01 · Proposal abstract
Give the proposal a specific title and a concise abstract of up to 700 characters. State what you intend to accomplish.
← ProposalsMake the case.
BCH-1 · PROPOSAL GUIDE
How do proposals work?
Turn a problem worth solving into work stakeholders can follow—from the first submission to the final report.
A CLEAR PATH FROM IDEA TO DELIVERY
Make the case.
Make the outcome visible.
A proposal explains what should change, why it benefits Bitcoin Cash and what needs to be understood before work begins. BCH-1 uses research, recorded decisions and delivery evidence to make that process visible.
Start a proposal01 · PREPARE
Follow the five sections in the submission form.
Make a concrete case for the work, with evidence, scope and observable outcomes. The driver, delivery model and preliminary budget can be developed during research.
02 · Rationale and proposed work
Explain the context and evidence, proposed approach and scope, benefit to Bitcoin Cash, and expected outcomes and evaluation. Distinguish the work you will deliver from the impact you hope it creates. Supply a private contact method for BCH-1.
03 · Open questions and research needs
Identify untested assumptions, technical unknowns, risks and decisions that need investigation. Explain how to resolve them—or explain why no further research is needed.
04 · Delivery and preliminary budget
Volunteer to drive the proposal, suggest a driver or team, or leave this for research. Choose milestones, bounties or Decide during research. A BCH or USD estimate is optional; include a cost breakdown if you request an amount.
05 · Supporting artifacts
Link research, specifications, repositories, prototypes or data, and explain what each establishes. You can attach PDF, PNG, JPEG, TXT, Markdown or CSV files: up to 2 MB each and 10 artifacts in total. Only attach material that can be published with the proposal.
02 · THE PROCESS
From submission to delivery, one decision at a time.
Alignment review is a distinct step before research. The pipeline currently groups it under the Submitted tab, while each proposal shows its own status. A proposal may need revision, pause or stop along the way.
- Submitted
Start with the problem worth solving.
Describe the need, possible solutions and the benefit to Bitcoin Cash. Submit the proposal for BCH-1 to consider. Your submission starts private; it appears in the public pipeline only when BCH-1 publishes it or moves it to research.
Submission and publication do not mean funding approval.
- Alignment review
Decide whether the proposal should enter research.
BCH-1 assesses whether the proposed work aligns with its goals and supports public goods for Bitcoin Cash. This is the decision point for whether the proposal should move to the research phase. BCH-1 may request revisions or decide not to advance it.
Passing alignment review authorizes further investigation, not funding.
- Research
Turn the proposal into a workable plan.
BCH-1 forms the workgroup during research and investigates feasibility, obstacles and costs. The plan confirms who will drive the work and their agreement, who accepts delivery, payment conditions, and budgeted milestones or bounties with completion criteria and target dates. Item costs must add up to the researched BCH budget. Bounties also need eligibility, assignment, acceptance and duplicate-claim rules.
Saving research findings does not complete review or approve funding. Review is completed separately once the findings and agreed plan are ready.
- Review complete
Make the decision and its reasoning clear.
Completed research can await a decision. The recorded outcome may be approved, insufficient funds, delayed or rejected. Read the proposal and decision log for the reason, recorded votes and recusals. During Phase 1, the public lead is the sole decision maker.
Approval, available funding and payment are separate steps.
- In progress
Deliver against clear completion criteria.
Approval, marking a proposal funded and starting work are separate steps. During delivery, follow monthly heartbeats and the reports and evidence submitted for each milestone or bounty. Submitted work needs an acceptance review. An accepted deliverable and its recorded payout are separate records; the In progress tab also includes stalled work.
Check the individual status and evidence, not just the stage heading.
- Complete / Final Report
Show what the work produced.
Every delivery item must be accepted and a final report supplied before a proposal can be marked complete. The report brings the results together so stakeholders can compare them with the agreed plan. Check payment records separately: completion does not itself confirm that all payments have been made. Any reported unused Core Fund amount is recorded alongside the report.
The final report is the place to understand the outcome and its limits.
03 · FUNDING & ACCOUNTABILITY
Core Fund proposals support public goods for Bitcoin Cash.
CORE FUND
Work that benefits the wider ecosystem.
Use the BCH-1 proposal process for work that supports public goods for Bitcoin Cash. Alignment review determines whether the proposal should move into research. Funding approval follows a separate decision on the researched plan and budget.
View the Core Fund →FUNDME
When to use FundMe instead.
A large project with a large individual funding ask that falls outside public goods for Bitcoin Cash should use FundMe for independent crowdfunding. FundMe is not a funding option applicants select in the BCH-1 proposal form. An independent campaign sets out its own scope, terms and delivery commitments.
Explore FundMe ↗A status is a starting point. Evidence tells the story.
Read the scope, completion criteria, reports, review notes and payment records together to understand what was proposed, what was delivered and what remains unresolved.
04 · COMMON QUESTIONS
Before you take the next step.
Why do some proposals look different from the current form?
Earlier submissions can show What, Suggested team and Why BCH needs it instead of the current sections. Their existing delivery items remain provisional until research establishes the agreed plan. Read the earlier-format notice rather than treating those items as approved commitments.
How are milestones different from bounties?
Milestones divide a delivery plan into reviewable pieces of work. Bounties also need explicit rules for who is eligible, how work is assigned and accepted, and how duplicate claims are handled. You may suggest either in the form or leave the choice to research.
Do I need a finished plan or a fixed budget?
No. Start with a clear problem, potential solutions, expected impact and the questions that need investigation. You can leave the delivery model and budget for research. An initial requested amount is optional and is not an approved amount.
Do I have to deliver the work myself?
No. The form lets you volunteer to drive the proposal, suggest another person or team, or leave that responsibility to research. Naming someone does not establish their agreement to do the work.
Who can see my submission?
Submissions remain private until BCH-1 publishes them or advances them to research. Contact details remain private. Treat the proposal text and supporting artifacts as material that may become public; keep private contact information in the contact field.
Can I write a draft before signing in?
You can preview the form, but the signed-out preview does not save a draft. Sign in before writing, and keep a separate copy of longer material. After submission, use My submissions to return to your records.
Does community support guarantee approval?
No. Wishlist support helps surface interest. It does not approve a proposal, commit Core Fund money or verify delivery. Funding decisions are recorded separately with their reasoning.
What if a proposal needs changes or cannot proceed?
Follow its status and review notes. A proposal can need revision, be delayed, lack sufficient funds or be rejected. Work already underway can be marked stalled. These states make unresolved work visible rather than implying it is complete.
Does an autonomous review count as approval?
No. Autonomous analysis can inform research, but it is not a human funding decision or proof of delivery. Look for the recorded decision and the evidence supporting each delivery review.
MOVING THE NEEDLE ON BITCOIN CASH
What should we build next?
Bring a clear problem. Help shape a practical path forward.