ROND is in its concept phase – which is exactly why now is the right time to get involved. The architecture is defined, the open questions are identified, and the answers will shape the next version of the protocol. Here are the concrete tasks we are working on.
🔬
Cryptography
What we need: experience with formal protocol specification and cryptographic security proofs.
Open Tasks
Model the storage layer:
Realistic capacity estimates for the federated network at various user counts and storage tiers. What is technically and economically feasible?
Specify a crypto-agility mechanism:
What does a concrete re-encryption flow look like when an algorithm is deprecated? In particular: what happens in the legacy case without an active user?
Post-quantum strategy:
Hybrid encryption (classical + PQ) as default – which combinations, which libraries, what are the performance implications?
Formally model the guardian quorum:
Probability analysis for collusion, failure, and false-positive triggers over extended time periods.
⚖️
Legal
What we need: expertise in inheritance law, data protection (GDPR), eIDAS 2.0, and/or nonprofit governance.
Open Tasks
GDPR compliance assessment:
Formal review of the architecture regarding data protection. In particular: which data qualifies as personal data? How does the system relate to GDPR after the user's death?
Legacy Protocol legal framework:
Is a smart-contract-based trigger legally equivalent to a will? What are the boundaries under EU and national law?
eIDAS 2.0 compliance:
Review of the planned EUDI integration against the current regulation and the Architecture Reference Framework.
Secure nonprofit status:
Legal opinion on the tax-exempt nonprofit structure under German and EU law.
⛓️
Blockchain & Smart Contracts
What we need: Solidity development, smart contract auditing, EVM expertise.
Open Tasks
Smart contract architecture:
Design the contract structure for Identity Registry, Authorization Protocol, and Legacy Protocol. Which patterns, which chain (L1 vs. L2)?
Model gas optimisation:
What do the on-chain operations cost across different chains? Is the model economically viable for 450M users?
Evaluate account abstraction:
ERC-4337 for user-friendly wallet interaction without requiring a dedicated crypto wallet.
Formal verification:
Security proofs for the smart contract logic, especially trigger and quorum mechanisms.
🖥️
Infrastructure
What we need: experience with federated system operations, self-hosting, high availability.
Open Tasks
Specify the node software:
What must a storage node be capable of? API definition, monitoring, self-healing, SLA reporting.
Design the federation protocol:
How do nodes discover each other? How is reputation measured? How does automatic re-replication work?
Document a reference setup:
Minimal node operation on own hardware – requirements, costs, operational overhead.
🎨
UX & Design
What we need: experience with trust UX, accessibility, and hiding complexity from end users.
Open Tasks
Design the onboarding flow:
What does the path from "never heard of it" to "EUDI-verified in the registry" look like? Wireframes and user flows.
Design the legacy setup:
How do you ask people about their death without making them uncomfortable? UX patterns for a sensitive topic.
Guardian management:
How does a non-technical user manage their guardians, trigger conditions, and recipients?
🏛️
Civil Society & Funding
What we need: connections to foundations, NGOs, and funding programmes in the digital sovereignty space.
Open Tasks
Prototype Fund application:
Review and feedback on the proposal.
Map the funding landscape:
Which European foundations fund projects in digital civil rights and open-source infrastructure?
Institutional contacts:
Notary chambers, insurance associations, health authorities – who are the right contacts for pilot projects?