- DIP-59 proposes pausing new product development until June 2027 as SSV Labs adjusts to tighter funding and challenging market conditions.
- The proposed funding will cover protocol maintenance, security, and compatibility with Ethereum upgrades.
SSV Labs submitted proposal DIP-59 to the SSV Network governance forum on October 21, and the language inside it is more candid than most governance proposals tend to be. Funding has narrowed, and the market conditions and the DAO’s financial position have forced a recalibration.
New product development is off the table, at least through June 2027. What remains is maintenance, security, and making sure the protocol stays compatible with Ethereum’s own upgrade schedule. Moreover, that is the honest scope of what DIP-59 is asking the DAO to fund.
What the Proposal Actually Does?
DIP-59 amends and extends DIP-31, the original development roadmap covering January 2025 through mid-2026, which was previously amended by DIP-53. The extension pushes the engagement through June 30, 2027. It is likely narrowing its scope as of July 1, 2026, and restructuring the remaining payment instalments.
The extension period runs in two parts. From June 30, 2026, to January 1, 2027, SSV Labs will deliver a defined network stewardship roadmap. From January 1, 2027, to June 30, 2027, the Maintenance Period, the focus shifts entirely to protocol maintenance.
In addition, the third and final grant instalment under DIP-31, totalling 1,736,111.11 SSV, has not been paid. DIP-59 revises and restructures that commercial arrangement rather than simply paying what was owed.
The Deliverables Still on the Table
Despite the scaled-back scope, the work planned for Q4 2026 is non-trivial. SSV Labs is committed to executing the Glamsterdam fork, participation in the public test network, a mandatory operator release, support through Ethereum’s mainnet fork window expected in Q4 2026, and post-fork stabilisation. This is deadline-driven work with dates set externally by Ethereum’s own schedule.
Also, the checkpoint sync completion and rollout is also on the Q4 list, including implementation, validation on local multi-operator test networks, and rollout through the standard release process including documentation and operator communications.
The Financial Structure
The first two instalments under DIP-31 covering 2025 remain unchanged. For 2026, SSV Labs is requesting 1,500,000 USDC, payable in the first scheduled batch of January 2027. For the first half of 2027, the request is 2,700,000 SSV, with 1,000,000 SSV payable initially and the remaining 1,700,000 SSV subject to a Conversion Option.
That option gives SSV Labs the discretionary right to receive 900,000 USDC instead of the 1,700,000 SSV, exercisable by written notice at least five business days before the first scheduled batch of July 2027. If the option is not exercised, the 1,700,000 SSV pays out in six equal monthly instalments of 283,333.33 SSV starting July 2027.
Furthermore, SSV Labs is also granted a first-ranking security interest over 900,000 USD held by the SSV Foundation, funds that may be deployed for yield generation through permitted venues.
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