Before going any further I want to express gratitude. On a personal level, I thank God for giving me strength and also thank my wife and children for their love and support. Also, much appreciation goes out to the entire Tezos community. It has been the combined effort of countless people all over the world that has turned things around for the Tezos project. Whether a fellow council member, developer, co-founder, grassroots community member or anybody else in the Tezos community, I am thankful for your tireless contributions.

Now in regards to succession, I have provided my opinion to the Council on the process and also informed them that I would abstain from voting on a new candidate. It is important that the remaining council members make the decision in regards to any future chair and council member as they will continue after I am gone. The Council has formed a Nomination Committee which consists of Hubertus Thonhauser, Alexis Bonte, Ryan Lackey, and Ulrich Sauter. In the next few weeks, they will release a public statement in regards to the criteria and process that will be followed for council nominations going forward. In the meantime, let me share some of my views on the matter that I have discussed with the Council.

I believe the chair and council member positions should be limited to a few years with a few of the initial council members serving longer to provide stability as the other council members change over time. I also believe the nomination and selection criteria and process for chair and council members should be made public and allow for others within the wider Tezos community to submit names as possible candidates and that this should be done in conjunction with a formal search conducted by the Council. Finally, I believe chair and council member nominations should be committed to receiving feedback from the wider and growing Tezos community while at the same time demonstrating the ability to act independently of any single interest or party within the community. Ultimately, the Council is solely responsible for its composition, but I believe that the above principles will help ensure that it makes the right decisions.

As for me and what happens next, I plan to provide support for a smooth transition. Then I will take some time to catch my breath and spend time with my family.

I finish with my favorite quote from Theodore Roosevelt and a few additional remarks:

„It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.“

I am proud of all that the Tezos community has accomplished. It is incredible to see how far the Foundation and Tezos project and ecosystem have come since early 2018 and I am humbled to have been a part of the turnaround. Here’s to a bright future for Tezos; the best is yet to come!

Sincerely,

Ryan Jesperson