Skin in the Game and Agency Theory

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Stephen Whitenstall

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

enquiries@qadao.io

Additional applicants

Vanessa Cardui

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

6

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be fully open source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Education

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

How we perceive the problem to be solved

There is currently no community sourced alternative to the Edinburgh Decentralisation Index (EDI). It would be redundant to replicate the theoretical approach of the EDI and duplicate their work. However a different theoretical approach that explores Blockchain metrics from the aspect of the principal-agent problem offers a rich vein that is relatively unexplored, and offers a potentially useful complement and contrast to EDI.

What is our solution ?

The Fund 10 “Skin in the game and Agency Theory” proposal will research, develop and publish an Agency Theory approach to Cardano decentralization and blockchain metrics.

This project will cite and build upon a paper published in June 2023, in the journal “Technical Forcasting & Social Change”, entitled “Blockchain agency theory”. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122482]. This paper examines the classic principal-agent problem in economics and attempts to assess blockchain solutions in this context.

Background 

What is “skin in the game” ?

The phrase "Skin in the game" originated in the 1980s and referred to the amount of an investment owned by a company's management soliciting outside investment. 

The more that was owned by management, the equity stake, was seen as an indication of confidence or stability in the investment. A sign that the management were personally invested and therefore had "skin in the game".

The phrase was subsequently taken up by Nassim Nicholas Talib in the 2018 book “Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life”.

What is the principal-agent problem ?

Whilst “skin in the game” has often been presented as a positive sign of personal investment, an excess of interest or investment can prejudice participation and/or decision-making. This tendency is called the "principal-agent problem".

The principal–agent problem is about conflicts of interest and priorities when one party (the “agent”) takes action on behalf of another party (the “principal”). ( See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal–agent_problem ).

What is Agency Theory ?

Agency theory examines problems and solutions arising from delegation of tasks from principals to agents where there is a conflict of interests between the parties. (See https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/agency-theory )

What is the Edinburgh Decentralization Index (EDI) ?

The Edinburgh Decentralization Index was announced at IO Scotfest in a summary presentation by Professor Aggelos, Dr. Daniel Woods and Dr. Dimitris Karakostas.

https://youtu.be/8GJQDsH854Q

A paper "Stratified Approach to Blockchain Decentralization" was published in November 2022 (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2211.01291.pdf) outlining a broad approach to the measurement of decentralization.

The reasons for our approach

How addressing the principal-agent problem differs from the scope of the EDI.

The EDI seeks to measure the extent to which a blockchain is decentralized. This proposal addresses the question of the extent to which blockchain technologies resolve principal-agent problems. Decentralization can operate at many levels, such as the resilience of a network to centralised control. But a robust, decentralized blockchain may still be subject to control by actors who implement legacy governance and commercial policies on the infrastructure.

Who we will engage

Once funded we will engage with academics on their research as part of our literature review. In addition we will reach out to other community researchers in the Cardano ecosystem. Once initial research has been completed we will engage the Cardano community itself in a review and comment exercise.

How we will demonstrate our impact.

What is unique about your solution, who will benefit, and why this is important to Cardano.

This solution is unique in building on recent academic research to apply Agency Theory methods to assessment of Blockchain solutions. Dimensions of the principal-agent problem will be explored in a Blockchain assessment context in a way that complements other theoretical approaches.

This research is intended to benefit stakeholders in the Cardano ecosystem by providing an informed approach to Blockchain assessment. 

It is important to Cardano in providing a way to reflexively develop its blockchain strategy from economic, social and developmental perspectives.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

The F10 Skin in the game and Agency Theory proposal will benefit the Cardano ecosystem by providing an independent perspective on measuring blockchain metrics and will complement the work of the Edinburgh Decentralisation Index.

The proposal aims to produce standalone research materials and has self-sufficient deliverables.

However the research provided could be used as the basis for a standard metric approach.

The proposal is open source and licensed under the Apache 2.0 license.

Outputs from this proposal will be shared in a GitBook format that is mirrored to an Open Source GitHub repository. Material will also be shared on the QADAO website (https://qadao.io/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/qa_dao) and YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@qadao).

There is no Fund 10 Challenge that specifically provides for original, independent research into Blockchain metrics and measurement, so the proposal fits the requirements of the Open challenge.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

The success of this project will be measured by its impact on Cardano’s productivity and growth by providing community sourced research and innovation in blockchain assessment. 

This will demonstrate that Cardano’s community is mature enough to produce research and complement more formal endeavors. Recognition of a blockchain’s maturity can attract greater and broader interest from academics and help grow Cardano’s base.

In the first instance the success of this project will be measured by community feedback and review. In addition academics cited will be contacted for feedback.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We plan to spread our project's outputs over discrete stages that run for 6 months. The detail of our milestones can be referenced in the Milestones section.

We will share our work through

• workshops with the community
• detailed documentation
• posts on Twitter, Discord, Telegram
• through contact with academics working in this field.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Our capability is spread between our main researcher and workshop facilitator. Our team (outlined in the [RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] section below) have already delivered several proposals successfully and worked in collaboration with a broad range of community projects.

We are all committed to the open-source ethos, and all have extensive experience of working on projects (developer-based and other) that are accessibly documented through GitHub and GitBook, providing a trackable, accountable and trustworthy audit trail.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals for this project are

• To research, develop and publish an Agency Theory approach to Cardano decentralization and blockchain metrics.
• Engage with academics on their research.
• Reach out to other community researchers.
• Engage the Cardano community in a review and comment exercise.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Our implementation plan

Milestone 1 - Preliminary work

Main task & Key Activities - Preliminary work. Planning, documentation and administrative setup

Success or acceptance criteria - Successful setup of project infrastructure

Proposed cost - 4000 in ADA - (Approx 7.14 % of total budget)

Expected timeline - October 2023

Milestone 2 - Literature Review

Main task & Key Activities - Literature Review

Success or acceptance criteria - Completion of Literature Review

Proposed cost - 8400 in ADA - (Approx 15 % of total budget)

Expected timeline - November 2023

Milestone 3 - Interim Draft Paper

Main task & Key Activities - Interim Draft Paper

Success or acceptance criteria - Completion of Draft Paper

Proposed cost - 8400 in ADA - (Approx 15 % of total budget)

Expected timeline - December 2023

Milestone 4 - Draft Paper Community Review

Main task & Key Activities - Draft Paper Community Review

Success or acceptance criteria - Completion of Community Review Workshops

Proposed cost - 8400 in ADA - (Approx 15 % of total budget)

Expected timeline - January 2024

Milestone 5 - Final Paper & Close Out

Main task & Key Activities - Final Paper & Close Out Report

Success or acceptance criteria - Completion of Final Paper & Acceptance of Close Out Report

Proposed cost - 11200 in ADA - (Approx 20 % of total budget)

Expected timeline - February 2024

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

This proposal will provide research and documentation on "Skin in the game" and "Agency Theory".

We will measure the milestones listed below on the dates specified. This will be measured making use of a project board and issues to track the progress. 

In total we will deliver 6 milestones (including the close out report). These breakdown as follows -

Milestone 1 - Preliminary work - October 2023

Documentation - associated GitBook documentation & GitHub tracking.

Outputs produced - administrative setup

Outcomes - This milestone will deliver the preliminary administrative setup including GitHub project management configuration, GitBook preparation and purchase of any software or services.

Milestone 2 - Literature Review - November 2023

Documentation - associated GitBook documentation & GitHub tracking.

Outputs produced - Literature Review

Outcomes - This milestone will deliver a Literature Review

Milestone 3 - Interim Draft Paper - January 2024

Documentation - associated GitBook documentation & GitHub tracking.

Outputs produced - Interim Draft Paper

Outcomes - This milestone will deliver an Interim Draft Paper.

Milestone 4 - Draft Paper Community Review - February 2024

Documentation - associated GitBook documentation & GitHub tracking.

Outputs produced - Draft Paper Community Review Workshops

Outcomes - This milestone will deliver a Draft Paper Community Review.

Milestone 5 - Final Paper & Close Out - March 2024

Documentation - associated GitBook documentation & GitHub tracking.

Outputs produced - Final paper & Close Out Report

Outcomes - This milestone will deliver a final paper and Close Out Report.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Fixed Costs -

Software Licenses & Services (GitBook, Zotero, Subscriptions, Hosting)

500 ADA

Human Resources - 

Project management (Co-ordination of project)

3000 ADA

Documentation setup and maintenance (Maintaining documentation of Research materials and commentary on GitBook and Website)

2000 ADA

Communications and publicity

Contacting and liaising with relevant academics (1 day a month)

5000 ADA

Publicizing your work to the community (Weekly posts on Telegram, Discord and Twitter)

(150 ADA a week x 26 weeks)

3900 ADA

Reporting

Monthly and milestone reporting)

3000 ADA

Research

Literature Review (1250 ADA per day X 4 days)

5000 ADA

Interim Draft Research paper (1250 ADA per day X 4 days)

5000 ADA

Community review

Organizing and publicizing the meetings

Facilitation of meetings (3000 ADA per Workshop Session X 2)

6000 ADA

Final Research paper

6000 ADA

Close out report

2000 ADA

Total - 40400

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

These are self-employed rates that take into account the employment overheads of the resources contracted. The rates are based on the low end of US and European averages. The amounts are calculated for each milestone based on the hours to complete.

In addition all the resources working on this project are taking on the currency risk of being paid in ADA. This means that a fall in the ADA price will result in being paid less or delivering less in each milestone. Any rise in the ADA price will represent a reward for investing in the Cardano ecosystem.

Consequently, given these factors, we believe this proposal offers excellent value for money in a volatile cryptocurrency environment

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept