Voting on Usual decides every major protocol change: new products, collateral updates, parameter changes, and partnerships. This article explains who can vote, how to vote, and what kinds of proposals go through the process.
Who can vote
Anyone who holds USUAL or USUALx can vote. Each has a different weight:
Voting power | |
USUAL (unstaked) | 1 USUAL = 1 vote |
USUALx (staked) | Enhanced voting power per USUAL staked |
USUALx (locked) | Highest voting power per USUAL |
This structure rewards long-term commitment. Users who lock USUALx for longer periods have more say in governance because they are more exposed to the long-term outcome of their votes.
What proposals cover
UIPs (Usual Improvement Proposals) are used for every meaningful change, including:
New products — launching a new collateral type, a new stablecoin, or a new savings product
Parameter changes — updating fees, rates, emission schedules, or lock weights
Revenue allocation — changing the split between USUALx, the DAO treasury, and specific rewards
Collateral additions — adding or removing a real-asset provider
Partnerships — integrations with exchanges, custodians, or other protocols
Emergency actions — pause, unpause, or respond to incidents
The proposal lifecycle
A typical UIP follows this path:
```
Forum discussion (1-2 weeks)
└─ Author posts draft, community discusses
UIP drafted
└─ Formal proposal with spec, rationale, and parameters
Temperature check (3-5 days)
└─ Informal signal vote
On-chain vote (5-7 days)
└─ Formal USUAL/USUALx vote
Execution
└─ If passed, the change is implemented by the DAO
```
Each stage gives the community a chance to refine or reject the proposal before it becomes binding.
How to vote
Go to the Governance page in app.usual.money (or on Snapshot / Tally, depending on the current governance interface)
Connect your account
Browse active proposals
Click on a proposal to see the full text, parameters, and discussion
Pick your vote: For, Against, or Abstain
Confirm the transaction (if on-chain voting)
Your voting power is automatically calculated from your USUAL and USUALx balance at the snapshot time.
Quorum and approval thresholds
Each UIP needs to meet two conditions to pass:
Quorum — a minimum amount of total voting power must participate for the vote to be valid
Approval threshold — typically a simple majority of votes cast (more than 50% "For")
Specific thresholds may vary based on the type of proposal. Sensitive actions (e.g., changes to immutable allocations, emergency upgrades) may require higher thresholds.
Delegation
If you hold USUAL but do not want to vote yourself, you can delegate your voting power to another participant:
Go to the Governance page
Click Delegate
Enter the address of your chosen delegate
Confirm
You keep custody of your USUAL. You only delegate the right to vote with it. You can re-delegate or reclaim at any time.
What happens after a vote passes
Passed UIPs are implemented through the DAO's execution mechanism:
The DAO multisig or governance module executes the on-chain actions specified in the UIP
Usual Labs implements any required front-end or back-end changes as the service provider
The UIP is archived in the governance record for transparency
Most implementations happen within days of a successful vote. Complex changes may take weeks.
Past UIPs (examples)
UIP | What it did |
UIP-11 | Disinflation — cut daily USUAL emissions by ~50% (Nov 2025) |
UIP-12 | Renamed USD0++ to bUSD0 and introduced the rt-bUSD0 early exit mechanism (Nov 2025) |
UIP-15 | Transferred 100% of protocol asset ownership to the DAO (Dec 2025) |
UIP-17 | Fira acquisition by the DAO (Jan 2026) |
The full list is available on the governance forum.
Note: Governance is a privilege and a responsibility. Voting power comes with the duty to understand what you are voting on. Read the proposal text before voting. The governance forum is where most debate happens.
Technical note (for DeFi users): Usual uses a hybrid governance model. Snapshot is used for temperature checks and informal votes. On-chain voting for binding decisions uses a governance module that reads USUAL and USUALx balances at the snapshot block. Voting power weighting is defined in the governance contract and can be adjusted via UIPs. See gov.usual.money and the docs for the current governance interface and thresholds.
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