Dear Horizen Community,
I’m excited to announce my candidacy for re-election to the Horizen DAO Special Council, March 2026 cohort.
Background & Evolution Since Last Term
As a founding member of the Special Council, I’ve served since its inception and helped establish its governance foundations. Since my last candidacy, my role in the ecosystem has evolved significantly:
- I am now the CEO of Portal, the platform born from the merger of BLife Protocol and Portal, under Animoca Brands. This puts me at the intersection of Bitcoin innovation, gaming infrastructure, and one of the largest Web3 conglomerates in the world.
- Previously, I founded Darewise, a Web3 gaming company acquired by Animoca Brands, and co-founded BLife Protocol on Bitcoin, where we federated 30+ major projects and pioneered applications like Odin.fun.
What I Bring to the Council
- Governance experience: Two terms on the Special Council, deep understanding of ZenIP review processes and governance dynamics
- Ecosystem builder: Track record of building products, communities, and partnerships across Bitcoin and Web3
- Industry network: Direct relationships across Animoca Brands, Horizen Labs, and the broader Bitcoin/Web3 ecosystem. I was recommended by Rob Viglione during my first candidacy, and remain a strong supporter of his vision
- Operator perspective: As an active CEO, I bring real-world operational insight to governance decisions, not just theory
Vision for This Term: Governing Through Transformation
This election comes at a defining moment. In the past year, Horizen completed the boldest pivot in its history, transitioning from an isolated proof-of-work chain to an EVM-native Layer 3 on Base. The Council played a direct role in this through ZenIP 42406, and I’m proud to have been part of that decision. But migration was the easy part. What comes next is what matters:
- Overseeing the HCCE launch: The Confidential Compute Environment using TEEs is Horizen’s killer differentiator. The Council must ensure this launches with clear standards, proper audits, and developer-friendly documentation. Getting this right defines whether Horizen becomes the privacy layer for Base, or just another L3.
- Holding the Thrive Program accountable: 1M ZEN over 5 years is a massive commitment to developers. The Council should establish transparent KPIs and milestone reviews for grants, ensuring capital goes to builders who ship, not just pitch.
- Championing compliant privacy: Regulators are coming for DeFi. Horizen’s “practical privacy” positioning — auditable but confidential — is exactly what institutions and serious builders need. As someone who runs Portal under Animoca Brands and deals with regulatory realities daily, I can bridge the gap between what regulators expect and what builders need.
- Growing the Base ecosystem presence: Horizen is now competing for attention alongside hundreds of Base protocols. The Council needs to actively support BD efforts, ecosystem partnerships (like the idOS and zkVerify integrations), and developer relations — not passively wait for builders to come.
- Protecting ZEN tokenholders through the transition: The migration from PoW to ERC-20 was executed well, but tokenholders need ongoing clarity on emissions, staking mechanics, and the new tokenomics. Governance transparency is non-negotiable.
About Me
- Country of residence: France (non-US
- No conflicts of interest with competitor blockchains
- Long-term $ZEN holder and believer
I’m committed to making this term the most impactful yet. Let’s build.
Ben