How to Participate in DAO Governance: Voting, Delegating, and Earning Rewards

DAOs govern the DeFi protocols you use. Participating in governance gives you a voice, can earn rewards, and helps shape the protocols you care about. Here is how to start.

DAO governance is the mechanism by which decentralized protocols make collective decisions. Token holders vote on proposals ranging from interest rate adjustments to major protocol upgrades to treasury spending. Active participation in governance shapes the protocols you rely on — and increasingly, governance participation is rewarded.

How to Vote in Major DAOs

Delegating Your Votes

Governance Mining and Incentives

Some protocols offer governance mining rewards: token distributions to active voters. Optimism's citizen house and its grants to active governance participants is the most prominent example. Beyond direct rewards, governance participation in early-stage protocols can position you for future airdrops to active community members.