Vote Streaming

Unlike traditional delegation, which locks voting power for a fixed period (e.g., between snapshots), vote streaming allows a delegator to grant their voting power to a delegate as a continuous stream. The delegate's voting weight is calculated pro-rata based on the duration and amount of the stream, enabling real-time adjustments to governance influence.

A core feature is the delegator's ability to unilaterally and instantly revoke the stream of voting power without waiting for an epoch or voting period to end. This creates a direct accountability mechanism, as delegates must maintain the trust of their constituents or risk an immediate loss of influence.

The delegate's effective voting power for a specific proposal is not binary. It is calculated based on the time-weighted average of the streamed tokens during the voting period. For example, a delegate receiving a stream of 100 tokens for 3 days of a 7-day vote would have ~42.86 votes (100 * 3/7).

Delegators can set parameters on the stream, similar to a vesting schedule. This can include:

• Cliff periods before voting power begins to flow.
• A defined stream duration (e.g., 30 days).
• The ability to top-up or reduce the stream rate.
• Multi-delegate streaming, splitting power among several delegates.

Vote streaming is typically implemented as a smart contract layer that sits on top of existing governance token standards (like ERC-20 or ERC-721). It does not require a fork of the underlying protocol. The streaming contract interacts with the native governance module, acting as a vote aggregator for its delegates.

By lowering the commitment threshold, streaming encourages broader participation from small token holders who may be reluctant to permanently delegate. It also dilutes the impact of whale voters by enabling a fluid marketplace of delegates, where concentrated power must be continuously earned rather than statically held.

Unlike snapshot voting, which captures sentiment at a single point in time, vote streaming allows for real-time preference signaling. This enables governance to be more responsive to new information and community sentiment, reducing the impact of last-minute voting blitzes and allowing for more nuanced, evolving proposals.

Token holders can delegate their voting power to a representative (e.g., a DAO delegate) not as a binary, all-or-nothing transfer, but as a stream of voting weight. The delegate's influence is directly proportional to the ongoing stream, creating a continuous accountability mechanism. If the delegate acts against voter interests, the stream can be reduced or canceled, immediately revoking their power.

Protocols can stream rewards or fees directly to voters whose tokens are actively used to support a proposal. This creates a direct, verifiable economic incentive for participation. Conversely, it enables more transparent "bribe" markets via platforms like LlamaAirforce, where projects can stream tokens to voters in exchange for their support, with the payment ceasing if the voter changes their vote.

Vote streaming is a foundational primitive for liquid democracy. A voter can:

• Stream 30% of their weight to a technical expert on smart contract upgrades.
• Stream 50% to a community leader on treasury management.
• Retain 20% to vote directly on social proposals. This allows for granular, topic-specific delegation that can be adjusted in real time without the overhead of constant re-delegation transactions.

By locking tokens into a streaming contract once, users avoid the repetitive gas costs of voting on every proposal. This lowers the barrier to sustained participation. It also mitigates voter fatigue by allowing for "set-and-forget" delegation streams, where users can remain engaged in governance passively until they choose to actively re-engage.

Streaming mechanisms can be integrated with sybil-resistant identity systems like BrightID or Proof of Humanity. By requiring a continuous stream from a verified identity, protocols can weight votes based on persistent, unique human participation rather than easily acquired or rented token balances, leading to more robust and attack-resistant governance.

A system where token holders can transfer their voting power to a representative, known as a delegate, without transferring asset ownership. This is the foundational mechanism that vote streaming automates and makes continuous.

• Passive Delegation: A one-time, static transfer of voting rights.
• Active Delegation (Streaming): A dynamic, time-based transfer that can be modified or revoked at any time.

A voting power calculation where influence is proportional to both the amount of tokens held and the duration they are locked or committed. Vote streaming implements this concept in real-time, as a delegate's voting power increases linearly with the length of the uninterrupted stream directed to them.

A popular governance framework where users lock their tokens for a chosen period to receive non-transferable veTokens, which grant proportional voting power and often protocol fee rewards. Pioneered by Curve Finance (veCRV), this model creates aligned, long-term stakeholders but lacks the flexibility of pure streaming.

Protocols that issue a liquid derivative token (e.g., stETH, vlCVX) representing locked governance position. This allows users to retain liquidity and trade their future voting rights while still participating in governance. Vote streaming is a complementary mechanism that can operate on top of these liquid assets.