Hedera, a leaderless proof-of-stake network shaping the future of the Web, has appointed Andrew Aitken as its Chief Open Source Officer (COSO).
Aitken is a well-known figure in the open source sector, having served as an open source expert to the White House, guest lecturer at Stanford’s Entrepreneur Program, and founder of an industry think tank.
Hedera’s decision to create the COSO role showcases its commitment to fostering community collaboration within its ecosystem and the broader industry.
Aitken sees open source solutions as crucial for increasing transparency and rebuilding trust in the digital realm, particularly with the emergence and adoption of Web3 technologies.
He was drawn to Hedera because of the opportunity to work with a highly intelligent group of people, community members, and Governing Council representatives to establish Hedera as the standard for enterprise blockchains.
Though Hedera did not initially start as an open source project, it has always prioritized serving the community. Aitken aims to ensure a broad ecosystem of participants, continued innovation, and long-term opportunities through community engagement and transparency.
In his new role, Aitken will leverage his extensive expertise to help Hedera open source various aspects, including tooling, cross-chain functionality, and source code. Previously, he led the open source team at Wipro Technologies, championing open source adoption for enterprises and delivering business value through open-source service solutions. Wipro has been a member of the Hedera Governing Council since 2020 and has contributed to the network’s product development.
The addition of Aitken as COSO signals Hedera’s dedication not only to open source but also to open governance and industry-wide standards in the Web3 space. The move comes after the successful launch of the ‘Hedera Improvement Proposal (HIP)’ program in 2022, which allows proposing new features or upgrades to the network while gathering community feedback and building consensus.
Hedera aims to continue moving towards full decentralization, and Aitken’s appointment represents an important step in achieving this goal.
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