Code of Conduct
Scope: This Code of Conduct applies to all active delegates, badgeholders, grant recipients (Hordlers). This Code of Conduct applies within all community spaces and when an individual is representing the community in public, either online or offline.
The Rules of Engagement apply to anyone using the Hord Forum (Discourse), Discord, and Telegram channel.
Hordlers should actively discourage others from breaking this Code of Conduct. Hordlers should report serious or repeat offenses, as outlined below. Violations that are reported using any other process will not be addressed.
The updated Code of Conduct will go into effect immediately. Policies in the Code of Conduct go into effect at the time they are included in the Code of Conduct and do not apply retroactively.
The Code of Conduct will not cover all possible scenarios and edge cases. We ask that Hordlers please act in accordance with the spirit of the Code of Conduct and refrain from exploiting loopholes that may exist.
Severe Violations
- Mandatory (Violation 1): The following behaviors are severe violations and will not be tolerated:
- 1a. Discrimination against any person based on geographical, ethnic, sexual, religious, or other identifying features
- 1b. Public or private harassment (as defined here 22)
- 1c. The use of sexualized language or imagery and unwelcome sexual attention or advances
- 1d. Intentionally doxxing (as defined here 22)
Inclusivity
- Recommended: Hordlers should be respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences and show empathy towards community members.
- Recommended: Delegate communications relating to their role in the Collective should be transparent and public. Communication in public is favored over DMs/private communication, whenever possible.
Extreme Civility
- Mandatory (Violation 2): Hordlers must not make personal attacks on the opinions or merits of proposal authors or any other party engaging in governance activity. Hordlers must not make unsubstantiated claims to advocate for or against any proposal or proposal author. Delegates may make inquiries to proposal authors to validate or collect information.
- Recommended: Hordlers should provide constructive feedback supported by high quality and well researched arguments.
Good Faith and Best Interest
- Mandatory (Violation 3): Hordlers must act with honesty, integrity, and transparency, at all times.
- Recommended: Hordlers should operate in a way and vote in accordance with what they believe is in the best interests of the Hord Collective.
Due Care and Attention
- Recommended: Delegates should maintain a working knowledge of developments at Hord and in the wider cryptocurrency space.
- Recommended: Delegates should make a professional and unbiased review of each proposal prior to voting. Delegates that are unable to review proposals should abstain from voting.
- Recommended: Delegates are encouraged to maximize their voting participation rate, to the best of their ability.
- Recommended: Delegates are encouraged to shape the development of Hord’s governance structure by providing feedback during Reflection Periods.
Accountability
- Mandatory (Violation 4): Delegates must uphold all Delegate Commitments 4.
- Mandatory (Violation 5): Those who serve on a Council must uphold the responsibilities outlined in the corresponding, approved Council Charter.
Grant recipients:
- Mandatory (Violation 6): Must abide by the no-sale policy, outlined here 8
- Mandatory (Violation 7): Must execute the grant in accordance with what is outlined in the approved grant proposal. Grant recipients that wish to change the use of the grant from what is outlined in the proposal must submit a new proposal requesting approval for the change. To do so, they must follow the grants process in place at the time. If the change is not approved, the recipient must execute the grant as outlined in the original proposal or return the portion of grant funding affected by the unapproved change.
- Mandatory (Violation 8): Must distribute growth experiment or other user incentive grants within six months of the grant being made unless they give public notice to the community explaining any delay.
- Mandatory (Violation 9): Must not self-delegate token grants for use in governance.
- Recommended: Should abide by the Governance Fund public reporting requirements 1, if applicable.
No Self-Dealing
- Mandatory (Violation 10): Hordlers must avoid conflicts of interest where possible and mitigate their impact when not possible. We recommend over-communicating and disclosing potential conflicts of interest even when they do not warrant abstaining from a vote.
- 10a. Any actual or reasonably anticipated conflicts of interest must be disclosed in writing and prominently displayed ahead of any voting (i.e. when submitting delegate commitments, when running for an elected position, when making public recommendations, etc.).
- 10b. Any offer for external compensation relating to delegation or external compensation relating to the Hord Protocol must be promptly disclosed.
- 10c. Delegates are prohibited from approving and voting on their own proposals. Delegates may not vote for their own candidacy in an election. In the case of approval/ranked choice votes, delegates may vote for themselves, so long as they also cast votes for the remaining elected positions.
- Example: I can vote for my own candidacy on the Growth Experiments committee, so long as I also cast 4 additional votes (a total of 5 votes, as there are 5 open positions on the sub-committee.)
- 10d. Badgeholders should not vote for organizations where they expect any portion of funds to flow to them or any projects they are affiliated with. At a minimum, badgeholders must disclose any project they have a meaningful financial or reputational stake in.
Additionally, protocols participating in the Protocol Delegation Program must:
- Mandatory (Violation 11): Abstain from using voting power delegated via the Protocol Delegation Program on any proposals that directly involve themselves or a direct competitor.
- Mandatory (Violation 12): Abstain from providing voting recommendations to the general public, separate from any representative’s participation on the Grants Council.