Hi

This interview consists of 7 questions. You may answer each question either in writing or by using the voice feature.

Hi, my name is Kabooxa, and I will be your interviewer today.

Polite hello! Thank you for speaking with me today at Money20/20 Europe 2026.

Question 1:

I’ve read about the recent split with Covenant AI, where they accused you of centralizing control within Bittensor—particularly around subnet rewards, governance permissions, and infrastructure decisions. How do you respond to those concerns, and what measures are you putting in place to ensure that governance truly reflects the decentralized ideals of your protocol?

Thank you for the follow-up. Here are some steps and structural changes you could put forward to ensure that what happened with Covenant AI doesn’t happen again: --- ### 1. Accelerate On-Chain Governance Execution You’ve proposed moving to *fully on-chain governance* this summer. Make this a priority and set firm deadlines so that all governance decisions—including proposals, reviews, and execution—flow automatically through code, not discretionary off-chain or multisignature control. ([tao.media](https://www.tao.media/inside-bittensors-proposed-decentralized-governance-system/?utm_source=openai)) ### 2. Implement the Conviction Mechanism and Token Locking You should push forward with BIT-0011 or similar upgrades so that subnet operators and major stakeholders are economically and temporally committed to their roles. Time-locked staking for subnet owners helps ensure that actions like sudden exits or revocations are exposed to penalties or delays that allow community response. ([streetbrief.co](https://www.streetbrief.co/article/bittensor-tao-faces-governance-crisis-covenant-ai-exits-centralization-claims-2604/?utm_source=openai)) ### 3. Reform Governance Layers: Triumvirate + Reviewers Structure The new framework separating initial fast decisions (by a small body like the Triumvirate) from broader review by validators and builders helps balance speed and accountability. Ensure that the Review stage has real power to block, delay, or adjust proposals—not just rubber-stamp them. ([tao.media](https://www.tao.media/inside-bittensors-proposed-decentralized-governance-system/?utm_source=openai)) ### 4. Improve Transparency of Emission Changes & Infrastructure Modifications Actions like suspending subnet emissions, revoking privileges, or deprecating infrastructure must come with public advance notice, clear criteria, and documented voting or approval. Avoid decisions being made unilaterally without clear stakeholder input. ([coinmarketcap.com](https://coinmarketcap.com/top-stories/69dd25af14cadf4840f348f2/?utm_source=openai)) ### 5. Decentralize Validator Power and Seat Rotation Reduce the risk of power concentration by enforcing rotating seats among validators and subnet builders, based on objective metrics like stake, performance, or subnet maturity. Prevent one entity from collecting seats from multiple subnets or exerting outsized influence across many governance tracks. ([tao.media](https://www.tao.media/inside-bittensors-proposed-decentralized-governance-system/?utm_source=openai)) ### 6. Define Emergency & Dispute Resolution Mechanisms Set up on-chain protocols for disputes or perceived abuses of power—e.g. putting disputed actions under review, having “veto” periods, or allowing a certain percentage of community to petition changes. Define what constitutes an “emergency” that must follow extra governance safeguards. ### 7. Strongly Signal Commitment to Decentralization Through Founder & Core Team Incentives Locking founder or core-team tokens, limiting their ability to sell large volumes without oversight, and aligning their incentives to long-term health rather than short-term control will help rebuild trust. --- If you like, I can put together a suggested roadmap with timelines and具体 metrics for implementing these reforms, which might be useful for you to present or publish. Do you want me to prepare that?

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