Proposal Lifecycle

Every governance proposal in CipherDAO follows the same four stages. The process is designed to be transparent and predictable, contributors always know what’s happening and why.

Stage 1: Draft

Any eligible Cipher Owl holder can submit a proposal. A good proposal clearly explains:

• What the change is
• Why it’s needed
• What risks it introduces (if any)

Proposals can cover anything from protocol parameter changes and fee config updates to treasury decisions and governance process changes.

Stage 2: Discussion

Once formally submitted, the proposal enters a public discussion period. The community reviews it, asks questions, and suggests refinements.

• No votes are counted yet
• The proposer can still revise the proposal based on feedback
• Weaknesses surface early, before the vote

This phase is intentionally social. Its purpose is to improve proposals before they go to a vote, not to block them.

Stage 3: Voting

After discussion closes, the voting window opens. Eligible voters cast their votes using their governance power.

• Votes are submitted as signed on-chain transactions
• Each proposal has a fixed voting window
• Voting power is locked to the snapshot taken at window open. NFT transfers mid-vote have no effect
• Anyone can independently verify eligibility and vote totals on-chain

Stage 4: Finalization

When the voting window closes:

• Accepted: if the proposal meets the required quorum and approval threshold, it passes
• Rejected: if it doesn’t meet quorum or approval, it has no effect on the protocol

Failed proposals can be revised and resubmitted.

Execution

For accepted proposals, execution depends on the proposal type:

In all cases, execution is bound by the governance decision and cannot bypass it.