Designated Proposer Set – Open Application

Grants
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Background

On 27 September 2025, the community voted to establish the initial Designated Proposer Set. This enabled a reduction in block times from 1s to ~600ms, a direct improvement to chain performance and the overall trading execution on dYdX Chain.

Since their appointment, the Designated Proposers have maintained strong uptime and consistent governance participation. Their performance has set a strong benchmark for the validators on dYdX Chain.

A Change in the Set

Informal Systems will be stepping down from the Designated Proposer Set at the end of March 2026. They will continue operating as an active validator on dYdX Chain, and we thank them for their commitment to the role and look forward to their continued involvement in the ecosystem.

Open Applications

The departure opens one seat in the Designated Proposer Set. We are inviting active set validators to apply.

Applications will be evaluated by the MEV Committee, with support from the dYdX Grants Program. The evaluation will consider factors including technical capability, historical uptime, and responsiveness.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) has been published on the dYdX Grants website, detailing the application process and evaluation criteria.

Application Form: [link]

Timeline

Applications close: 17 March 2026, Tuesday (end of day UTC)

The dYdX Grants Program and the MEV Committee will review submissions and aim to publish a recommendation to the community by 19 March 2026, Thursday. Final appointment is subject to a governance vote.

If you have any questions, feel free to reply to this thread.

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Update: Designated Proposer Set — Recommend Appointment of Keplr

The MEV Committee and the dYdX Grants Program have assessed all submissions and recommend appointing Keplr to replace Informal Systems in the Designated Proposer Set.

The recommendation is based on three performance dimensions:

  1. Reliability: consistently high uptime and minimal missed blocks;

  2. Operational Maturity: responsiveness to upgrades, monitoring practices, governance participation, and infrastructure coordination;

  3. Network Performance: ability to maintain low-latency peering and fast block propagation.

This change requires an on-chain governance vote. If the proposal passes, Informal Systems will be removed and Keplr will be appointed. The updated Designated Proposer Set would then be:

  • RHINO

  • Kiln

  • Kingnodes

  • PRO Delegators

  • Cros-nest

  • TTT VN

  • CryptoCrew × DeFi Dojo

  • Keplr

We appreciate all applicants for their time and submissions!

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