The xGov program is part of the evolution of Algorand's governance and our collective journey towards responsible decentralization. xGovernors work together to analyze and vote to allocate funding to community grant proposals.
Background
Our governance program launched in September 2021 with the goal of starting our journey towards decentralized decision-making.
In Governance Period 3, Algorand Governors passed a measure that proposed a program to support the creation of expert governors. According to that measure, the xGovernors would select which community proposed measures would be put to general vote.
The design process
The xGov measure was voted in June 2022 and after five months of internal deliberations and discussions with builders in the ecosystem, we opened two Algorand Request for Comment (ARC) processes to gather the input from the community in the design process. In hindsight that is how we should have led this initiative from the start, as the community conversations started in December led to quick collective decisions and helped shape the first version of the program.
You can view ARC 33 and ARC 34 at https://arc.algorand.foundation/
What is the xGov Program?
With this program, we aim to create and empower an expert layer of governors, known as xGovernors or xGovs, to apply their Algorand knowledge and expertise to funding decisions that align with our mission of growing the Algorand ecosystem, starting with community grant applications. Overtime, the scope of the xGov program proposals and decisions shall expand, as their ecosystem expertise grows.
How the xGov program works
- To become an xGov, a governor must opt-in to the program when committing algos to a governance period, for example Governance Period 7 (GP7), starting on 1 April 2023.
- At the completion of the Governance Period, the governor must be eligible for rewards.
- The Governor’s rewards for that period will be deposited in the xGov Term Pool and the xGovernor will start their xGov Term and be allocated Votes, where 1 vote = 1 Algo.
- Each xGov Term will last 12 months and have 4 voting sessions, one per quarter.
- To remain eligible xGovs must use all their votes at every session. Votes will renew at the start of each quarter.
- At the end of the term, xGovernors who did not perform their duties forfeit their Algo deposit, which remains in the pool.
- xGovernors who perform all their duties will receive their deposited rewards, plus their share of any forfeited Algos in the pool.
Side by side: Gov and xGov
The Governance Program and the xGov Program will run side-by-side. Governors can choose to participate in one program or both. It is important to take into consideration that the decisions that are made through these programs at this stage are still quite different, but also that xGov duties will require a commitment to evaluate and engage in discussions about proposals.
Should I enroll as an xGov?
We recommend that Governors ensure that they are familiar with the Governance Program as a whole, before committing to the xGov program, which requires a long term commitment.
The minimum requirement to participate in the xGov program is to enroll as a governor in the period preceding the xGov Term. There is no minimum Algo allocation to enter the program, but in order to have at least 1 vote, your reward to enter the Term should be 1 Algo.
What is next
Governance Period 7 sign-up phase starts on 1 April and closes on the 21 April. You may opt-in as you commit Algos, and if you change your mind, you can recommit to governance without opting in during the 3-week sign-up phase.
Community Proposal submissions will open on GitHub at the end of April (or early May) and xGovernors will be able to start analyzing the proposals, gearing up for the first Term’s voting session in July.
If you have questions, join us at the #governance channel on Discord.
Happy xGoverning.
