Governance

Governance Structure

Lithosphere employs a multi-layered governance model that balances technical expertise with broad community representation. Three distinct bodies participate in the governance process:

Council Members

Council Members are elected representatives who act on behalf of passive stakeholders in the network. Their responsibilities include:

  • Proposing referenda for network changes

  • Exercising veto power over proposals that may harm the network

  • Representing the interests of token holders who do not actively participate in governance

Joel Kasr serves as the chair of the council.

Technical Committee

The Technical Committee comprises the core teams actively building Lithosphere. Their governance role includes:

  • Proposing emergency referenda in coordination with the council for urgent fixes or security patches

  • Providing technical assessments of governance proposals

  • Advising the council on the feasibility and implications of proposed changes

Community Members

All token holders and network participants can act as Community Members in governance:

  • Create proposals for network upgrades, parameter changes, or ecosystem initiatives

  • Vote on active proposals to determine their outcome

  • Participate in discussions and provide feedback on pending referenda

Smart Contract Upgrade RACI Matrix

The following RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix defines roles and responsibilities for smart contract upgrades:

Activity
Dev Team
Security
DevOps
Product
Legal
Executive

Code development

R

C

I

C

I

I

Security audit

C

R

I

I

C

I

Test environment deployment

C

I

R

I

I

I

Testnet validation

R

R

R

I

I

I

Mainnet approval

I

R

C

C

R

R

Deployment execution

C

C

R

I

I

I

Post-deployment monitoring

R

R

R

I

I

C

Incident response

R

R

R

I

C

C

Documentation

R

C

C

R

I

I

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

Approval Requirements

Upgrades must receive explicit approval before deployment:

  • Testnet deployment: Requires sign-off from 1 Security team member and 1 DevOps team member

  • Mainnet deployment: Requires sign-off from 2 Security team members, 1 Legal representative, and 1 Executive

Escalation Path

When issues arise during the upgrade process, the escalation path follows this chain:

Developer -> Security Lead -> Engineering Manager -> CTO -> CEO

Community Operation Plan

Foundation Sponsorship

The KaJ Labs Foundation sponsors the Lithosphere community and has maintained a community-oriented approach from the project's inception. The foundation provides funding, organizational support, and strategic direction to foster organic community growth.

Community Composition

The Lithosphere community is composed of several key groups:

  1. Core development team: Engineers and researchers building the protocol

  2. Programmers: External developers building applications on Lithosphere

  3. Participating nodes: Validators and node operators securing the network

  4. Platform users: End users of DeFi services and applications on the network

  5. DeFi service providers: Projects and teams offering financial services on Lithosphere

  6. Token holders: Investors and stakeholders holding LITHO tokens

  7. Media and government: External observers, regulators, and media organizations following the project

Core vs. Peripheral Community

The community operates on a core-peripheral model:

  • The core community consists of dedicated contributors, validators, and active governance participants who drive the project forward on a daily basis.

  • The peripheral community encompasses casual users, token holders, and observers who engage with the network less frequently but contribute to its overall reach and adoption.

Both layers are essential: the core community provides stability and development continuity, while the peripheral community drives adoption and network effects.

Project Promotion

Token Rewards for Foundation Team

Foundation team members receive token-based compensation to align their incentives with the long-term success of the network. This ensures that those promoting and building the ecosystem are directly invested in its growth.

Blockchain Technology Community Building

Lithosphere fosters a technology-first community culture where education, open-source contribution, and technical discourse are prioritized alongside market growth.

Blockchain Value Community

Beyond technology, Lithosphere cultivates a value-driven community focused on the practical utility and real-world impact of decentralized cross-chain infrastructure.

Blockchain Movements

Blockchain Technology Promotion Movement

Lithosphere actively promotes blockchain education and adoption through:

  • Technical salons: Focused discussions on specific technical topics

  • Training camps: Intensive hands-on sessions for developers

  • Seminars: Broader educational events covering blockchain fundamentals and Lithosphere-specific concepts

  • Monthly training sessions: Regular recurring sessions to maintain engagement and skill development within the community

Blockchain Interface Standardization Movement

A key initiative within Lithosphere governance is the drive to standardize interfaces across three domains:

  1. Between blockchains: Establishing common protocols for cross-chain communication

  2. Between centralized and decentralized organizations: Bridging traditional infrastructure with blockchain-native systems

  3. Between heterogeneous data sources: Creating unified data formats and access patterns for cross-platform interoperability

This standardization effort is foundational to Lithosphere's mission of enabling seamless cross-chain DeFi infrastructure.

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