Statement from kpk
As the leader of kpk I want to address the community directly and provide a full account of the work we carried out, how the scope expanded, which responsibilities we absorbed, the decisions we made on fees, and how we intend to move forward with a narrower mandate and clear KPIs. My objective is factual clarity.
History and how the scope expanded
When we began working with Gnosis, the scope was not tightly defined. Treasury management was the starting point, but operational gaps kept opening across the umbrella of organisations. We stepped in because critical systems needed continuity.
The first major gap came with the early exit of the xDAI team. Later, the early exit of Gnosis Builders created an even larger vacuum. In both cases, we took over essential operations because they were failing due to external events. None of these responsibilities were part of the original mandate or compensated as additional scope.
The work included bridge infrastructure and liquidity operations, business development work, onboarding and integrating DeFi protocols, contract and legal processes, Gnosis Pay cashback operations under GIP-110 (GIP-110: Should the Gnosis DAO create and fund a Gnosis Pay rewards program with 10k GNO?), and building the sDAI product that became instrumental for bootstrapping the Gnosis Chain DeFi ecosystem (Deposit DAI of the xDAI bridge in sDAI vault from Spark). We also built and led the Spanish-speaking community, which enabled us to list Gnosis Chain across multiple Latam centralised exchanges.
We created and maintained a suite of agents to automate operations and provide reliability, consistency and predictability across the system. We also developed, with Hypernative, an execution app to protect DAO funds.
GIP-58 allowed broad support but did not set limits. “Treasury management” became a placeholder for whatever operational gaps emerged, and it produced confusion about what our actual mandate was.
Fee structure and communication failures
Across these years we kept a large team of engineers, governance specialists, legal and ops staff to cover the expanded responsibilities. Where we failed was communication. We did not explain our decisions with the consistency the DAO deserved.
Some facts remained unknown to the community:
• Early 2024, when GNO price appreciation amplified fees under GIP-58, we proactively removed the GNO, SAFE, COW and OLAS components from the fee base and stopped charging for idle holdings.
• By November 2024, after discussions with large tokenholders, we imposed a management fee cap of two million dollars per year.
• Every fee reduction was implemented before any public pressure and always in consultation with large tokenholders.
• We never created new GIPs for any of these changes because they were cost-reduction initiatives for the DAO, not scope expansions or attempts to increase compensation.
• We absorbed major operational responsibilities left behind by other teams without contract adjustments or additional compensation.
We should have delivered structured updates and clear reporting cycles. That will now be standard practice.
There was also a misalignment of expectations. Some expected the treasury to take on more risk to chase higher DeFi returns. Our approach prioritised capital preservation and stability while supporting core Gnosis products. FX rails were not an investment thesis. They were infrastructure required for Gnosis Pay to function, designed for user liquidity in EUR, BRL and GBP-USD. Bootstrapping them carried low short-term returns due to low volumes. These were product-support decisions, not yield decisions.
Motivation and alignment
My commitment is grounded in the Gnosis founders. Working with Stefan, Friederike and Martin over the last six years set the bar for discipline, integrity and alignment with Ethereum and Gnosis values. This alignment is reflected in our own position: kpk holds ten thousand GNO, has never sold a token, and remains bullish on the Gnosis powerhouse.
Our execution record across these five years is verifiable. What we commit to now is a narrower, measurable, accountable mandate.
What we will never handle again
To eliminate scope creep completely, kpk will no longer handle any responsibilities related to communications, marketing, governance, chain-infrastructure provider contracts, legal advice or engineering, or business development. The new mandate is treasury and liquidity, measured, transparent, nothing else.
All processes we manage today are documented and portable. No critical function relies solely on our internal knowledge.
What we are proposing now
We have submitted a proposal with a tightly defined scope limited to treasury operations and onchain liquidity management. It includes concrete KPIs on efficiency, automation and reporting, with a six-month window for measurable improvements. Our internal structure has already been reorganised to address the weaknesses and criticism raised by the community.
We commit to deliver the required results in the next six months, and if we fail to meet them, we will step out early after that period.
Proposal link: Kpk Terms of Service - November 2025
Next steps
Regardless of the vote, we will secure an orderly transition. Yield and liquidity operations will continue normally, and all contracts that support Gnosis Chain and Gnosis Pay will be honoured. Operational stability will be maintained throughout.
If the community needs further detail on specific processes or historical decisions, I will provide it.
