Check out this forum post to learn more about (Re)delegation Week…
What is a delegate?
- A delegate is a member of the ArbitrumDAO community who represents the voice of other community members in governance and is elected by token holders who choose to grant their voting power to them (this could include delegating ones voting power to oneself)
- Delegates are required to follow the community values as defined by the Constitution of the ArbitrumDAO, and must act in the best interest of the token holders whom they represent
- As representatives of $ARB token holders in the governance of the DAO, delegates should actively participate in forum discussions, attend meetings, and cast votes (on Tally and Snapshot) on proposed changes that shape the DAO’s future
Why should you be a delegate?
ArbitrumDAO’s governance is a continuous hive of activity - featuring DAO-led grant initiatives, treasury fund requests, electing the ArbitrumDAO’s Security Council, improvements to governance processes and Arbitrum technology, working groups providing expertise and operational services to the DAO, and more! One way to participate in ArbitrumDAO governance is by becoming a delegate, (and you don’t even need to hold $ARB to do so!).
Benefits:
- Being active in governance will help build your credibility and exposure to the DAO as well as the wider Web3 ecosystem (which values practical governance experience and contributions over CVs)
- Being actively involved in governance allows you to connect and build networks with the best builders and talents in the DAO
- You can get rewarded for your contributions as a delegate, as per the Delegate Incentive Program
- Your voice will further the decentralization and diversity of ArbitrumDAO
- There are many $ARB token holders that could provide you with substantial voting power
Find out more about participating in ArbitrumDAO governance → Diving Into Governance.
Find out more about how to become a delegate here → How to Become a Delegate; and here → How to Build a Strong Delegate Platform.
Why should you be a delegator?
Token holders have two options for participating in governance: they can either vote directly on proposals by delegating to themselves, or delegate their voting power to a representative.
Keeping up with all aspects of governance can be challenging. As a result, many community members choose to transfer their token-weighted voting power to representatives (i.e. delegates) whose values align with their own and who are better positioned to make informed decisions for the DAO. By doing so, token holders can ensure their interests are represented without needing to actively track and vote on every proposal.
Accordingly, delegation allows token holders to passively engage in the governance of the ArbitrumDAO.
It is important to note that:
- When you delegate, you still retain full ownership of the tokens, but your selected delegate will wield the voting power associated with those tokens
- Even if you have already delegated your voting power, it is worth checking whether or not your delegate is still active. You can do so by finding your delegate’s profile here, to check whether they have voted in recent proposals and see their delegate score and contributor metrics (if they have opted in for this to be shown via Karma)
- Through Tally, you can change or revoke your delegation at any time.
- When selecting a delegate, consider the following:
- The delegate’s values, as outlined in the Constitution and their position on proposals
- The delegate’s track record, if they have one (e.g. check whether they have voted in recent proposals and see their delegate score and contributor metrics)
- The delegate’s level of engagement within the community and their willingness to listen and respond to feedback
- The delegate’s level of technical expertise and their experience in the space
- The amount of Voting Power that the delegate already has, with the aim of keeping voting power more decentralized
Visit Tally to examine delegate profiles, and if you identify a delegate whose values align with yours, you can seamlessly delegate your token’s voting power through the Tally interface.
Find out more about how to delegate your voting power, here → How to Delegate your Voting Power.
Key Terms
- Token holders: Members of the Arbitrum community who hold the $ARB token.
- Delegate: A party that can vote on Arbitrum Governance proposals. Could be an $ARB token holder or someone to whom other $ARB token holders have delegated their voting power.
- Delegator: A party who assigns their voting power to someone else, to vote on their behalf.
- Voting Power: The sum of $ARB tokens held by a token holder
Resources
- Delegate on Tally
- Delegate Statement Template
- Delegate or Become a Delegate
- Delegates and Delegation: A Conceptual Overview
- How to Vote on ArbitrumDAO Governance Proposals
- How to delegate your voting power: A guide for $ARB token holders
- How to become a delegate
- How to build a strong delegate platform
- Delegate Announcements Telegram channel
- ArbitrumDAO Governance Calendar