Validator Boost List Node Proposal - Colossus

This proposal is to propose Colossus to be added into the VBL of Kusama.

Name of node provider: Colossus
Brief Description on node provider: Colossus is an institutional digital asset management company based in Italy, specializing in supporting Proof-of-Stake (PoS) chains and offering a comprehensive suite of services for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, with a robust infrastructure spanning over 150+ nodes and 15 Chain on both the mainnet and testnet. As a regulated digital assets custodian under the Italian OAM, Colossus ensures secure storage of digital assets with cutting-edge protection measures, supported by partnerships with industry leaders like Ledger. Their product suite includes staking services, institutional custody adhering to stringent regulations, and protocol governance through active engagement and on-chain voting. Colossus caters to various stakeholders, providing tailored solutions to help maximize returns from digital assets.

Number of nodes that want to join the Validator Boost List: 2

The address of the node that wants to join the Validator Boost List and which network:
KUSAMA (10% max fee):

1. Colossus FkGx1DCPF85BRjGZszZCXL7GSoWKHASy3jP7iuWV9pbHQVq

Liquidity Contribution by VBL Applicant :
Token amount provided to minting vToken: NA
Plan to provide vToken liquidity
Single token farming: NA
vToken - Token LP: NA

If not, please specify why this is currently not possible

Currently, our focus lies in growing and maintaining our technical infrastructure to achieve optimal performance. We are allocating our resources to ensure seamless operations and continuous uptime of the system.

Marketing - Informational support/contribution by VBL Applicant :

• Quantitative overview on your community (Number of users / Geographical focus): Worldwide

1. Brief breakdown of your channels (Blog, Twitter,Youtube, Telegram,etc.):
2. Blog: Substack 100 subscribers
3. Twitter: 150+ follower
4. Telegram: NA
5. Discord: NA
6. LinkedIn: 800+ followers

Provide details around the form of marketing and promotion initiatives that can be provided to Bifrost SLP (Blog articles, newsletter, Twitter threads, AMA, community announcements etc):

LinkedIn Posts: We will utilize our professional network on LinkedIn to share informative posts about Bifrost SLP. This platform will allow us to reach a more targeted audience, including industry professionals, partners and foundation who work or know us.

Substack Articles: We will publish a series of 5 articles over the course of a year on our Substack platform. These articles will delve into various aspects of Bifrost SLP, including its features, benefits, updates, and industry insights.

Twitter Posts and Threads: Our active presence on Twitter will be leveraged to disseminate information about Bifrost SLP through regular posts and engaging threads. This will help raise awareness and generate discussion within the cryptocurrency community.

Other

• Colossus being an institutional provider will market this new opportunity to its customers and through its shareholder Optimum Complexity a regulated Asset manager based in the UK managing the Market Neutral Staking Fund.

• We will have monthly periodic node run reports, ensuring transparency and accountability. Colossus is committed to maintaining high performance, striving to consistently rank within the top 25% of node operators in the market.

• Other benefits: As a Partner of Ledger Enterprise we can provide a strategic benefit by integrating Colossus as one of the Validator of BiFrost, by increasing their perceived value by integrating an institutional grade player in their ecosystem

• The integration of Colossus not only enhances the ecosystem's integrity but also entails additional strategic advantages. As a recognized exclusive italian partner of Ledger Enterprise, and leveraging Fireblocks to bring the best for our clients custody we add a supplementary angle of benefit by increasing the perceived value by integrating an institutional grade player in their ecosystem, while expanding this opportunity to its partners

• Security is paramount for Colossus therefore:our system employs robust security measures, including TLS Endpoint Encryption to prevent Man-in-the-Middle attacks, DDoS Protection to mitigate denial of service attacks, and SSH Access restricted to whitelisted private Jump hosts. Firewalls control network and host-based access, while Host-based Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS) trigger alerts. A Least-Privilege Security Model is followed for user access accounts, and limited-lifetime lease-based credentials are used to minimize disclosure risks. Hardware wallets enhance security for irregular signing activities. Network Management and Maintenance ensure high availability and fault tolerance, with automated systems handling server failures for extended troubleshooting periods.