Introduction
This document presents a first draft of technical ideas for developing the Eden+Fractal consensus process into a more robust, automated, and user-friendly system. Based on preliminary research conducted in discussions with Tadas and exploration of technical solutions at the top of Eden+Fractal Implementation Plan, this plan outlines a suggested direction for evolving our legislative governance infrastructure.
The ideas presented here are proposals for consideration and discussion, particularly aimed at technical contributors who can help refine and implement these approaches. This development plan complements our existing Eden+Fractal Implementation Plan by focusing specifically on the technical evolution and application development needed to strengthen the process.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What is Eden+Fractal?
- Why Strengthen Eden+Fractal?
- Connection to Funding Strategy
- Technical Development Pathway
- Phase 1: Manual Finalization and Documentation (Months 1-2)
- Phase 2: Research and Architecture Design (Months 2-3)
- Phase 3: Progressive Automation (Months 3-5)
- Phase 4: Integration and Testing (Months 5-6)
- Phase 5: Launch and Expansion (Months 6+)
- Future Considerations
- Conclusion
What is Eden+Fractal?
Eden+Fractal is Eden Fractal's legislative consensus process that enables democratic decision-making through delegate elections and council formation. Through this elegant system, community members elect delegates during Respect Game sessions, these delegates form councils that serve for four events, and multiple councils work together to approve proposals with supermajority consensus. For a comprehensive understanding of how Eden+Fractal works and its role in our governance system, please refer to our Eden+Fractal article and the Eden Fractal Governance Guide.
Why Strengthen Eden+Fractal?
Strengthening the Eden+Fractal process addresses three critical challenges that currently limit our growth and adoption. First, the process lacks legibility without an integrated application, requiring extensive explanation and creating confusion about how our tripartite governance branches interact. Second, the manual, spreadsheet-based system prevents automation and makes it difficult for other communities to adopt our innovations. Third, establishing cryptographic finalization and verification mechanisms is essential for demonstrating the security and legitimacy of our governance protocol to potential funders and adopters.
These improvements directly support our ability to attract funding from sources like the Ethereum Foundation and Gitcoin Grants, who need to understand that our governance system is rigorous, secure, and scalable. For a detailed exploration of these benefits, see our article on Strengthening the Eden+Fractal Process.
Connection to Funding Strategy
The development of Eden+Fractal infrastructure is central to our nonprofit monetization strategy and broader sustainability efforts. A robust, user-friendly Eden+Fractal application serves multiple strategic purposes in our funding approach. It provides tangible proof of our governance innovation that funders can evaluate, demonstrates our technical capability to execute on ambitious visions, and creates tools that other communities can adopt, multiplying our impact.
Furthermore, the application becomes a key deliverable we can showcase in grant applications, showing not just theoretical governance innovation but practical, implemented solutions. This positions Eden Fractal as a serious infrastructure provider worthy of significant support, rather than just another experimental DAO. The development also supports other monetization strategies, including potential consulting services for communities implementing fractal governance and educational programs teaching these systems.
Technical Development Pathway
Below are some suggestions for potential development pathways for Eden+Fractal. It is inspired by the chat with Tadas and Google Gemini in the top comments for Eden+Fractal Implementation Plan.
Phase 1: Manual Finalization and Documentation (Months 1-2)
Our immediate priority is establishing a manual but cryptographically secure finalization process while creating essential documentation. We'll begin by implementing manual hashing of Eden+Fractal decisions using IPFS and the Ethereum Attestation Service, creating a simple but verifiable record of our legislative consensus. This provides immediate security benefits while we develop more sophisticated solutions.
Simultaneously, we'll create comprehensive documentation that makes the process understandable and replicable. This includes a concise governance guide explaining how Eden+Fractal fits within our tripartite structure, visual diagrams showing the flow of decisions and council formation, and practical guides for communities wanting to implement similar systems. This documentation phase is crucial for making our innovations accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Phase 2: Research and Architecture Design (Months 2-3)
With basic finalization in place, we'll conduct thorough research into automation options and design the architecture for a comprehensive governance application. This phase involves evaluating different technical approaches, from simple automation using Piñata and Google Sheets APIs to more sophisticated solutions using Tableland or custom smart contracts on Base.
We'll design the architecture for a unified governance hub that elegantly presents all three branches of our governance system. This includes planning how users will navigate between the Respect Game interface, the Eden+Fractal council system, and ORDAO execution mechanisms. The goal is creating an intuitive experience that makes our sophisticated governance accessible to any community member, regardless of technical expertise.
Phase 3: Progressive Automation (Months 3-5)
Development proceeds incrementally, starting with backend automation that removes manual processes while maintaining flexibility. We'll build scripts that automatically hash and store the state of Eden+Fractal decisions at regular intervals, creating an immutable audit trail without requiring manual intervention. This automation uses proven technologies like IPFS for storage and smart contracts for verification, ensuring both reliability and decentralization.
The frontend development focuses on creating a governance hub that serves as the single source of truth for Eden Fractal governance. Rather than having information scattered across spreadsheets, forum posts, and various applications, community members will have one place to understand their governance system, participate in decisions, and track outcomes. This dramatically improves the legibility challenge that currently limits our growth.
Phase 4: Integration and Testing (Months 5-6)
Before full deployment, we'll conduct extensive testing with our community and selected partner organizations. This includes beta testing with Eden Fractal members who understand the current system and can provide informed feedback, as well as testing with new communities who can evaluate the onboarding experience with fresh eyes.
Integration with existing infrastructure ensures the new systems enhance rather than replace what's working. The Eden+Fractal application will seamlessly connect with ORDAO for execution, the Respect Game for reputation, and any external tools communities might use. This interoperability is crucial for adoption and demonstrates our commitment to composable, modular governance infrastructure.
Phase 5: Launch and Expansion (Months 6+)
The production launch marks the beginning of widespread adoption rather than the end of development. We'll support multiple communities implementing Eden+Fractal, gathering feedback and iterating based on real-world usage. Each community that adopts the system becomes a testing ground for improvements and a source of innovation we can incorporate back into the core platform.
Long-term sustainability comes from building an ecosystem rather than just an application. This includes creating educational resources, training facilitators, establishing support channels, and fostering a community of practice around Eden+Fractal governance. As more communities successfully implement these systems, network effects accelerate adoption and improvement.
Future Considerations
As we establish these foundational systems, several additional opportunities will become available. Developer ecosystem initiatives could include bounties, hackathons, and technical documentation that attracts builders to contribute improvements. Academic partnerships with universities studying governance and democracy could provide both credibility and additional funding sources. A metrics dashboard showing participation, decisions, and outcomes would strengthen our case to funders while providing transparency to our community.
These initiatives, along with bridges to traditional governance contexts and integration with other blockchain ecosystems, represent the natural evolution once our core infrastructure is solid. By focusing first on making Eden+Fractal robust and accessible, we create the foundation for these broader impacts.
Conclusion
This development plan represents a pragmatic pathway to transforming Eden+Fractal from a promising governance innovation into production-ready infrastructure that communities worldwide can adopt. By progressing from manual but secure processes to fully automated systems, we maintain functionality while building toward our vision. The combination of technical development, comprehensive documentation, and real-world testing through our pilot program positions Eden Fractal to achieve its mission of implementing fractal decision-making processes throughout society.
The success of this development plan directly enables our broader funding and growth strategies, demonstrating to supporters that Eden Fractal can deliver sophisticated governance solutions that work in practice, not just theory. With these improvements, Eden+Fractal becomes not just our legislative process, but a gift to communities everywhere seeking better ways to make collective decisions.