Cardano Foundation announces its delegation methodology - CLOSED

Thanks for this update.

I think this is an important step to help smaller stake pools. I can understand the critcism in here about the requirement to have validated blocks to be selected. However, I can also understand Cardano Foundation: They need parameters to select reliable pools who have clear intentions in running a node. And having at least one validated block shows that the SPO of this pool has already put much efforts in his node - otherwise he wouldn’t have one validated block. It’s a tough part to get there.

I know that there are many SPOs out there who worked hard and didn’t receive any block so far. This is the thing we have to work on. Among these SPOs there might be gems who are hardcore IT professionals and who have best server capacities, but who missed to step in early and who missed the ITN. I think it is important to pick these ones as well to build a solid decentralized base for Cardano.

There are “players” who come and leave all the time. Cardano needs to be prepared for that. A few of them will remain for a long time, maybe for decades. And we shouldn’t miss them in our decentralized system.

I hope to be selected one day as well. So far we have validated two blocks. We are proud of that and are looking into future to validate our third block. Maybe this happens tomorrow? Maybe in two weeks? Who knows! For sure is that our nodes will stay online - regardless of the profit! We want to support Cardano!

I would like to take this opportunity to give my comment about SPOCRA, committees, etc: In a truly decentralized system there should be openness and freedom with fair and equal chances to everyone! When the biggest stake pools form alliances then this reminds me very much about our problems we have in society in real world: It becomes even more difficult for newcomers to have a chance against these huge alliances of companies.
A truly decentralized system should be capable of handling the most different operated nodes. It should have a diversity of stake pools around the globe with different standards to be most robust and resilient. I don’t want to blame anything. I just want to remind that all alliances, guilds or committes which are about to be created fullfill the philosophy of Cardano.

We all (yes, you, too) built up a decentralized systems which gives every single unity / individual / person the same fair equal chances. And I hope this fairness will last long time.

Have a nice weekend!

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Appreciate all the help us small pools can get. Although we are not eligible yet, no blocks produced, I understand the reasoning for the blocks produced criteria. However, we have produced blocks on the various testnets since ff. I know this is a stretch and probably not worth the work for CF, but maybe give small pools like that a chance too?

They need to keep soliciting delegation until they mint a block. It took us about 2 month, but we finally got ours (and at that time we only had 217k delegation which is very doable).

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Aloha Andy, checking in about this rotation. Are you expecting CF to make their new rounds next epoch, 226? We’ve got our fingers crossed, it’s been a rollercoaster ride these last 4 epochs, 2 of them dry, tough holding onto delegators.

23 October 2020 re-delegations by the Cardano Foundation

The 10 stake pools the Cardano Foundation re-delegated to on 23 October 2020 are (in alphabetical order):

  • 100X,
  • AION,
  • BULPR,
  • CFLOW,
  • INDIE,
  • RADAR,
  • ST3AK,
  • TNTM,
  • TOAST,
  • VINCE.

We will continue communicating our re-delegations.

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(https://adapools.org/redelegations?pools=ZETIC,COSD,ZONE,BEAVR,AGIO,CASP,WAAUS,LOOT,ADAU,AZTEC&from=220&to=225) :nerd_face:

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Great initiative

I think the foundation should delegate 12 Million ADA to 50 Small pools instead of 60 Million to 10 pools. It would result in a better decentralization. Just my 2cents :slight_smile:

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Im pretty sure thats the idea as soon as n-to-many is available. But at the current stage i think its a high risk to split their wallets to many small ones.

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Thank you for sharing this @yosef. That is super interesting.

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Looks like this initiative works. After next-round these pools had total +9M and now they have +16M (diff between CF delegation and now)

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@Cardano-Foundation

How will the CF delegation strategy change to account for the new parameters k = 500 and k = 1000 coming in December and March, respectively?

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@Cardano-Foundation
Do you re-compile the list of pools every 3 epochs in which to pick from in order to account for new pools that may have met your standards in the previous epochs. Also, do you remove pools that have already been delegated your funds until you have gone through all eligible pools?

Thanks,
Anthony

We are currently working on that and we will communicate our new strategy once that is finished.

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Yes, we compile the list of pools each time shortly before re-delegation. And yes, we also remove pools to which we have already delegated funds in the last 4 rounds.

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“in the last 4 rounds”… what does that mean?? Is it possible for the foundation to delegate to a pool more then once before another qualified pool is delegated to once?? why not take pools out that you have delegated to until all other qualified pools have been delegated to?

  1. why only 4 rounds?
  2. is it a random selection?

thanks,
Anthony

  1. Because you have to draw the line somewhere. What happens if halfway down the list, new pools pop up that meet the specification? Do they go to the end of the line or not? What happens when they want to stop doing it this way? Then there would be a huge backlash by the pools that were ‘qualified’ but didn’t get chosen in time. With 4 rounds it’s really a rotating lottery and you don’t get SPOs feeling entitled to have the CF delegate to them.
  2. I assume it isn’t completely random since there is a person overseeing the selection of pools that qualify and they have already delegated to pools outside of those who qualified as a ‘thank you’ for their help with the ITN.

Are you putting out the new list of pools. I think your last list was 21 days ago…

thanks

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could you post a list of the Pools that are considered?

thanks

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Ditto the last request please

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Here is the current status: