Polkadot OpenGov is live - what's different, what you can do with it, where to learn more

[natalie]

Hey everyone,

We wanted to share some big news with you: Polkadot OpenGov is finally here! This marks the beginning of a new era where the power of decision-making is placed directly into your hands - the DOT community, making governance in Web3 fully autonomous, transparent, and efficient. It’s time to take control and shape the future of Web3 together!

Watch this explainer video for a deep-dive into Polkadot OpenGov, learn more on the OpenGov landing page, read @otar’s post for more references and a call for community suggestions, or re-check the infographics posted on the forum!

Here is a quick rundown: Even the previous governance design was miles ahead of others. You know decentralization is in Polkadot’s DNA, and not only in terms of nodes and network operations, but also in terms of decision making. Now, the Council and Technical Committee have been removed - There are no first-class citizens. For any

Another big difference is OpenGov’s efficiency: Compared to the previous design, where you could have only one referendum at a time, the new one has multiple referenda tracks with different passing criteria, depending on the topic and impact. This makes the new governance system far more agile, while still giving all decisions the attention they deserve. Technical expertise is provided by the Polkadot Fellowship, an open and transparent on-chain collective. It can hold thousands of members of many different ranks with low barriers to entry - everyone with technical expertise can apply to join!

So, now, OpenGov allows any DOT token holder to propose and vote on referenda - at any time, and as often as you wish. That includes both your chain management and things like treasury spend.

Last but not least, OpenGov’s agile delegation lets you delegate all or part of your votes to different delegates, depending on the track. This is a really important step for voter participation - if you don’t have the time to vote on everything yourself, make sure to delegate!

Now, how can you start using Polkadot OpenGov? You can

1. Delegate to different accounts for different tracks
2. Vote on open proposals
3. Submit your own proposal

Just follow these steps:

Head over to the Polkadot OpenGov page and click on “Participate”: Polkadot OpenGov | The Pinnacle of Blockchain Governance | Polkadot

1. Connect your DOT wallet and start exploring.
2. Vote on proposals that resonate with you, or submit your own ideas.
3. Again, don’t forget about the “agile delegation” feature, where you can delegate some of your votes depending on the topic at hand. This way, you can make your voice count even more!
4. Make sure to engage in ongoing discussions, propose new ideas, and cast your votes on important matters that will shape the future of the Polkadot ecosystem. Keep an eye on the latest proposals and referenda. We need your active participation and valuable input!

The response to OpenGov has been fantastic so far, with deep engagement from the community. In the last six months alone, submitted proposals on Kusama showed a four-fold increase, more than 200 proposals compared to 50 in the same period last year.

So, if you were waiting for an easy way to participate in Web3 governance, now is the time! With Polkadot OpenGov, we are embarking on a journey toward truly decentralized, open, community-run, and transparent blockchain governance. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of the decision-making process and join the movement for a better web.

Click here to delegate your votes and get started.

Thank you for being a valued member of our community. Together, let’s create a governance system that we can all be proud of!

See you on Polkadot OpenGov!

[Or.Miz]

Great! Seems there are a lot of advancement in the governance subject.

Still, the more DOT/tokens you have, your weight in decision making will be higher.

Can you please elaborate on how the new opengov make it more balanced?

TNX in advance

[natalie]

Thanks for your reply and good question! Polkadot’s governance includes “conviction voting” where you don’t put weight on your vote by the amount of tokens but the time you lock them up. Hope that helps!

[Or.Miz]

TNX 4 the reply!
I see, but the ones with the most tokens are also the ones having the greater ability the lock more token for longer periods of time. Correct me if I’m wrong on that notion please.

[joepetrowski]

Yes, those with more stake in the system have a greater say in the decisions that affect it. There are other on-chain bodies (e.g. the Technical Fellowship) that assign voting power based on other metrics, like technical contributions.

[Or.Miz]

TNX Joe.

1. Can the fellowship power (elected by DOT holders, right?) Can really surpass or give a decent “fight” against the power of major token holders?

2. If I’m not mistaken, prior the opengov, there was a council, did they have the same power and function?

[Or.Miz]

A thought about that - maybe the new opengov system, which helps to enhance the voice of “small holders” and makes the decision making process more focused and transparent, give those “minorities” a better ability to “make noise” about suggestions/referendums that may contribute (in their opinion) to strengthen self interst of big steak holders?