The debate around Blockfrost should focus on the broader governance issue, specifically the coordination and approval of the strategy.
Blockfrost is asking the Cardano Treasury for ₳9.8M to transition its infrastructure into a community-governed public good.
However, Blockfrost is not Cardano’s only infrastructure provider.
Koios, Maestro, Iagon Insight, Demeter, and other projects provide competing or complementary services.
Many smaller teams also maintain developer tools and public infrastructure, but there is currently no open and predictable mechanism through which they can request comparable support.
Initiatives such as CB DAO and other DAO-based funding mechanisms have not received sufficient support.
Cardano lacks a coordinated process for distributing smaller grants, comparing competing providers, and prioritizing ecosystem needs.
On-chain governance fails in this because it is expected (and even required by many DReps) that all teams request funding through the on-chain process.
The average ask in on-chain governance is ₳28M. Do small requests really have to compete with the big ones?
Isn't it better if experts, not all DReps, decide on smaller requests?
Large and well-organized teams can submit standalone Treasury withdrawals, while smaller projects have no clear path to funding.
Maybe small teams don't have ₳100K to deposit.
This makes the Blockfrost decision difficult for responsible DReps.
Approving almost ₳10 million for one provider may be defensible in isolation, but Treasury decisions cannot be evaluated only in isolation.
DReps must also consider market fairness and the needs of projects that have no access to funding.
Funding a free Blockfrost service could also place unfunded competitors at a disadvantage.
Our goal should be to make these services profitable or minimize costs. Treasury can't afford to pay high infrastructure costs every year.
We’re back to the same topic again. Cardano governance has a serious coordination problem.
We have no agreed-upon infrastructure strategy, funding categories, or mechanism for balancing one large request against numerous smaller ecosystem needs.
Before approving major withdrawals, DReps need to prepare and approve the wider plan, which will include not only the dominant players but also the relevant small ones.
Responsible governance requires more than deciding whether one proposal is valuable. It requires a coordinated and fair plan for the ecosystem as a whole.
I personally use Blockfrost, Koios, and other tools in several projects, and I collaborate with teams that use them. I am aware of the importance of these tools.
