> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.pots.money/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.pots.money/building-pots/governance/governance-portal.md).
# Governance Portal
### How to Participate in Governance
Pots Money relies on its community to shape the future of the protocol. Whether you are suggesting a new feature, adjusting protocol parameters, or voting on treasury allocations, active participation is essential. This section provides a step-by-step guide on how to engage in the governance process and outlines the entire lifecycle of a proposal.
#### The Governance Lifecycle
The governance process at Pots Money is designed to be transparent, secure, and community-driven. It ensures that proposals are thoroughly discussed, formally vetted, and fairly voted upon before any on-chain execution takes place.
Below is the visual representation of the governance flow:
```mermaid
flowchart TD
%% Preparation Phase
A[Stake IBS Tokens] --> B[Mint vIBS\nGovernance Credential]
B --> C{Hold vIBS\nVoting Power}
%% Governance Flow
C --> D[Step 1: Forum Discussion\nMinimum 3 Days\nCommunity reviews & debates]
D --> E[Step 2: Draft Proposal\nSubmitted by Whitelisted Address\nto Snapshot]
E --> F[Snapshot Taken\nLocks vIBS Balance\nat Voting Start]
F --> G[Step 3: Vote on Snapshot\n3-Day Voting Window\nGasless Wallet Signature]
G --> H{Quorum Met?\n≥10% vIBS Supply}
H -->|No| I[Vote Invalid\nReturn to Forum]
H -->|Yes| J{Result?\n>50% Approve}
J -->|Rejected| I
I --> D
J -->|Approved| K[Step 4: Timelock Delay\n24-Hour Security Buffer]
K --> L{Proposal Type}
L -->|Protocol Parameters| M[Automated Execution\nSmart Contract]
L -->|Treasury Movement| N[Multi-sig Approval\n25-of-50 Signers]
M --> O[Step 5: On-Chain Execution\nChanges Take Effect]
N --> O
%% Styling
classDef prepNode fill:#0f3460,stroke:#4ade80,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
classDef flowNode fill:#1a1a2e,stroke:#4ade80,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
classDef decisionNode fill:#16213e,stroke:#4ade80,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
classDef successNode fill:#064e3b,stroke:#4ade80,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
classDef failNode fill:#450a0a,stroke:#ef4444,stroke-width:2px,color:#ffffff
class A,B prepNode
class C,H,J,L decisionNode
class D,E,F,G,K,M,N flowNode
class O successNode
class I failNode
```
#### Step-by-Step Participation Guide
Participating in protocol decisions is straightforward and utilizes a gasless voting system. All votes are cast via wallet signatures, ensuring a seamless experience for all vIBS holders.
**1. Acquire Voting Power (vIBS)**
Your voting power in the DAO is represented by vIBS. This credential is fundamentally tied to your commitment to the protocol.
To acquire voting power, you must first stake your IBS tokens. The amount of vIBS you receive is not just a 1:1 mapping; it depends on three crucial factors:
* Amount Staked: How much IBS you commit.
* Lock Duration: How long you lock your tokens (longer locks yield higher multipliers, up to 4x for 360 days).
* Staking Epoch: Which Epoch you stake in (early stakers receive an inflation factor advantage).
Once you have staked your IBS, navigate to the **DAO Governance Portal**. Here, you will see your "Pending Voting Power." You must actively click the "**Mint Your Voting Power**" button to convert your staked position into actual vIBS balance.
**2. Engage in Forum Discussions**
Before any proposal reaches the voting stage, it must undergo a minimum of 3 days of discussion on the POTS community forum. This is the crucial ideation phase.
As a community member, you are encouraged to review draft ideas, provide constructive feedback, debate potential impacts, and help refine the proposal. This consensus-building step ensures that only well-thought-out initiatives move forward.
**3. Formal Proposal Submission**
Once community consensus is reached, the proposal moves to the formal stage. To prevent spam and governance attacks, only addresses on the treasury multi-sig whitelist can submit a formal proposal to the Snapshot platform.
If you are not on the whitelist but have championed a successful forum discussion, a whitelisted member will sponsor and submit the proposal on behalf of the community.
**4. Cast Your Vote on Snapshot**
When a proposal goes live on Snapshot, the voting window opens for exactly 3 days.
At the very start of this voting period, a snapshot of the blockchain is taken. This snapshot records the exact vIBS balance of every wallet at that specific block. This mechanism locks in your voting power, ensuring fairness and preventing any manipulation (such as buying tokens just to vote and selling immediately after).
To cast your vote:
1. Navigate to the [PotsMoneyDao Snapshot Space](https://snapshot.box/#/s:ibs.eth).
2. Connect your Web3 wallet.
3. Select the active proposal you wish to vote on.
4. Review the proposal details and select your preferred option (typically **Approve, Reject**, or Abstain).
5. Click vote and sign the message with your wallet. **This process is entirely gasless**.
Your voting power will be automatically weighted based on the USD value of your locked and staked assets (represented by your vIBS balance at the snapshot block).
**5. Execution and Timelock**
For a vote to be valid, it must meet a 10% quorum (at least 10% of the total vIBS supply must participate). If the quorum is met and the proposal receives >50% Yes votes, it is approved.
Approved proposals do not execute immediately. They enter a 24-hour timelock delay. This serves as a critical security buffer, allowing the community time to review the passed proposal and react if any malicious intent or critical error is discovered.
After the 24-hour delay, the proposal is executed on-chain. Depending on the nature of the proposal, this may be an automated smart contract adjustment (for protocol parameters) or a multi-sig transaction (for treasury movements).