Central source of truth for governance rules across all Bitcoin Commons repositories (managed by BTCDecoded organization).
For verified system status: See SYSTEM_STATUS.md in the BTCDecoded organization repository.
Current Status: Phase 1 (Infrastructure Building)
- ✅ Infrastructure Complete: All core components implemented
⚠️ Not Yet Activated: Governance rules are not enforced- 🔧 Test Keys Only: No real cryptographic enforcement
- 📋 Development Phase: System is in rapid AI-assisted development
Timeline: Phase 2 Activation: Governance enforcement begins | Phase 3 Full Operation: Mature, stable system
This repository defines:
- Repository Governance (Binding): Who can merge what, and when
- Protocol Governance (Advisory): User signaling for consensus changes
- Emergency Response: Three-tiered system for critical issues
- Maintainer Lifecycle: Selection, removal, and rotation processes
Key Distinction: We govern repository access (binding) and provide guidance for protocol changes (advisory). Users remain sovereign over Bitcoin's consensus rules.
Bitcoin Commons implements a 5-tier constitutional governance system with complete transparency through cryptographic audit trails and user-protective mechanisms. That system operates under the Bitcoin Commons Compact.
- Tier 1: Routine Maintenance (3-of-5, 7 days) - Bug fixes, documentation, performance
- Tier 2: Feature Changes (4-of-5, 30 days) - New RPC methods, P2P changes, wallet features
- Tier 3: Consensus-Adjacent (5-of-5, 90 days) - Changes affecting consensus validation
- Tier 4: Emergency Actions (4-of-5, 0 days review period) - Critical security patches, network threats
- Tier 5: Governance Changes (Special process, 180 days) - Changes to governance rules themselves
| Layer | Repository | Signatures | Review Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | blvm-spec | 6-of-7 | 180 days (365 for consensus) |
| 2 | blvm-consensus | 6-of-7 | 180 days (365 for consensus) |
| 3 | blvm-protocol | 4-of-5 | 90 days |
| 4 | blvm-node / blvm | 3-of-5 | 60 days |
| 5 | blvm-sdk | 2-of-3 | 14 days |
- docs/ACTION_TIERS.md - PR action tiers (
action-tiers.yml) vs emergency tiers - COMPACT.md - Bitcoin Commons Compact
- GOVERNANCE.md - Main governance process
- LAYER_TIER_MODEL.md - How layers and tiers combine
- SCOPE.md - Repository vs protocol governance
- guides/MAINTAINER_GUIDE.md — Maintainer guide
- guides/ONBOARDING.md — New maintainer onboarding
- REVIEW_EXPECTATIONS.md — Human reviewer expectations (guidelines for maintainers)
- guides/REVIEW_INTELLIGENCE.md — AI-assisted code review intelligence (operating document; Compact, Orange Paper, differential testing)
- blvm-commons - Governance enforcement application
- blvm-docs - Unified mdBook site: docs.thebitcoincommons.org
- Audit materials — see security and disclosure policy in this repo (
SECURITY.md,guides/) and organization-wide SECURITY.md where applicable