Development Proposal Request

[ToXiC_eHC]

Call for Development Proposals – Panther Protocol V1

Context

The Panther DAO is moving into a phase where continued development and maintenance of the V1 core is essential. To ensure protocol stability, support DAO-approved upgrades, and maintain security, the DAO intends to secure ongoing development support.

Proposal

We invite qualified development teams (including Modulo and other interested contributors) to submit development proposals to the DAO.

Each proposal should outline:

• Scope of work: Maintenance, upgrades, PIP implementations, and technical support

• Duration: 6-12 months

• Reporting: Commitment to provide regular updates to the DAO

Process

1. Developers submit proposals in this forum thread.

2. The DAO will review, discuss, and select the most suitable proposal.

3. Once selected, the DAO will formally request the Panther Protocol Foundation to provide a grant to fund the chosen development team.

Next Steps

• Open for proposal submissions immediately.

• DAO discussion period: 1 weeks.

• After discussion, a Snapshot vote will be created to select a development proposal.

• Following DAO approval, a grant request will be submitted to the Foundation to fund the selected proposal.

[reuben]

Thanks for creating this. Do note that the Panther Protocol Foundation has a Policy on Grant-Making and UI Maintenance.

Policy on Grant‑Making & UI Maintenance

Framework for funding open‑source contributions while maintaining a strictly non‑operational role in Panther Protocol.

Effective date: 1 September 2025 · Approved by: Panther Protocol Foundation Council

01 Purpose

This policy sets out how the Foundation engages with ecosystem developers, manages open‑source contributions, and defines its non‑operational role in Panther Protocol.

The Foundation exists to fund and support builders in the Panther ecosystem, not to operate the protocol itself. Maintaining a non‑operational role reinforces decentralisation, community values, and legal robustness, enabling lasting support for independent teams.

02 Grant‑Making Framework

2.1 Grant‑Only Development Support

• The Foundation will fund open‑source, non‑custodial development primarily through grants, not service contracts.

• Grant recipients act as independent ecosystem contributors, not agents of the Foundation.

• Grants may be issued only following DAO proposal approval.

2.2 Grant Agreement Requirements

All grantees must:

• Sign an agreement affirming independent status;

• Confirm they will not deploy, host, or operate Panther smart contracts or user interfaces;

• Use grant funds only for research, documentation, code contributions, or tooling;

• Undergo KYC/KYB checks where appropriate;

• Publish all outputs under a recognised open‑source licence (e.g., GPL, MIT, Apache‑2.0).

2.3 Prohibited Uses of Grant Funds

• Provide access to user‑facing tools that conceal the source, destination, or amount of virtual currency transactions;

• Maintain live UIs that allow interaction with deployed Panther smart contracts;

• Perform smart contract upgrades;

• Facilitate custody, exchange, or transmission of assets.

Why upgrades are prohibited: Performing upgrades to deployed smart contracts may constitute exercising control or influence over live infrastructure that facilitates regulated financial activity. Even if authorised by the DAO, upgrades executed by a grantee funded by the Foundation could be attributed to the Foundation, potentially triggering licensing obligations and undermining the Foundation’s non‑operational status.

Distinction between upgrades and code maintenance: Maintaining the codebase in a non‑operational capacity (e.g., fixing bugs, writing tests, adding features, publishing improvements on GitHub) is permitted and encouraged. Such work is treated as software research and development, provided it is not deployed to live contracts. Performing an upgrade, by contrast, means applying changes to deployed smart contracts on‑chain, which may be viewed as operating or controlling the protocol. Grants must remain on the “development” side, leaving any decision to deploy code to independent third parties or the DAO.

Practical interpretation for grantees

Activity	Permitted under grants?	Rationale
Build frontend UI code	Yes	Open‑source only; no hosting or promotion
Host or fund live Panther UI	No	Implies service delivery; VASP risks
Write mixer logic (e.g., z‑transfer)	Yes	Research/OSS only; not linked to deployments
Deploy or upgrade smart contracts	No	Suggests operational control
Write upgrade suggestions or specs	Yes	Informational; not directive or executed
Run or fund relayers or routing nodes	No	Facilitates financial intermediation
Build SDKs or developer tooling	Yes	Non‑custodial, non‑transactional infrastructure
Fund DAO governance tooling	Yes (cautiously)	Not if linked to execution or transaction flow

2.4 Steering Protocol

For ongoing support grants, specific deliverables are determined in consultation with the DAO Council (or other designated DAO body) on a recurring basis. The Foundation may highlight DAO priorities and facilitate communication, but shall not issue binding instructions. Grantees remain independent and accountable through periodic reporting.

03 UI Maintenance & Deployment Policy

3.1 Hosting and Promotion

• The Foundation shall not host or maintain any live user interface for Panther Protocol.

• Open‑source UI code may be published on public repositories, but the Foundation will not deploy or publish production frontends.

3.2 Contribution Limits

Foundation‑funded developers may improve UI code but must not:

• Publish live hosted versions;

• Add features that enable custodial behaviour, exchange, or transaction routing;

• Integrate relayer selection or wallet linking without DAO governance.

3.3 Disclaimer Requirement

All Foundation‑published code repositories must include a disclaimer stating that:

• The code is for educational and research purposes only;

• The Foundation does not operate any live services;

• Deployments are made independently by third parties, who are responsible for their own legal compliance.

04 Treasury Governance & Revenue Policy

• The Foundation shall not collect, distribute, or benefit from protocol fees, relayer revenue, or transaction volumes, without prior DAO approval.

• Native token holdings are to be used solely for grants, research, and non‑operational ecosystem development.

• The Foundation shall not vote on DAO proposals relating to upgrades, relayer operations, or financial mechanisms.

05 Public Transparency & Communications

• The Foundation will maintain a public transparency page detailing grant processes, funding recipients, and legal boundaries.

• All official statements must reaffirm the Foundation’s non‑operational role and disclaim responsibility for deployments, custody, or compliance.

06 Enforcement & Review

• This policy shall be reviewed annually and updated as legal standards evolve.

• Non‑compliance may result in termination of grants or relationships with contractors.

• Legal counsel shall be consulted prior to any deviation or operational engagement.

07 Governance & Oversight

• Internal Control System: Grant applications, approvals, and disbursements follow documented procedures with segregation of duties between decision‑making and payment functions.

• Audit & Review Rights: The Foundation may request documentation and review or audit grantees to confirm compliance with the Grant Agreement and this Policy.

• Impact & Learning Framework: Outcomes of funded projects are periodically reviewed for alignment, lessons, and reporting to stakeholders.

• Conflict‑of‑Interest Management: Anyone involved in grant‑making must disclose actual or potential conflicts; conflicted persons recuse from decisions.

08 Appendices

Appendix A – Model Grant Agreement

Panther Protocol Foundation Grant Agreement

Preamble: The Foundation supports development of Panther Protocol through research and ecosystem grants, and is not an operator of the deployed protocol. Grantee undertakes work in an open‑source, non‑operational capacity.

1. Grant Award: Amount, purpose, and disbursement schedule (one‑off, milestone‑based, or periodic).

2. Independent Relationship: Grantee is independent; no agency or partnership.

3. Scope of Work: Deliverables published under approved OSS licence; avoid deployment/operation/hosting; avoid live contract interactions.

4. Purpose & Limitations: Funds used solely for grant purpose; material changes require consent.

5. Prohibited Activities: No UIs/relayers; no deploy/upgrade; no custody/exchange/transmission. Why upgrades are prohibited and distinction vs. code maintenance as described in §2.3.

6. Reporting: Weekly updates; final report within one year or when funds are spent.

7. Public Communication: Appropriate crediting; Foundation may disclose grant details; no implication Foundation operates Panther Protocol.

8. Source Code & Licensing: Publish to public repo; GPL, MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD, or approved licence.

9. Compliance: Comply with laws; complete KYC/KYB if requested; no sanctioned activity.

10. Audit & Review: Foundation may request information, review/audit records related to the grant.

11. Indemnification: Grantee holds Foundation harmless from claims arising from the grant.

12. Assignment: No transfer without written consent.

13. Termination: For breach/misrepresentation, failure to complete milestones, regulatory risk, or without cause on 30 days’ notice.

14. Governing Law: Swiss law; courts of Zug have exclusive jurisdiction.

15. Entire Agreement: Supersedes prior understandings. Signature blocks for Grantee & Foundation.

Appendix B – GitHub Repository Disclaimer Template

Disclaimer

This code repository is maintained for open‑source, research, and educational purposes only.

Panther Protocol Foundation does not operate, deploy, or control any live instances of the Panther Protocol.

Use of this code in a deployed context may constitute the provision of regulated services under the laws of various jurisdictions. Any such use is performed entirely at the user’s own risk.

No warranty is provided. Users are responsible for their own legal and regulatory compliance.

Appendix C — DAO Proposal Template for Grants

Title: Grant Proposal: [Project Name]
Author: [DAO Contributor Handle]
Date: [Date of Submission]

Summary

Brief overview of the proposal, goals, and total funding requested.

Motivation

Explain how this work benefits the Panther ecosystem. Provide links to relevant GitHub repos or previous work.

Deliverables (choose one structure)

Option A: Milestone‑Based Grant

• Milestone 1: [Objective & timeline]
• Milestone 2: [Objective & timeline]
• Final: [Objective & output form, e.g., code repo, documentation]

Option B: Ongoing Support Grant

• Monthly Work: [Description of ongoing tasks]
• Evaluation: [Public reporting, GitHub activity, DAO feedback]
• Duration: [e.g., 3 months, 6 months, renewable]

Budget

Option A (Milestone‑Based):

• Total: [Token amount or equivalent]
• Disbursement schedule: % upfront; [Y]% after Milestone 1; [Z]% upon final delivery

Option B (Ongoing Support):

• Monthly Amount: [Token amount/month]
• Total Period: [e.g., 3 months @ 100,000 ZKP/month = 300,000 ZKP]
• Disbursement: Monthly, subject to DAO confirmation or performance report

Legal Note

• Grantees act independently and not on behalf of the Foundation;
• No deployment, custody, exchange, upgrades, or other regulated activity;
• DAO‑related participation is in a personal/independent capacity; no implication of acting under Foundation authority.

Vote Options

• Yes: Approve grant
• No: Reject grant
• Revisions needed

[onblock]

Proposal: Development Grant for Modulo Labs for the support and maintenance of Panther V1.

This proposal seeks DAO approval to allocate a development grant to Modulo Labs LLC, WY USA for the continued development and maintenance of the Panther Protocol V1 core codebase. The grant will cover a 1 year period, ensuring the DAO retains reliable and professional technical stewardship over its protocol operations.

Background

Panther Protocol V1 was developed by the team behind Panther Ventures Limits ( PVL). The IP was then transitioned to a Swiss-based Panther Protocol Foundation with the mission to foster long term success of the Panther ecosystem.
Panther Protocol Foundation open sourced the codebase under the LGPL3.0 and MIT license in Gitlab and Github

Governance of the protocol will remain the responsibility of the Panther DAO, ensuring a decentralized model for decision making and ongoing development.
It is crucial for the DAO to secure long-term, structured development support for the Panther. Modulo Labs has been an active and trusted contributor in testing and fixing bugs since the transition to Panther Foundation, demonstrating the technical expertise and continuity required to maintain protocol stability and to support new features aligned with community priorities.

Grant Policy

Panther Protocol Foundation has drafted a grant policy that articulates the engagement model and the responsibility of each party in supporting the codebase. ( posted above)

In summary;
Modulo Labs will contribute to open source development and its role is restricted to providing Research, Coding, Testing and Publishing the code to the Foundation’s public Gitlab Repository. Modulo Labs will not be engaged in deployment or operating any portion of the protocol.

Deliverables (On-going support grant)

- Open-source UI/frontend code improvements (published only, no hosting).

- SDKs, developer tooling, and test frameworks.

- Smart contract research, bug fixes, and specifications (not deployed on-chain).

- Documentation, PiPs, and technical notes.

- QA testing, audits, and ecosystem feedback.

Steering Protocol:

- Specific deliverables will be agreed monthly in consultation with the DAO Council (or other designated DAO body).

- The Foundation may highlight DAO Council priorities and provide non-binding

recommendations, but shall not issue binding instructions.

- Modulo Labs will act in an independent capacity when engaging with the DAO Council.

Additional Resources:

Modulo Labs may provide additional resources, such as ZK Engineers and Researchers, on an as-needed basis for specific enhancements or projects approved by the DAO Council.

Continuity of Service:

This grant provides continuity of support and baseline contributions. Larger initiatives or specific requirements will be structured as separate proposals and funded accordingly.

Proposal

This proposal requests a grant to Modulo Labs LLC for a 12-month program of open-source development and maintenance contributions to Panther Protocol. The grant will support ongoing code improvements, tooling, documentation, and testing, all in compliance with both Modulo Labs LLC and the Foundation’s non-operational framework.

Funding requested: 16,950 USDC/month (total 203,400 USDC for 12 months)

If approved, Modulo will enter into a Grant Agreement with the Foundation consistent with the Foundation’s Grant Policy.

Evaluation

- Weekly public progress reports (via GitHub, forums, or DAO Council updates).

- Monthly review of deliverables agreed with the DAO Council.

- Code and documentation published to public repositories.

- Feedback from the DAO Council.

- Final report at the end of the grant period.

Duration

12 months (from 1 September 2025).

Budget

Estimated allocation of roles and hours (indicative):

- Architect – dApp (Senior): ~20 hrs/month

- dApp Developer (Senior): ~80 hrs/month

- dApp Developer (Junior): ~80 hrs/month

- Smart Contract Developer (Senior): ~80 hrs/month

- Smart Contract Developer (Junior): ~80 hrs/month

- Project Manager (Mid): ~60 hrs/month

- Tester (Senior): ~60 hrs/month

Total Monthly Grant: 16,950 USDC

Total for 12 months: 203,400 USDC Funds disbursed monthly

Legal Note

- Modulo Labs acts independently and not on behalf of the Foundation.

- Outputs will be non-operational and open-source.

- No deployment, hosting, custody, or upgrades of Panther infrastructure will be performed.

- Deliverables are steered through consultation with the DAO Council, with the Foundation in a facilitative (non-directive) role.