Open Source Funding SPE: A Proposal to Support the Livepeer Ecosystem
Prepared for: Livepeer Treasury
Prepared by: Jason Stone (Orchestrator and Project Lead)
Date: 20 January 2025
Proposal Number: 0120-2025
Abstract
The Open Source Funding SPE (Special Purpose Entity) requests 5000 LPT from the Livepeer Treasury to establish a fund supporting critical open-source projects vital to the Livepeer Network. This initiative aims to solidify Livepeer’s position as a leading decentralized network by actively supporting the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) ethos and contributing to the developer community.
Introduction
Livepeer relies heavily on open-source software. These projects, maintained by dedicated developers, are essential for Livepeer’s video transcoding network and emerging AI capabilities. While freely available, maintaining these projects requires significant developer time and effort. Many contributors dedicate their personal time, sometimes facing financial and other challenges that can lead to project stagnation. While alternatives often exist, relying on core components with stalled development can introduce security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues. This SPE aims to create a sustainable ecosystem where key developers receive financial support, allowing them to dedicate more time to these crucial projects. Establishing an SPE provides a dedicated framework for selecting projects, allocating funds transparently, and handling the administrative complexities of supporting diverse projects with varying payment preferences and legal requirements. This focused approach ensures efficient and responsible management of Livepeer’s open-source contributions.
Mission
- Sustain FOSS: Provide consistent funding to maintain critical open-source dependencies.
- Enhance Reliability: Ensure the ongoing functionality and security of essential tools like FFmpeg, Codegen, and OpenCV.
- Strengthen the Ecosystem: Cultivate strong relationships with the open-source community and stimulate innovation within projects Livepeer relies upon.
- Maximize Transparency: Regularly report on funding allocations and project outcomes to ensure accountability.
Team
Project Lead (Paid by SPE):
- Jason Stone (Orchestrator, Bounty Manager)
Advisory Board (Not paid by SPE):
- Rick: Lead for the AI SPE team, Orchestrator.
- Nneoma: Stable Labs, Gov Works
- Rich: Livepeer Inc. Member
- En: Community Manager
Key Projects and Their Importance to Livepeer
| Project | Role |
|---|---|
| Codegen | Generates Go bindings from OpenAPI specifications, enabling seamless integration with Livepeer services. |
| FFmpeg | The core of Livepeer’s media processing pipeline, essential for video encoding, decoding, and transcoding. |
| OpenCV | Facilitates video analysis and processing, enabling advanced features like object detection and scene analysis. |
| Kin-OpenAPI | Provides OpenAPI tooling that integrates with Codegen to streamline API design and validation. |
| Pydantic | Ensures data integrity within Livepeer’s Python-based tools through data validation and settings management. |
| Matplotlib | Creates visualizations and analytics for Livepeer’s dashboards, monitoring, and testing. |
| Imageio | Handles various image formats for processing and analysis within the Livepeer ecosystem. |
| gdown | Simplifies downloading large files from Google Drive, crucial for datasets and model distribution. |
| oapi-codegen | Generates client and server code from OpenAPI specifications, enhancing API integrations. |
| setuptools | Manages the packaging and distribution of Python projects, crucial for Livepeer’s development workflow. |
| tqdm | Displays progress bars for long-running tasks, improving user experience during processing. |
| python-multipart & Uvicorn | Essential components for handling file uploads and serving web applications within Livepeer. |
| ComfyUI-Depth-Anything-Tensort | Contributes to AI-driven depth estimation and image processing within the Livepeer pipeline. |
This list represents a core set of dependencies, and the SPE will evaluate and consider supporting additional projects as Livepeer evolves. Community input on additional projects is encouraged.
Deliverables
- Transparent Payments: On-chain funding in LPT or USDC will be provided to projects where feasible, with wallet ownership clearly documented and publicly verifiable. Alternative funding methods will be used for projects unable to receive direct cryptocurrency payments.
- Monthly Reporting: Monthly reports will detail fund allocation, recipient projects, and verification of transfers. This regular cadence incentivizes project maintainers and provides ongoing transparency to the community.
- Annual Evaluation: After one year, a comprehensive report will assess the SPE’s impact, including alignment with Livepeer’s goals and its effect on Livepeer’s standing within the open-source community.
Benefits to Livepeer
- Operational Stability: Ensures critical dependencies remain secure, maintained, and up-to-date.
- Ecosystem Growth: Strengthens the open-source ecosystem, benefiting both Livepeer and the broader decentralized tech community.
- Community Leadership: Positions Livepeer as a supporter of open-source, enhancing its reputation.
- Transparency and Accountability: Provides clear and verifiable tracking of fund allocation.
Budget and Expenses
Project Funding (80%): Funding allocation will be based on project importance to Livepeer and the project’s existing financial resources. Projects with less established funding will be prioritized. See the “Key Projects” section for a list of initial target projects. Specific monthly allocations (€) will be determined based on project needs and will be detailed in monthly reports.
Administrative Expenses (5%):
- Company registration (one-time expense)
- Accounting costs
- Management hours (5h/month): Budget reporting (2h), manual disbursements (1h), project coordination (2h).
Reserve for Future Projects (15%): This reserve will accommodate newly incorporated open-source projects and mitigate LPT/USD price fluctuations. Unused funds will be rolled over to the next funding cycle or returned to the Treasury.
Total Budget Request: 5000 LPT
Conclusion
This SPE offers a structured and transparent mechanism for supporting the open-source projects essential to Livepeer’s success. By investing in these projects, Livepeer ensures its own stability and contributes to the broader open-source ecosystem. This initiative aims to promote a positive image of Livepeer and the cryptocurrency space by focusing on tangible contributions to valuable projects. We urge Orchestrator approval to secure the future of Livepeer and the open-source software it depends on.