Crypto Governance Guide

DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) use various governance models to make protocol decisions. This guide helps AI agents assist users with governance participation.

Governance Models

Token-Weighted Voting

Most common model: 1 token = 1 vote.

Protocol	Token	Voting Platform
Uniswap	UNI	On-chain + Snapshot
Aave	AAVE/stkAAVE	On-chain
Compound	COMP	On-chain

Pros: Simple, aligns economic incentives
Cons: Whale-dominated, low participation

Vote-Escrowed (veToken)

Lock tokens for governance power. Longer lock = more power.

Protocol	Token	Lock Period	Power Formula
Sperax	SPA → veSPA	7d–4y	veSPA = SPA × (days/365)
Curve	CRV → veCRV	1w–4y	veCRV = CRV × (days/365)
Balancer	BAL → veBAL	1w–1y	veBAL = BAL × (days/365)

Pros: Aligns long-term incentives, reduces mercenary governance
Cons: Capital lock-up, decaying voting power

Quadratic Voting

Vote weight = √(tokens). Reduces whale dominance.

Protocol	Implementation
Gitcoin	Quadratic funding for grants

Pros: More egalitarian
Cons: Sybil-vulnerable without identity verification

Optimistic Governance

Proposals pass unless vetoed within a timeframe.

Protocol	Implementation
Optimism	Token House + Citizens' House

Pros: Faster execution, less voter fatigue
Cons: Requires active monitoring

Governance Lifecycle

Typical Process

Idea → Discussion → Proposal → Vote → Execution

Sperax Governance (Example)

Phase	Action	Duration
Phase 0	Discord ideation	Open-ended
Phase 1	Forum SIP proposal	48h minimum discussion
Phase 2	Snapshot vote	3 days, veSPA-weighted
Phase 3	Engineering implementation	Varies

Requirements:

• Quorum: 200M veSPA
• Passing: >50% Yes votes
• Snapshot: https://snapshot.box/#/s:speraxdao.eth

Aave Governance (Example)

Step	Action
ARC	Aave Request for Comments (forum)
AIP	Aave Improvement Proposal (formal)
Vote	On-chain vote (AAVE + stkAAVE weighted)
Timelock	24h delay before execution
Execute	Automated on-chain execution

Voting Platforms

Snapshot (Off-Chain)

• What: Gasless voting via signed messages
• Used by: Most DAOs for governance votes
• Cost: Free (no gas to vote)
• Security: Relies on social consensus for execution

On-Chain Governance

• What: Votes recorded on blockchain
• Used by: Compound, Aave, Uniswap (binding votes)
• Cost: Gas for each vote
• Security: Enforced by smart contracts

Tally

• What: Governance dashboard for on-chain proposals
• Used by: Compound, Aave, Uniswap, and many others
• URL: https://tally.xyz

Delegation

Many DAOs allow vote delegation — give your voting power to a delegate who votes on your behalf.

How It Works

1. Choose a delegate whose values align with yours
2. Delegate your voting power (you keep your tokens)
3. Delegate votes on proposals on your behalf
4. You can undelegate at any time

Benefits

• For voters: Don't need to track every proposal
• For DAOs: Higher effective participation
• For delegates: Build reputation in governance

Proposal Analysis

When helping users evaluate proposals, consider:

Impact Assessment

Factor	Questions
Scope	How big is this change?
Risk	What could go wrong?
Reversibility	Can it be undone?
Precedent	Does it set a precedent?
Economic Impact	How does it affect token holders?

Red Flags in Proposals

• Extremely short voting periods
• Vague or poorly specified changes
• Large treasury spending without detailed budget
• Changes that benefit proposer disproportionately
• Governance parameter changes (quorum, timelock)
• Emergency proposals without clear emergency

Agent Tips

1. Explain the proposal in plain language before recommending a vote
2. Check quorum requirements — if a vote won't reach quorum, it doesn't matter
3. Review discussion — what did the community say in forums?
4. Delegation — recommend delegates for users who can't track every vote
5. veToken mechanics — explain the lock-up tradeoff (more power vs less liquidity)
6. Sperax governance — SPA → veSPA with weekly rewards makes governance participation profitable

Links

• Sperax Governance: https://snapshot.box/#/s:speraxdao.eth
• Snapshot: https://snapshot.org
• Tally: https://tally.xyz
• Sperax Docs: https://docs.chat.sperax.io