Introduction
The core vision of Web3 is to build a digital world that doesn’t rely on trust, but still remains reliable and verifiable. At Polkadot, we call this vision “Less Trust, More Truth.”
We believe this phrase captures the essence of Polkadot particularly well. As one of the few networks actively delivering on the promise of Web3, Polkadot has already achieved “Less Trust” through its decentralized architecture and technical design. But what about “More Truth”? That’s precisely what OpenGov sets out to embody.
In the context of Polkadot, “More Truth” means more facts, more transparency in governance, and more openness across the ecosystem.
Two years ago, Polkadot launched OpenGov—not just a technical milestone, but a fundamental shift in governance. OpenGov introduced radical transparency and enabled meaningful community participation. It made governance more efficient and more decentralized. Today, Polkadot DAO members can clearly see every change to the network, every Treasury expenditure, and the rationale behind every decision—and even the full context behind moments of disagreement. For example, the 2024 Treasury report provided, for the first time, a clear breakdown of funding flows across all proposals, reinforcing trust and accountability across the ecosystem.
Truth DAO was born out of this push for transparency and accountability.
Our mission is to foster a governance environment that is open, transparent, and guided by shared standards , helping Polkadot grow in a sustainable way. We aim to make the operations of the Polkadot DAO easier to understand—both for active participants and for the broader community.
We believe:
- The deeper and wider the participation, the healthier the ecosystem.
- The more diverse the perspectives, the closer we get to the truth.
At Truth DAO, we welcome all those who care about uncovering facts and making governance more honest. Together, let’s build a transparent and sustainable Polkadot ecosystem.
Truth DAO Principles
- Always pursue truth through openness and transparency.
- Foster a culture of mutual respect and fact-based discussion.
- Always act in the best interest of the Polkadot community as a whole.
Truth DAO Goals
- Help the Polkadot DAO identify clear priorities at every stage—and ensure Treasury funding is directed to the proposals that matter most.
- Establish open and transparent evaluation standards to fairly and objectively assess every OpenGov proposal.
- Support more DOT holders in joining and participating in OpenGov, and help strengthen the long-term sustainability of the DAO.
Founding Members of Truth DAO
Xiaojie , PolkaWorld
- 12mP4sjCfKbDyMRAEyLpkeHeoYtS5USY4x34n9NMwQrcEyoh
Lurpis , Bifrost
- 16ap6fdqS2rqFsyYah35hX1FH6rPNWtLqqXZDQC9x6GW141C
Tiny , Mimir
- 14pa3BAYZLPvZfRDjWEfZXZWBVU45E67HUQEUxNCrdXGoata
What Kind of Proposals Does Truth DAO Support?
Infrastructure & Public Goods
Goal : Support core infrastructure aligned with Polkadot’s technical evolution—especially reusable, composable components that serve multiple rollups and developers.
We prioritize open-source, non-tokenized, non-paywalled tools, including:
- Core protocol tooling : Related to JAM architecture, Polkadot Hub, PAPI, and Substrate.
- Developer and service frameworks : Smart contract SDKs, app development kits, rollup integration tools, DevOps stacks, etc.
- Node and runtime support : RPC layers, state sync tools, indexers.
- General infrastructure : Explorers, wallets, signing/multisig tools, identity systems, oracles, data dashboards.
- Other reusable, open, and public-standard service layers .
These projects may not always be flashy, but they are critical to Polkadot’s long-term competitiveness. All supported projects must be open source and public goods —meaning no tokens, no paywalls, and no hidden costs for ecosystem teams.
User Growth & Adoption-Driven Initiatives (With Clear Conversion Pathways)
Goal : Fund projects that demonstrably drive on-chain usage, user acquisition, and developer engagement—with measurable results .
Examples include:
- Liquidity programs like vDOT, GigaDOT, or DeFi incentives—with closed-loop conversion paths .
- Large-scale education or certification programs (e.g., Polkadot Blockchain Academy, PBA-X).
- Targeted developer adoption campaigns (local events, education, hackathons, university partnerships).
- Real-world use cases and enterprise integrations (e.g., government or corporate blockchain deployments).
- High-quality BD-led integrations that bring new dApps or cross-chain connectivity to Polkadot.
Brand, Community & Communications
Goal : Amplify Polkadot’s visibility and ecosystem presence through content and strategic media partnerships—especially efforts that integrate with broader ecosystem growth.
We prioritize:
- Long-running community platforms (e.g., The Kus, PolkaWorld) with clear positioning, consistent output, and defined audiences.
- Collaborations with top-tier Web3 media—especially co-created content, editorial series, or educational programming with long-term value.
- Real-world or virtual events, podcasts, and community initiatives that generate meaningful impact .
- Campaigns directly tied to on-chain behavior : dApp usage, DAO participation, developer onboarding, etc.
- Innovative formats: multilingual localization, influencer-driven initiatives, issue-based narratives.
Experimental & Exploratory Projects
Goal : Support early-stage experiments that are light-weight, iterative, and come with clear feedback loops.
Examples include:
- Regional roadshows, education pilots, or dApp trial programs (e.g., testing Polkadot developer education in select African countries).
- Vertical-specific adoption tests (e.g., Polkadot + sports ticketing via stadium pass NFTs, or Polkadot + fashion brand loyalty systems ). These projects explore real-world frictions—user behavior, compliance, and industry fit.
- Innovative early-stage teams experimenting with Polkadot-native deployments.
Before Supporting Any Proposal, We Ask:
Will this proposal enhance Polkadot’s competitiveness ?
Is this initiative timely and relevant for the current stage of Polkadot’s growth?
Should this work be funded by the Treasury ?
Are the costs fair and reasonable ?
If the answer to all of the above is yes—then it may be a strong candidate for Truth DAO’s support.
What Kind of Proposals Does Truth DAO Reject?
- Proposals with vague or unclear OKRs
- For example, statements like “enhancing Polkadot’s competitiveness” are too generic and lack measurable goals.
- Budget requests without justification
- We reject proposals that request large sums (e.g. “$100,000 for business development”) without clear explanations of how the figure was calculated or how the funds will be used.
- Proposals with excessive hourly rates or insufficient transparency
- Truth DAO will reject any proposal that includes an hourly rate exceeding $100/hour .
- We also reject proposals that list a rate (e.g. “$XX/hour”) but fail to specify who is doing the work, what the responsibilities are, estimated working hours, and how the rate was determined .
- Polkadot’s Treasury is not a bottomless piggy bank—we expect proposers to negotiate costs reasonably .
- Proposals with obviously inflated work allocations
- For example, tasks that could clearly be done in one day are padded to require two or more days without justification.
- Teams with no clear ROI or a poor execution track record
- We do not support teams that have previously underdelivered or failed to show results.
How Truth DAO Defines AYE and NAY Votes
The required AYE threshold varies by proposal type:
| Proposal Type | AYE Support Threshold |
|---|---|
| Small Tipper | 50% |
| Big Tipper | 50% |
| Small Spender | 60% |
| Medium Spender | 60% |
| Big Spender | 80% |
| WishForChange | 80% |
If you’d like to learn more about TruthDAO
Voting Record
Truth DAO Manifesto 0.0.3
Email: open@truthdao.cn, Telegram
Delegate