AEP Support Services – Q3 2026 Funding Proposal

Original Proposal Text

# AEP Support Services – Q3 2026 Funding Proposal ## Summary This proposal seeks community approval to fund the ongoing support and maintenance required to operate the Akash Network during Q3 2026 (July 1 – September 30, 2026). Building on the support programs funded in [Proposal 331](https://www.mintscan.io/akash/proposals/331), this work spans Console and core codebase upkeep, provider DevOps, customer support, a new security support program, community coordination, and financial governance. ## Motivation Q3 brought several major capabilities into production. Confidential compute and InfiniBand interconnect went live on mainnet in provider [v0.16.0](https://github.com/akash-network/provider/releases/tag/v0.16.0), ARM64 support shipped in provider [v0.16.4](https://github.com/akash-network/provider/releases/tag/v0.16.4) and was rolled out to community providers, the AKT price feed behind BME was migrated to new Pyth contracts through governance proposals [335](https://www.mintscan.io/akash/proposals/335)–[340](https://www.mintscan.io/akash/proposals/340), and Console moved managed-wallet users to automatic escrow funding and server-side storage for their data and secrets. Each of these expanded what providers have to operate and what users rely on day to day, and the support functions below absorbed that load. These support services are distinct from the AEP-specific engineering work covered under the Q3 2026 Core Engineering and Client Engineering proposals. They represent the operational baseline required to maintain a production-grade decentralized cloud platform. This quarter also adds a dedicated Security Support program, reflecting the growing volume of externally reported vulnerabilities and security reviews that come with a larger production footprint. ## Total Request For the Q3 2026 AEP Support Services Proposal, Overclock Labs is requesting $597,071 from the Community Pool for labor and operating costs directly attributable to the support programs for this period, alongside a 54.3% AKT volatility buffer. | | **Request from CP** | |---|---:| | Engineering hours | 479.77 | | Engineering rate per hour | $98.95 | | Engineering total cost | $47,474 | | Support hours | 2,926.18 | | Support rate per hour | $111.66 | | Support total cost | $326,730 | | **Labor Subtotal** | **$374,205** | | Additional Operating Costs | $12,750 | | **Total Budget** | **$386,955** | | AKT Volatility Buffer (54.3%)* | $210,116 | | **Total Request** | **$597,071** | *__\*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** | |---|---:|---:| | Core/Client Enhancements & Support | 479.77 | $47,474.13 | | *As a percentage of total budget* | *14.09%* | *12.27%* | | Product/Customer Support | 156.59 | $18,880.44 | | *As a percentage of total budget* | *4.60%* | *4.88%* | | DevOps and Provider Support | 678.03 | $59,580.29 | | *As a percentage of total budget* | *19.91%* | *15.40%* | | Security Support | 206.56 | $35,821.30 | | *As a percentage of total budget* | *6.06%* | *9.26%* | | Administrative Support | 702.00 | $107,054.62 | | *As a percentage of total budget* | *20.61%* | *27.67%* | | Community Support (incl. $12,750 operating) | 1,183.00 | $118,143.76 | | *As a percentage of total budget* | *34.73%* | *30.53%* | | **Total** | **3,405.95** | **$386,954.54** | ## Conclusion These support services are what keep Akash running between milestone releases. Console and core codebase upkeep, provider DevOps, customer support, security response, community coordination, and FinOps governance are not optional at the network's current scale. Continued Community Pool funding ensures the network can absorb continued growth without compromising stability or user experience. ## 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":"AEP Support Services – Q3 2026 Funding Proposal","summary":"# AEP Support Services – Q3 2026 Funding Proposal\n\n## Summary\n\nThis proposal seeks community approval to fund the ongoing support and maintenance required to operate the Akash Network during Q3 2026 (July 1 – September 30, 2026). Building on the support programs funded in [Proposal 331](https://www.mintscan.io/akash/proposals/331), this work spans Console and core codebase upkeep, provider DevOps, customer support, a new security support program, community coordination, and financial governance.\n\n## Motivation\n\nQ3 brought several major capabilities into production. Confidential compute and InfiniBand interconnect went live on mainnet in provider [v0.16.0](https://github.com/akash-network/provider/releases/tag/v0.16.0), ARM64 support shipped in provider [v0.16.4](https://github.com/akash-network/provider/releases/tag/v0.16.4) and was rolled out to community providers, the AKT price feed behind BME was migrated to new Pyth contracts through governance proposals [335](https://www.mintscan.io/akash/proposals/335)–[340](https://www.mintscan.io/akash/proposals/340), and Console moved managed-wallet users to automatic escrow funding and server-side storage for their data and secrets. Each of these expanded what providers have to operate and what users rely on day to day, and the support functions below absorbed that load.\n\nThese support services are distinct from the AEP-specific engineering work covered under the Q3 2026 Core Engineering and Client Engineering proposals. They represent the operational baseline required to maintain a production-grade decentralized cloud platform. This quarter also adds a dedicated Security Support program, reflecting the growing volume of externally reported vulnerabilities and security reviews that come with a larger production footprint.\n\n## Total Request\n\nFor the Q3 2026 AEP Support Services Proposal, Overclock Labs is requesting $597,071 from the Community Pool for labor and operating costs directly attributable to the support programs for this period, alongside a 54.3% AKT volatility buffer.\n\n| | **Request from CP** |\n|---|---:|\n| Engineering hours | 479.77 |\n| Engineering rate per hour | $98.95 |\n| Engineering total cost | $47,474 |\n| Support hours | 2,926.18 |\n| Support rate per hour | $111.66 |\n| Support total cost | $326,730 |\n| **Labor Subtotal** | **$374,205** |\n| Additional Operating Costs | $12,750 |\n| **Total Budget** | **$386,955** |\n| AKT Volatility Buffer (54.3%)* | $210,116 |\n| **Total Request** | **$597,071** |\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| Core/Client Enhancements & Support | 479.77 | $47,474.13 |\n| *As a percentage of total budget* | *14.09%* | *12.27%* |\n| Product/Customer Support | 156.59 | $18,880.44 |\n| *As a percentage of total budget* | *4.60%* | *4.88%* |\n| DevOps and Provider Support | 678.03 | $59,580.29 |\n| *As a percentage of total budget* | *19.91%* | *15.40%* |\n| Security Support | 206.56 | $35,821.30 |\n| *As a percentage of total budget* | *6.06%* | *9.26%* |\n| Administrative Support | 702.00 | $107,054.62 |\n| *As a percentage of total budget* | *20.61%* | *27.67%* |\n| Community Support (incl. $12,750 operating) | 1,183.00 | $118,143.76 |\n| *As a percentage of total budget* | *34.73%* | *30.53%* |\n| **Total** | **3,405.95** | **$386,954.54** |\n\n## Conclusion\n\nThese support services are what keep Akash running between milestone releases. Console and core codebase upkeep, provider DevOps, customer support, security response, community coordination, and FinOps governance are not optional at the network's current scale. Continued Community Pool funding ensures the network can absorb continued growth without compromising stability or user experience.\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/1543"}