@dominicwilliams I am in favor of a “grand-fathering” in of the original (current) 8-year Neurons as a Thank You to original investors.
My suggestion would be:
After X date the cap is now 5 years.
Original 5+ (up to 8) year non-dissolving neurons get the option of keeping their status as such with an option of lowering to 5 years + accrued age due to difference in downscaling. If they are EVER dissolved, their cap will automatically be tied to the new limit of 5 years, and they can no longer increase their delay beyond 5 years.
For example: if someone chose to dissolve an 8 year neuron and changed their mind a month later, it would be scaled down to 5 years over the next 2 years and 11 months and it would stay there. In such a scenario, it would probably make sense that they lost their age bonus aswell, but had it reaccrue over the next 2 years and 11 months because the age cap is what is decreasing (and what they actually lost) while they are still staking as the new maximum of 5 years.
The upside of this system is a few things:
- You reward your early adopters.
- You heavily decentivize the 8-year-gang from considering leaving, because any 8-year-gang neuron would immediately be hit by a 3-year cap decrease (and possibly an immediate loss of their age-bonus along the way down).
- You actually put the VC’s in a position, where their pump-n-dump plans work to their disadvantage, because grand-fathered neurons would be very valuable, but also stable for the entire system as a whole.
Sure, you might still have to adjust some rates, and sure it could seem “unfair” that someone are inherently at an advantage, because they were “early”, but keep in mind, that with this system, you are literally only rewarded for staying loyal, and if you - even for a split second - dissolve your neuron, the rewards are lost permanently, and the neuron is no longer “grandfathered” - it is just another neuron, like the 99% who didn’t believe in ICP while it was in it’s infancy.
EDIT 1: I am in favor of the second proposal (about using maturity to “free up” locked ICP).
EDIT 2: What I wrote about also in no way takes into consideration, the actual NNS value of voting power, which could probably discussed as a separate issue.