Why do I see an end date on some federations?

As a security and audit measure, some federations have added an end date to their federation, which can be seen publicly on the Community tab of the respective mint. You can tap the "Ending in Xd" blurb for additional context.

Not all federations have elected to go this route, but the ones that have are either temporary in nature or are planning to rotate to a new federation / mint after the listed end date.

Establishing an end date is an effective way to audit that the amount of eCash issued (liabilities) equals the amount of bitcoin the mint holds in reserve (assets).

Because unredeemed eCash will expire on the listed end date, it is very important that you withdraw all funds from the federation before this time.

That every member can withdraw their funds from the federation without issue is a method for the guardians to prove to themselves and to their users that the mint is fully reserved.