name the board election date on-chain, and show the free-tier commitment in writing. The direction is right. Make the next version impossible to argue with.