TEN Improvement Proposals (TIP)

A TEN Improvement Proposal (TIP) is an essential component of the governance of TEN because it is how participants in the TEN community can have an active role in the evolution of TEN.

TIPs are submitted by anyone holding TEN tokens and who are therefore members of the TEN Governance, or DAO. TIPs are used to modify procedures, install or modify software, update permission whitelists where they exist. Also TIPs include requests for funds or grants and provide guidelines or information to the community.

TIP Structure

The following sections should be completed when creating a TIP to make them transparent, structured and easy to understand. The structure of a TIP follows the SMARTKIT approach:

1. Summary: A brief summary of the TIP.
2. Motivation: Justification for implementing the TIP.
3. Alignment: Explanation of how the TIP aligns with TEN's mission and values.
4. Risks: description of any risks of proceeding with the TIP.
5. Terms: Definitions of unique, new, or industry-specific terms (optional).
6. Key Details: Detailed breakdown of platforms, technologies, and design decisions. Includes alternate designs and related work.
7. Implementation: Steps to implement the TIP, including assumptions, resources, type of expertise required and costs breakdown. Legal documentation should be included if relevant.
8. Timing: Start date, milestones, and completion dates.

The "Fast-Track" Lifecycle (Bootstrapping Phase)

To support rapid growth and reduce friction, the standard governance lifecycle is currently compressed into a 10-day "Fast-Track" window. This process is used for all strategic decisions, including token vesting schedules, and ecosystem parameters.

Level	Stage	Description	Timeframe
1	Proposal & Delay	Published on Snapshot; active discussion period.	Days 1–4
2	Active Voting	Voting is open to the community on Snapshot.	Days 5–9
3	Review & Execution	Implementation by the Board/Core Team.	Day 10

Level 1: Proposal & Voting Delay (Days 1–4)

The TIP is officially uploaded to Snapshot. During this "Voting Delay" period:

• Final Discussion: The proposal is live for public viewing, and final discussions take place on Discord Channel.
• Snapshot Taken: The "snapshot" of token balances is typically taken before the start of this period to prevent "flash-loan" governance attacks or last-minute token purchases.
• No Voting: Users can review the proposal, but the "Vote" button is not yet active.

Level 2: Active Voting Window (Days 5–9)

The voting period officially opens for 5 full days.

• Platform: Snapshot.org.
• Participation: Eligible community members cast their votes gaslessly by signing a message with their wallet.
• Threshold: A simple majority vote (>50%) is required for the TIP to progress.

Level 3: Review & Implementation (Day 10)

Once the vote concludes, the proposal moves to execution.

• The "Safety Check": The TEN Governance Board/Core Team reviews the outcome. Implementation is automatic unless the proposal is found to contain a critical security vulnerability or legal conflict or critical deviation from Protocols goals.
• Manual Trigger: Code changes or token movements are triggered manually by the team and are tracked publicly on the TEN GitHub repository.

---

Future Roadmap: Fully Decentralized Governance

As the network reaches maturity, TEN will transition to an Upgraded Lifecycle. This will move from "Social Signaling" to "On-chain Execution":

• On-chain Voting: Transitioning to platforms like Tally or Snapshot X.

• Ethereum Finalization: Reintroducing L2-to-L1 messaging for core protocol upgrades to ensure the highest level of security and finality on Ethereum Mainnet.

Conclusion

The Fast-Track 10-day process ensures that TEN can iterate quickly while we are in active development.