At Devcon in Bangkok, the Linea Association announced its formation to oversee the development and management of Linea’s open source technology and ecosystem. The Swiss non-profit aims to decentralize the Linea network – the zkEVM Layer-2 solution designed to scale Ethereum – by launching the LINEA token by the end of the first quarter of 2025, enabling community-driven governance becomes possible.
The association’s mission includes supporting the growth of Linea Mainnet to build a fast, affordable and secure network that can be accessed worldwide. It plans to promote decentralization through new governance mechanisms and implement decentralized sequencing and evidence. Enabling developers to create decentralized applications with improved user experiences and fostering strong, engaged communities are also key priorities.
Nicolas Liochon, founder of Linea and board member of the Linea Association, said.
“Decentralization is at the core of Linea’s vision. Linea should be owned by everyone and openly managed as a public good, just like Layer 1 Ethereum is.”
The governance structure will consist of a Board of Directors, a General Meeting, an Executive Director and a symbolic governing body. The LINEA token allows holders to participate in governance, sharing details about the token design and utility before the token generation event. More than 1.3 million verified addresses have joined the network, reflecting Linea’s focus on organic community growth.
Since its mainnet launch as of August 2023, Linea has processed over 230 million transactions, making it one of the fastest growing zkEVMs on Ethereum. The ecosystem has also expanded to more than 420 ecosystem partners. The technology is publicly available under the Apache License, allowing users to view, fork, and modify the code.
The association operates independently of Consensys and aligns with CEO Joseph Lubin’s vision to gradually decentralize core innovations. Lubin said:
“As Consensys moves toward decentralization, Linea represents a fundamental step in our vision to create a network state for the emerging decentralized global economy.”
Linea has integrated long-term Ethereum contributors such as Status, developers of the Nimbus client that secures 10% of Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network. The association plans to further decentralize the development and management of core protocols, ensuring social and technical alignment within the community.
The structure of the Swiss association allows token holders to have a say in the management of IP and a treasury that supports Linea’s mission. The focus remains on promoting the growth and development of the open-source LINEA technology and the Linea network.
Linea wants to enable users and companies to manage valuable data in the chain, including identity and ownership. According to the announcement, the Linea Association aims to be an important step towards decentralizing the network and promoting collaborative, transparent governance. The initiative aims to empower the global community to shape the future of Linea and contribute to the broader Ethereum ecosystem.