Client Engineering – Q3 2026 Funding Proposal

Original Proposal Text

# Client Engineering – Q3 2026 Funding Proposal ## Summary This proposal seeks community approval to fund the Overclock Labs client engineering team for the Client and Console work delivered during Q3 2026. Building on the Console redesign funded in [Proposal 332](https://www.mintscan.io/akash/proposals/332), this work spans automatic escrow funding for managed wallets, server-side data persistence and secrets, the continued Console redesign, and Console support for ARM64 and InfiniBand deployments. The AEPs and initiatives covered by this proposal are: - [**AEP-91 – Escrow Abstraction + Auto Funding:**](https://akash.network/roadmap/aep-91/) automatic escrow funding and top-ups for managed-wallet deployments, a single account balance, and threshold-based card reloads. - [**AEP-92 – Data Persistence + Secrets:**](https://akash.network/roadmap/aep-92/) moving per-user Console data into Console's database and adding KMS-backed secrets referenced by name in the SDL. - **Console Redesign Continuation (AEP Pending):** extending the redesign beyond the deploy flow to the rest of Console, launching publicly at the Cyberdefense Hackathon on October 9. - **ARM64 Support, Console Implementation:** architecture selection in Console and Console Air. - **InfiniBand / RoCE Interconnect, Console Implementation:** interconnect support in Console and the TypeScript chain-sdk. ## Motivation Two of the most common ways a Console deployment fails have nothing to do with the workload itself. A user picks an escrow deposit, forgets to top it up, and the deployment closes even though the account still has credits. Or a user clears their browser or switches machines and loses the saved deployments and templates they relied on. AEP-91 and AEP-92 remove both failure modes. Console now funds deployments automatically and keeps them topped up to a target runway, and per-user data and secrets are stored server-side, with secrets encrypted and kept out of the SDL. The Q2 redesign rebuilt the deploy flow. The rest of Console, including the deployments list, deployment detail, providers, templates, billing and settings pages, still used the previous design, so users moved between two different experiences. The Q3 redesign work brings those pages onto the new design so Console feels like one product. ARM64 support lets users target the new class of ARM hardware that providers can now advertise, and interconnect support (AEP-95) lets users set up RDMA-connected multi-node GPU deployments for training and fine-tuning directly from Console. ## Total Request For the Q3 2026 Client Engineering Proposal, Overclock Labs is requesting $222,186 from the Community Pool for work directly attributable to the client AEPs for this period, alongside a 54.3% AKT volatility buffer. | | **Request from CP** | |---|---:| | Engineering hours | 775.57 | | Engineering rate per hour | $180.75 | | Engineering total cost | $140,182 | | Support hours | 48.65 | | Support rate per hour | $78.39 | | Support total cost | $3,814 | | **Labor Subtotal** | **$143,996** | | AKT Volatility Buffer (54.3%)* | $78,190 | | **Total Request** | **$222,186** | *__\*AKT Volatility Buffer –__ A 54.3% buffer is applied to this request to ensure adequate coverage during liquidation based on the past 180 days of AKT price fluctuations (applied as of 10/1/26). Any unused buffer during liquidation will be returned.* ## Budget Breakdown | | **Hours** | **Cost** | |---|---:|---:| | Console Redesign – Continued | 567.81 | $97,953.40 | | *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *68.89%* | *68.03%* | | Escrow Abstraction + Auto Funding (AEP-91) | 124.13 | $23,606.19 | | *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *15.06%* | *16.39%* | | Data Persistence + Secrets (AEP-92) | 102.51 | $16,774.00 | | *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *12.44%* | *11.65%* | | ARM64 Support – Console Implementation | 13.00 | $2,472.27 | | *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *1.58%* | *1.72%* | | InfiniBand / RoCE Interconnect (AEP-95) – Console Implementation | 16.77 | $3,190.03 | | *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *2.03%* | *2.22%* | | **Total** | **824.22** | **$143,995.89** | ## Conclusion Q3's client work takes the friction out of keeping a workload running once it's deployed. Automatic funding keeps deployments alive as long as the account has credits, server-side persistence and secrets make Console dependable across devices and safe for production credentials, the continued redesign brings the rest of Console in line with the new deploy flow, and the ARM64 and interconnect work puts this quarter's new hardware capabilities in front of users. Together these support user retention and open Console to new classes of supply and workload. ## Limited Market Impact & Transparent Reporting Overclock Labs will custody the requested funds in a new, distinct wallet so that funds from any other source are not commingled. All funds will be liquidated and managed to minimize market impact. These funds will be handled with the same care and attention as all previous Community Funding Proposals, with liquidations done in a fashion that will not adversely affect the market. In practice, the effort of this liquidation will add depth to the AKT market for buyers looking to enter. Overclock Labs will coordinate with the Decentralized Cloud Foundation (DCF) on the timing and execution of liquidations, so that conversions of these funds are aligned with other market activity across the ecosystem and are not working against one another. In some cases, Overclock Labs will use structured market-making (MM) activity to manage funds responsibly. Conversions will take place gradually over defined trading windows rather than through large sell transactions. Spreading activity over these longer windows helps ensure that each trade reduces the likelihood of noticeable price movements and helps maintain a stable market for all participants. This measured approach allows Overclock Labs to meet operational needs while minimizing market impact and supporting steady liquidity within the AKT ecosystem. More details: {"title":"Client Engineering – Q3 2026 Funding Proposal","summary":"# Client Engineering – Q3 2026 Funding Proposal\n\n## Summary\n\nThis proposal seeks community approval to fund the Overclock Labs client engineering team for the Client and Console work delivered during Q3 2026. Building on the Console redesign funded in [Proposal 332](https://www.mintscan.io/akash/proposals/332), this work spans automatic escrow funding for managed wallets, server-side data persistence and secrets, the continued Console redesign, and Console support for ARM64 and InfiniBand deployments.\n\nThe AEPs and initiatives covered by this proposal are:\n\n- [**AEP-91 – Escrow Abstraction + Auto Funding:**](https://akash.network/roadmap/aep-91/) automatic escrow funding and top-ups for managed-wallet deployments, a single account balance, and threshold-based card reloads.\n- [**AEP-92 – Data Persistence + Secrets:**](https://akash.network/roadmap/aep-92/) moving per-user Console data into Console's database and adding KMS-backed secrets referenced by name in the SDL.\n- **Console Redesign Continuation (AEP Pending):** extending the redesign beyond the deploy flow to the rest of Console, launching publicly at the Cyberdefense Hackathon on October 9.\n- **ARM64 Support, Console Implementation:** architecture selection in Console and Console Air.\n- **InfiniBand / RoCE Interconnect, Console Implementation:** interconnect support in Console and the TypeScript chain-sdk.\n\n## Motivation\n\nTwo of the most common ways a Console deployment fails have nothing to do with the workload itself. A user picks an escrow deposit, forgets to top it up, and the deployment closes even though the account still has credits. Or a user clears their browser or switches machines and loses the saved deployments and templates they relied on. AEP-91 and AEP-92 remove both failure modes. Console now funds deployments automatically and keeps them topped up to a target runway, and per-user data and secrets are stored server-side, with secrets encrypted and kept out of the SDL.\n\nThe Q2 redesign rebuilt the deploy flow. The rest of Console, including the deployments list, deployment detail, providers, templates, billing and settings pages, still used the previous design, so users moved between two different experiences. The Q3 redesign work brings those pages onto the new design so Console feels like one product.\n\nARM64 support lets users target the new class of ARM hardware that providers can now advertise, and interconnect support (AEP-95) lets users set up RDMA-connected multi-node GPU deployments for training and fine-tuning directly from Console.\n\n## Total Request\n\nFor the Q3 2026 Client Engineering Proposal, Overclock Labs is requesting $222,186 from the Community Pool for work directly attributable to the client AEPs for this period, alongside a 54.3% AKT volatility buffer.\n\n| | **Request from CP** |\n|---|---:|\n| Engineering hours | 775.57 |\n| Engineering rate per hour | $180.75 |\n| Engineering total cost | $140,182 |\n| Support hours | 48.65 |\n| Support rate per hour | $78.39 |\n| Support total cost | $3,814 |\n| **Labor Subtotal** | **$143,996** |\n| AKT Volatility Buffer (54.3%)* | $78,190 |\n| **Total Request** | **$222,186** |\n\n*__\\*AKT Volatility Buffer –__ A 54.3% buffer is applied to this request to ensure adequate coverage during liquidation based on the past 180 days of AKT price fluctuations (applied as of 10/1/26). Any unused buffer during liquidation will be returned.*\n\n## Budget Breakdown\n\n| | **Hours** | **Cost** |\n|---|---:|---:|\n| Console Redesign – Continued | 567.81 | $97,953.40 |\n| *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *68.89%* | *68.03%* |\n| Escrow Abstraction + Auto Funding (AEP-91) | 124.13 | $23,606.19 |\n| *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *15.06%* | *16.39%* |\n| Data Persistence + Secrets (AEP-92) | 102.51 | $16,774.00 |\n| *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *12.44%* | *11.65%* |\n| ARM64 Support – Console Implementation | 13.00 | $2,472.27 |\n| *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *1.58%* | *1.72%* |\n| InfiniBand / RoCE Interconnect (AEP-95) – Console Implementation | 16.77 | $3,190.03 |\n| *As a percentage of total labor budget* | *2.03%* | *2.22%* |\n| **Total** | **824.22** | **$143,995.89** |\n\n\n## Conclusion\n\nQ3's client work takes the friction out of keeping a workload running once it's deployed. Automatic funding keeps deployments alive as long as the account has credits, server-side persistence and secrets make Console dependable across devices and safe for production credentials, the continued redesign brings the rest of Console in line with the new deploy flow, and the ARM64 and interconnect work puts this quarter's new hardware capabilities in front of users. Together these support user retention and open Console to new classes of supply and workload.\n\n## Limited Market Impact & Transparent Reporting\n\nOverclock Labs will custody the requested funds in a new, distinct wallet so that funds from any other source are not commingled.\n\nAll funds will be liquidated and managed to minimize market impact. These funds will be handled with the same care and attention as all previous Community Funding Proposals, with liquidations done in a fashion that will not adversely affect the market. In practice, the effort of this liquidation will add depth to the AKT market for buyers looking to enter.\n\nOverclock Labs will coordinate with the Decentralized Cloud Foundation (DCF) on the timing and execution of liquidations, so that conversions of these funds are aligned with other market activity across the ecosystem and are not working against one another.\n\nIn some cases, Overclock Labs will use structured market-making (MM) activity to manage funds responsibly. Conversions will take place gradually over defined trading windows rather than through large sell transactions. Spreading activity over these longer windows helps ensure that each trade reduces the likelihood of noticeable price movements and helps maintain a stable market for all participants. This measured approach allows Overclock Labs to meet operational needs while minimizing market impact and supporting steady liquidity within the AKT ecosystem.","additional_link":"https://github.com/orgs/akash-network/discussions/1542"}