In summary, the Cardano Interim Constitution, after reviewing CIP-1694 in non-technical terms, is a rambling expression of interrelated parameters and numerical values conceived for the administration of Cardano governance.
The current post aims to present briefly only one of potentially many arguments indicating a need to articulate human values in the Cardano Constitution for the long-term stability of the Cardano ecosystem.
Originally, Cardano aimed to bank the unbanked—undeniably a human and NOT numerical value. Therefore, by necessity and design, the barrier to entry into the Cardano ecosystem is low. One unavoidable consequence of a low and permissionless barrier to entry into stake pool operation is the potential for successful stake pool operators (SPOs) to operate multiple stake pools easily, for example BCSH. In an ecosystem having a fixed maximum size of 45 billion ADA, operating multiple stake pools cumulatively reduces opportunities for others within the Cardano ecosystem.
Addressing the problem of SPOs selfishly operating multiple stake pools to the detriment of others in the ecosystem using numerical values would also necessarily restrict access to stake pool operation for the disenfranchised. If operating multiple unsaturated stake pools was NOT more profitable, then NO SPO would operate multiple stake pools. Operating a stake pool involves a significant amount of work. If an SPO cannot survive in the Cardano ecosystem without operating multiple pools, then deep problems within the ecosystem are indicated. The more SPOs operate multiple unsaturated stake pools, the more the security of the network becomes at risk.
What stops more SPOs from operating multiple stake pools? Only when something other than numerical values—something other than self-interest—are the top priority would an individual SPO choose to give up profit by NOT operating multiple stake pools.
That “something else” is human values. By definition, a constitution is a body of principles or precedents by which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
I challenge the Cardano community to stop hiding behind numerical values that implicitly sanction behaviors detrimental to the Cardano ecosystem such as potentially cancerous growth over time of SPOs operating multiple stake pools, and take a collective courageous risk to use the document of the Cardano constitution to affirm the human values on which Cardano was founded, such as banking the unbanked.
The interim constitution is nothing but a mystification by the same old clique of community members and stake pool operators to anoint themselves and each other even more power within the Cardano ecosystem. I challenge that clique to do some good within the Cardano ecosystem for someone other than themselves.
CHG Pool opposes CIP-1694 governance.