Marking a milestone 12 months since its launch in February 2024, the Web3 Basis’s Decentralized Voices program has empowered community-driven stewardship of Polkadot and Kusama via strategic delegation of DOT and KSM. Following Cohort 3’s structural refinements, we now flip towards Cohort 4. We announce the beginning of Decentralized Voices Cohort 4 functions part.
Functions for Cohort 4 will open February 26, 2025, with a submission deadline of March 5, 2025 at 23:59 CET. Chosen delegates will start their four-month time period in early April. Cohort 4 will retain the identical optimizations launched in Cohort 3, as highlighted under.
The Third Cohort
Web3 Basis expresses its gratitude to all Cohort 3 contributors for his or her effort and time in shaping the way forward for Polkadot and Kusama.
As of February 24, 2025, Cohort 3 has voted in 171 Referenda, organized a number of advocacy campaigns, and took part in discussions on Makes an attempt At Governance, and different retailers.
For extra info on how the delegates voted and the impact that they had on the end result of the Referenda, you may view Colourful Notion’s Dune Decentralized Voices dashboard.
How Does DV Work?
The Web3 Basis will entrust its DOT and KSM to people who exhibit constant, principled engagement in Polkadot and Kusama governance via each on-chain voting and off-chain discourse. Delegations apply to all Spender tracks (32, 33, 34), Tipper tracks (30, 31), Treasurer monitor (11), and Want-for-Change monitor (2). Candidates should publish a public governance manifesto detailing their decision-making philosophy and supply proof of sustained participation in ecosystem governance processes.
Delegates are anticipated to vote repeatedly and transparently justify their decisions and rationale on platforms reminiscent of Polkassembly, Subsquare, and/or different communication media (e.g. Grillapp, X/Twitter, Polkadot Discussion board). They have to abstain from voting on proposals that contain direct private/group compensation, aggressive pursuits, or quid professional quo preparations, and as an alternative select to abstain or chorus from voting altogether. Within the case of a member of a collective voting group, any member of that group who has a battle of curiosity ought to recuse themselves from voting. It’s usually not vital for your entire collective to recuse themselves from voting so long as the person members with battle of curiosity recuse themselves. Nevertheless, if a majority of the members of a collective voting group, or the group itself, has a battle of curiosity, they have to recuse themselves from voting (or vote Abstain). Delegates could proceed to advertise and talk about Referenda from which they’ve recused themselves.
Conflicts of curiosity have to be self-identified, though delegates could search steerage from W3F via Matrix channels, with ultimate determinations resting solely with the Basis. Violations will end in warnings, necessary vote changes, or for extreme/repeated breaches, instant delegation revocation and forfeiture of compensation. Delegates should report any unethical makes an attempt to affect their votes (e.g., threats, bribes) on to W3F.
Neighborhood suggestions is welcomed and will be submitted by way of dv@web3.basis, and/or via the feedback sections in boards, ultimate delegate choice stays at W3F’s discretion.
Delegations could also be withdrawn at any time to uphold governance integrity, and contributors discovered accepting exterior compensation for particular votes will face instant removing at W3F’s discretion. Present delegates are inspired to reapply for future cohorts or appeal to impartial ecosystem delegations, supplied they keep compliance with program requirements.
Constructing on the refinements launched in Cohort 3, Cohort 4 continues to mix DOT and KSM delegation beneath a single governance framework, reiterating the aligned futures of each Polkadot and Kusama. This system retains its construction of six delegates (adjustable by W3F) to prioritize high quality participation, prolonged four-month phrases for sustained strategic influence, and three,500 DOT compensation (vesting linearly over one 12 months) rewarding OpenGov proactive engagement. Delegates from prior cohorts are inspired to reapply, with continued delegation contingent on efficiency.
Compensation:
In return for his or her work voting with delegated DOT, on the finish of the four-month delegation interval, every delegate might be rewarded with 3500 DOT, vesting linearly over a one-year interval from the time of switch. Please be aware that this quantity is per delegation; within the case of a delegation to a collective entity reminiscent of a DAO, this can depend as a single delegation and thus the identical quantity of DOT might be transferred as if it had been a person.
Id Verification:
All delegates should confirm their id earlier than being accepted into this system (though it’s not vital to take action earlier than making use of, you have to be conscious that this must happen earlier than delegation). Within the case of DAOs or different collectives, one consultant member will be chosen for id verification and receiving the DOT.
What Makes a Good DV Candidate?
A powerful DV candidate demonstrates confirmed, sustained engagement inside the Polkadot ecosystem, notably via energetic on-chain voting, discourse on platforms like Polkassembly or Subsquare, and participation in governance-focused initiatives reminiscent of Makes an attempt at Governance or neighborhood boards.
The perfect delegate possesses deep technical and strategic fluency in Polkadot’s governance mechanics, together with Treasury administration, referendum workflows, and multisig/proxy operations. Familiarity with conflict-of-interest disclosures can also be vital, as is the flexibility to adapt to rising OpenGov updates whereas balancing technical rigor with neighborhood influence.
Impartial essential pondering stays paramount: candidates should navigate complicated trade-offs and polarized debates with maturity, resisting exterior pressures whereas remaining open to evolving views. Delegates ought to exhibit a historical past of synthesizing numerous viewpoints into ecosystem-aligned selections, notably in high-stakes situations involving treasury allocations or protocol upgrades.
Structured collectives (e.g., DAOs, working teams) with clear governance processes are prioritized, as their collaborative frameworks inherently amplify numerous neighborhood voices and mitigate centralized affect. These entities should showcase strong inner techniques for delegating obligations, documenting rationale, and sustaining continuity throughout Cohort 4’s four-month time period.
Above all, DV candidates should unconditionally prioritize Polkadot’s long-term well being, even when ecosystem pursuits battle with private or organizational incentives. Whereas neighborhood enter informs selections, delegates are entrusted to behave as stewards not representatives of the community’s decentralized future.
How Do I Apply?
To use for the Decentralized Voices program, it’s essential to full the appliance type no later than 23:59:59 on 5 March 2025 (Central European Time). The appliance course of requires particular particulars to make sure your eligibility and alignment with this system’s objectives.
First, you have to to supply the Polkadot and Kusama addresses the place you want to obtain DOT and KSM delegations. These addresses can differ for every community and don’t have to share a public key. At the very least one of many accounts should embrace verified id info, reminiscent of a Twitter deal with, Matrix username, or e mail handle. Whereas not necessary, it’s strongly really helpful that candidates are reachable by way of Matrix for ongoing discussions and communications all through this system.Along with your addresses, it’s essential to submit a publicly accessible declaration of your Polkadot “political philosophy” or agenda. This could ideally be posted on the Polkadot Discussion board however can be hosted on different platforms, reminiscent of Github or your private web site, so long as it stays public. This declaration ought to include at the least one paragraph and will embrace a philosophical assertion, analogies to established political theories, opinions on previous Referenda or governance selections, or another rationalization of how you plan to vote sooner or later. The aim of this submission is to supply transparency and perception into your governance strategy.Optionally, you might also embrace a personal rationalization detailing why you imagine you’re a sturdy candidate for this system. This may contain proof of earlier voting exercise (together with votes solid with different accounts if possession will be verified), commentary or weblog posts about Polkadot OpenGov or particular Referenda, or another contributions that spotlight your engagement with governance. Moreover, you may share related expertise, reminiscent of involvement in different political organizations or legislative our bodies. Whereas this info will not be required, it might strengthen your utility by providing additional context about your {qualifications}.Please be aware that every one candidates should submit a brand new type for this cohort. Making use of in earlier cohorts doesn’t mechanically carry over your curiosity for future participation. Nevertheless, in case you have beforehand submitted a political philosophy or different supporting supplies, you’re welcome to reuse them in your present utility.By finishing these steps and submitting the required info, you may be thought-about for participation on this thrilling initiative aimed toward shaping the way forward for Polkadot governance.
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