Overview
Below are the main access scopes offered by Pike, which are essential for governance.
Scope of Access
Protocol Owner
The Protocol Owner has ultimate control over the protocol’s architecture:
Can initiate deployments via the Factory
Assigns initial Governor and Emergency Executor addresses
Retains upgrade rights to core contract logic (through the Beacon pattern)
Manages reserve withdrawal and reserve split configuration
While powerful, the Protocol Owner does not have direct control over Timelock-governed actions.
Protocol Emergency Guardian
This role is independently assigned by the Protocol Owner and is designed for fast intervention. The Guardian can:
Pause or unpause key actions like minting, borrowing, liquidation, or transfers
Withdraw all reserves in emergencies
This role is not subject to Timelock delays and does not go through the proposal system. It operates independently for urgent cases.
Governor (via Timelock)
The Governor is the central authority for protocol configuration but operates under time-delayed execution.
All actions must be:
Proposed
Queued through the Timelock
Executed only after the defined delay
Through this flow, the Governor can control interest rate models, risk parameters, oracles, market caps, reserves, and more. Governance token holders may drive proposals, depending on the Governor implementation.
Timelock Emergency Executor
A special role assigned during Timelock deployment, the Emergency Executor bypasses normal governance delays—but only for a limited set of predefined operations.
Its use is strictly for emergency recovery scenarios, such as:
Market-wide pausin g
Seizing collateral
Other critical system-level operations
Governance Operations
Standard Governance Flow
All governance changes follow a structured process:
Proposal - Governor submits changes through Timelock
Delay Period - Mandatory waiting period for community review (configurable timelock delay)
Execution - Anyone can execute proposals after delay expires
Monitoring - Changes take effect and are monitored for impact
Emergency Procedures
Critical situations requiring immediate action bypass normal delays:
Emergency Assessment - Emergency Guardian or Protocol Owner identifies critical issue
Immediate Action - Emergency powers used to pause affected functions
Resolution Planning - Standard governance process initiated for permanent fixes
Service Restoration - Normal operations resumed after resolution
Security Architecture
Role Separation - Different roles have specific, limited authorities to prevent power concentration
Timelock Protection - Delays prevent hasty or malicious changes while ensuring transparency
Emergency Controls - Rapid response capabilities for critical situations without compromising normal governance
Dual Emergency System - Emergency Executor and Protocol Emergency Guardian serve different purposes for layered defense
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