Confirm or Update HIP28 (Guardian Standard) to Align with Current Production

[mattsmithies]

Overview

HIP28 defines the Guardian standard, offering a foundation for combining Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) workflows with token issuance. While this standard has guided Guardian’s development, the ecosystem has evolved, and real-world production use cases may highlight areas where HIP28 requires refinement.

This discussion aims to:

1. Confirm whether HIP28 aligns with current production needs and practices, does Guardian v3 align with HIP28?
2. Explore the potential for introducing governance to manage updates collaboratively.
3. Ensure the Guardian standard supports downstream applications while enabling flexibility for future innovation.

Ultimately, the goal is to position Guardian not just as a tool but as a trusted, foundational standard that aligns with the evolving market.

---

Why This Matters

1. Situation: The Guardian is now operational in production, being adopted and adapted across various use cases. While HIP28 provides the groundwork, the realities of deployment may reveal gaps or inefficiencies in the standard as defined.

2. Problem: Without consensus on HIP28’s alignment with production or a clear governance structure for updates, the risk is fragmentation. Clients and downstream applications relying on the Guardian standard could face uncertainty if changes to the standard are made without clear communication or collaboration.

3. Implication: This uncertainty could undermine trust in the Guardian as a standard, creating barriers to broader adoption and reducing its effectiveness as a foundation for interoperability and innovation.

4. Future-looking: By confirming HIP28 aligns with production and establishing a governance framework for updates, we can ensure the Guardian standard remains reliable, adaptable, and trusted—providing stability for existing adopters and flexibility for future use cases.

---

Discussion Goals

1. Evaluate HIP28 Against Production Realities

   • How well does HIP28 align with the Guardian’s current implementations in production?
   • Are there specific areas where the standard needs clarification or updates to better reflect real-world usage?

2. Position Guardian as a Flexible Yet Reliable Standard

   • What are the core elements of the standard that must remain consistent for downstream applications to trust and build upon it?
   • How can the standard provide room for streamlined solutions and innovation while maintaining interoperability?

3. Brainstorming for Governance

   • What governance structure would ensure that updates to HIP28 are inclusive and collaborative?
   • How do we balance the need for agility with the need to protect existing clients and maintain trust across the ecosystem?

4. Recognize the Leadership’s Role

   • Highlight the work done by leadership in steering Guardian’s development and its alignment with market needs.
   • Build upon this foundation to refine HIP28 into a market-driven standard that meets the demands of today while preparing for tomorrow.

---

Proposed Next Steps

1. Community Input
   Collect insights from stakeholders using the Guardian in production:

   • What aspects of HIP28 are working well, and which need improvement?
   • Are there any pain points or inefficiencies in aligning with the current standard?

2. Gap Analysis
   Compare HIP28 with current Guardian implementations:

   • Identify where the standard diverges from production practices.
   • Highlight any ambiguities or prescriptive elements that limit flexibility.

3. Governance Design
   Propose a governance framework for refining HIP28:

   • Establish a voting mechanism to approve updates, including representatives from leadership, adopters, and key ecosystem stakeholders.
   • Communicate proposed updates with sufficient lead time, ensuring downstream clients have a chance to adapt.

4. Consensus and Refinement
   Work toward a consensus on HIP28’s alignment and a clear path for future updates:

   • Confirm which elements of the standard are foundational and immutable.
   • Define processes for streamlining or customizing implementations while maintaining conformance.

---

Questions for Discussion

1. How well does HIP28 align with Guardian’s current production use cases? Are there critical areas where the standard needs adjustment?
2. What governance structure would ensure updates to HIP28 are collaborative and provide stability for downstream clients?
3. How can HIP28 balance consistency as a foundational standard with the flexibility to support specific use cases and emerging market needs?

---

By ensuring HIP28 aligns with current production and has a governance process for updates, we strengthen Guardian’s role as a reliable, trusted standard. This approach ensures that existing clients are protected, while downstream applications have the clarity and flexibility to innovate.

Looking forward to everyone’s thoughts!