Smart Contract Maintenance Agreement

1. Introduction

This Smart Contract Maintenance Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into between BlockEstateDAO, LLC (“DAO”) and the designated service provider responsible for maintaining and updating the DAO’s smart contracts.

By engaging in the maintenance and management of smart contracts, the service provider agrees to abide by the terms and conditions outlined in this Agreement.

2. Definitions

  • Smart Contract – A self-executing digital contract deployed on the Ethereum blockchain (or another supported network) that facilitates, verifies, or enforces contractual obligations without intermediaries.
  • DAO Governance – The decentralized voting process through which DAO members propose, review, and approve changes to smart contracts.
  • Security Audit – A comprehensive review of smart contract code to identify vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and compliance risks.
  • Multisignature Execution – A security protocol requiring multiple authorized signatures before implementing smart contract modifications.
  • Version Control – The tracking, documentation, and maintenance of all smart contract updates, patches, and modifications.

3. Scope of Work

3.1 Responsibilities of the Service Provider

The service provider shall be responsible for the ongoing maintenance, security updates, and functionality enhancements of all smart contracts deployed by BlockEstateDAO.

3.2 Covered Smart Contracts

The following smart contracts are subject to this Agreement:

  • BlockEstateDAO Core Contract
  • DisputeKit Contract
  • Documents Smart Contract
  • BlockHashRNG Contract
  • Dispute Manager Contract
  • Profit Distribution & Allocation Contract
  • Emergency Overrides & Updates Contract
  • Advanced Voting & Delegation Contract
  • On-Chain Real Estate Deed/Title Verification Contract
  • Performance Incentives & Token Grant Contract
  • Membership Manager Contract
  • Sortition Module
  • Withdrawal Manager Contract
  • Any additional smart contracts introduced through DAO governance

3.3 Governance & Review

  • All smart contract modifications must undergo review and approval through DAO governance mechanisms before deployment.
  • The service provider must maintain comprehensive version control records, including commit histories and documentation of all modifications.

4. Maintenance and Update Procedures

4.1 Routine Maintenance

The service provider shall perform routine maintenance, including:

  • Bug fixes and performance optimizations
  • Security enhancements and vulnerability patches
  • Upgrades to maintain blockchain compatibility
  • Implementation of DAO-governed modifications

4.2 Update & Deployment Process

All updates must follow a structured governance process, including:

  1. Proposal submission through the DAO governance portal
  2. Community discussion and feedback
  3. Smart contract testing and quality assurance
  4. DAO governance approval through a vote
  5. Multisignature authorization before deployment

4.3 Regression Testing

  • All updates must undergo regression testing to ensure existing functionalities remain unaffected.
  • The service provider must validate backward compatibility before final deployment.

5. Security and Risk Management

5.1 Security Responsibilities

The service provider must proactively identify and mitigate security risks, including:

  • Reentrancy attacks
  • Integer overflows and underflows
  • Front-running exploits
  • External contract dependencies
  • Gas efficiency optimizations

5.2 Security Audits

  • Third-party security audits must be conducted annually or after major smart contract updates.
  • The service provider must work with external auditors to ensure compliance with blockchain security standards.
  • Any critical vulnerabilities must be immediately disclosed and remediated.

6. Emergency Response Protocol

6.1 Activation of Emergency Overrides

In the event of a critical smart contract vulnerability, the Emergency Overrides & Updates Contract may be activated to halt affected contracts.

6.2 Incident Response Steps

  1. Immediate notification to the DAO governance body and multisignature signers
  2. Emergency patch deployment and remediation plan
  3. Contract rollback if necessary
  4. Governance ratification through a DAO vote

6.3 Post-Incident Reporting

  • The service provider must submit a post-mortem report within seven days of the resolution.
  • The report must include root cause analysis, corrective actions, and future risk mitigation recommendations.

7. Compensation and Payment Terms

7.1 Compensation Structure

The service provider shall be compensated in BESD tokens, stablecoins, or fiat, as determined by DAO governance.

7.2 Payment Milestones

Payments shall be disbursed based on:

  • Routine maintenance and security updates
  • Governance-approved feature deployments
  • Compliance with security audit recommendations

7.3 Additional Compensation

  • Urgent security patches or extensive smart contract upgrades may be eligible for additional compensation, subject to DAO governance approval.

8. Intellectual Property and Open-Source Licensing

8.1 Open-Source Policy

  • All smart contracts under this agreement remain open-source and publicly accessible.
  • The service provider does not claim ownership over any smart contracts modified or developed under this agreement.

8.2 Licensing

  • All contributions made by the service provider are licensed under an open-source framework, ensuring full control remains with the DAO.

9. Termination and Exit Conditions

9.1 Termination Conditions

This Agreement may be terminated:

  • By either party with a 30-day written notice, provided a transition plan is in place
  • If the service provider engages in malicious activity, violates security protocols, or fails to meet service levels

9.2 Exit Responsibilities

Upon termination, the service provider must:

  • Deliver full documentation of all maintenance activities
  • Transfer access to development tools and repositories
  • Complete all pending governance-approved updates before exit

10. Dispute Resolution

10.1 DAO Governance Mediation

  • Any disputes under this agreement must first be addressed through DAO governance voting mechanisms.

10.2 Arbitration

  • If DAO mediation fails, disputes will be resolved through arbitration under Delaware law.

11. Amendments and Modifications

11.1 Governance-Controlled Modifications

  • Any changes to this Agreement must be proposed through DAO governance and approved by a community vote.
  • The service provider is responsible for staying informed about governance updates affecting smart contract maintenance.

12. Acknowledgment and Acceptance

By providing smart contract maintenance services for BlockEstateDAO, the service provider confirms their understanding and acceptance of the terms outlined in this Agreement.