Interim Support for Relayers

New Program Announcement: Interim Support for Relayers

Background

In the previously approved Proposal #9, the Neutron community implemented a structured approach to support relayers through funding to maintain the operation of the network. This proposal aimed to subsidize relayer services, focusing on ensuring consistent and reliable transaction relays from/to Neutron.

After initial proposals by different relayer operators, two were chosen. The funding allocation aimed to cover costs related to hardware, operations, and ongoing maintenance of several IBC channels.

Following one year of operation for the program, there are two key learnings:

  1. Over-estimation of actual channel needs, there was an estimation of up to 50 different networks when in reality less than 20 chains are actively connecting to Neutron.
  2. Asymmetric level of response from selected relayers.

In response to the above learnings we are aiming to have a restructured plan for next year, hopefully going live in Q1 2025. In the meantime, we propose an interim solution to continue supporting relayers for the chain.

Temporary Support Plan

This new program aims to ensure seamless service continuity while our revamped relayer initiative is being developed and finalized.

We recognize the significant contributions of the top three relayers in our network—CryptoCrew, r93AX (formerly Cosmos Spaces), and cosmosrescue. To maintain network stability and service quality, we will be compensating each of these key relayers with $200 per chain over the next few months (starting November 2024), CryptoCrew would receive an additional $50 per chain to support in channel creation and maintenance.

This interim funding will provide financial stability and ensure uninterrupted operations as we refine the upcoming comprehensive program.

A breakdown of the chains/channels support is as follows:

  • Celestia^
  • Noble^
  • Cosmos Hub*
  • Axelar^
  • Osmosis^
  • dYdX Protocol^
  • Terra*
  • Stride*
  • Nolus^
  • Kujira*
  • Stargaze
  • Sei
  • Dymension Hub
  • Injective
  • Secret

CryptoCrew will service all channels with r93AX and cosmosrescue being the backup relayers for the top networks. Networks marked with ^ will be covered by r93AX as backup and networks marked with * will be covered by cosmosrescue.

Projected budget

This will total $6,900 per month to cover all 15 networks detailed above, with a counterparty additional fee for top chains to cover fees on the connecting chain, the counterparty fees will be capped at $1000 for noble and $500 for Celestia.

What’s Next

We appreciate the dedication and vital role these partners play in sustaining Neutron’s ecosystem. We’ll be reaching out to CryptoCrew, r93AX, and cosmosrescue directly to formalize this temporary arrangement and keep the network thriving.

Thank you for your continued trust and contributions to Neutron’s growth and reliability. Stay tuned for more updates as we launch the full relayer support program in the near future!

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