ZOMG & Conflicts of Interest

During recent discussions with potential candidates for the Zcash Open Major Grants Committee (ZOMG), the question of conflicts of interest arose, as some candidates have previously - or may in the future - wish to apply for a ZOMG grant.

While ZIP1014 specifies that ZOMG “is subject to the same conflict of interest policy that governs the ZF Board of Directors (i.e. they MUST recuse themselves when voting on proposals where they have a financial interest)”, the possibility that a member of ZOMG may wish to apply for a grant from ZOMG had not previously been mooted. Therefore, we decided to consult with legal counsel.

The guidance we received is as follows: existing grant recipients with open milestones can serve on ZOMG. However, they must recuse themselves from any votes related to those grants. Moreover, a ZOMG committee member may not submit a grant proposal while sitting on ZOMG, under any circumstances.

We recognise that this may be a significant departure from some candidates’ expectations regarding the implications of serving on ZOMG, so we decided to pause the election process. We have reached out to the current and prospective ZOMG Committee members with a view to scheduling a community call to hear their thoughts.