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Plain-English definitions for every governance term you'll encounter on Governada. No technical background needed.
Core concepts you need to know before anything else.
The digital currency of Cardano — like dollars for the Cardano network. If you hold ADA, you automatically have the right to participate in how Cardano is run.
A blockchain network — a global, shared computer system — that runs on ADA. It lets people send money, run applications, and vote on how the network should evolve.
How decisions get made about Cardano's future. Instead of a company making all the calls, ADA holders get to vote on changes — like a digital democracy for the network.
A shared digital record book that no single person controls. Every transaction and vote is written down permanently and can be verified by anyone.
Recorded permanently on the blockchain where anyone can see it. When something happens "on-chain," it's like publishing it in a public record that can never be erased.
An app on your phone or computer that holds your ADA and lets you interact with Cardano. Your ADA never actually leaves your wallet when you participate in governance.
Cardano's rulebook. It defines what governance decisions are allowed and sets boundaries that protect the network. Think of it like a country's constitution, but for a blockchain.
Who does what in Cardano governance.
Short for Delegated Representative. Someone who studies governance proposals and votes on them on your behalf — like choosing a city council member to represent your neighborhood. You pick one, they vote for you.
Another name for a DRep. The person you choose to vote on Cardano decisions for you. You can switch your representative at any time — it's your choice.
That's you! An ADA holder who has chosen a representative to vote on their behalf. Your ADA stays in your wallet — you're just lending your voice, not your money.
Stake Pool Operator — a person or team that runs one of the computers keeping Cardano running. Think of them as the network's infrastructure operators. They also vote on certain big decisions.
A computer server that helps process transactions and keep Cardano running. When you "stake" your ADA to a pool, you earn rewards for helping the network — like earning interest.
A small group of elected officials who act as referees. Before any decision takes effect, they check that it follows Cardano's rules (the constitution). They can block proposals that break the rules, even if they got enough votes.
What you can do as an ADA holder.
Choosing who votes on your behalf. It's free, takes about a minute, and your ADA never leaves your wallet. Think of it like registering to vote and picking your representative in one step.
The total ADA backing a representative. When you delegate to someone, your ADA adds to their voting power — giving their votes more weight. It's like the difference between a petition with 10 signatures vs. 10,000.
Locking your ADA with a stake pool to help secure the network. In return, you earn regular rewards (like interest). Staking and governance delegation are separate — you can do both at the same time.
ADA you earn every 5 days for staking. It's paid automatically into your wallet. You earn rewards regardless of whether you also participate in governance.
A special option that means "I choose not to vote on this." You can delegate to the built-in Abstain option if you want to sit out governance entirely while still earning staking rewards.
A special delegation option that signals you've lost trust in the current Constitutional Committee. It's a formal protest vote — like a vote of no confidence in a parliament.
The process of proposing, voting, and passing changes.
A formal proposal submitted for the community to vote on. It could be about spending community funds, changing how the network works, or updating the rules. Anyone can submit one.
A specific request for the community to decide on — like "fund this project" or "change this network setting." Every proposal goes through a structured voting process before anything changes.
A representative's decision on a proposal: Yes, No, or Abstain. Votes are recorded on the blockchain permanently, so you can always check how your representative voted.
A representative's written explanation of why they voted a certain way. Good representatives explain their thinking so you can judge whether they represent your values.
When a proposal gets enough votes to pass. After ratification, the change gets applied to Cardano automatically — no one can block it at that point.
The minimum number of people who need to participate for a vote to count. This prevents a small group from sneaking through a decision when most people aren't paying attention.
A 5-day cycle on Cardano. Think of it like a work week for the blockchain — at the end of each epoch, staking rewards are paid out, votes are tallied, and governance snapshots are taken.
A major upgrade to how Cardano works — like a big software update that everyone adopts at the same time. These are rare and need approval from representatives, pool operators, and the Constitutional Committee.
A proposal to adjust a specific network setting — like transaction fees or block size. These are smaller changes than a hard fork but still require a community vote.
A proposal to spend money from Cardano's community fund. Each withdrawal request is voted on individually, so the community controls every spending decision.
A proposal that doesn't change anything — it's just asking the community for their opinion on a topic. Like a poll or a non-binding referendum.
A proposal to change who sits on the Constitutional Committee — adding new members, removing existing ones, or adjusting how many need to agree for a decision to pass.
How Cardano's community fund works.
Cardano's community fund — a shared pool of ADA that grows automatically from transaction fees. It's like a city budget, and the community votes on how to spend it.
How long the treasury can keep funding projects at the current spending rate before it runs out. If the runway is 5 years, that means there's enough money for 5 more years of spending at today's pace.
Your slice of the treasury pie, based on how much voting power your representative carries. If your representative controls 1% of all voting power, "your" proportional share is 1% of the treasury.
New ADA that gets created each epoch and added to the treasury and staking rewards. The amount decreases over time, so the total supply of ADA has a fixed limit.
A small amount of ADA paid whenever someone sends a transaction on Cardano. Part of these fees goes to stake pools and part goes to the treasury.
How Governada measures representative quality.
A quality rating from 0 to 100 that measures how well a representative is doing their job. It looks at things like: Do they vote consistently? Do they explain their decisions? Are they transparent about who they are? It's not about how much ADA they have — it's about how responsible they are.
A quality badge based on a representative's score: Emerging, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, or Legendary. Like a trust rating — higher tiers mean a better track record. A "Gold" representative is in the top ~30% of all representatives.
How closely a representative's voting pattern matches what you care about. Governada analyzes their votes across categories like treasury spending, transparency, and technical changes to show you who thinks like you.
A measure of how well Cardano's governance is working overall. It looks at things like how many people are participating, whether power is spread out fairly, and whether decisions are being made responsibly.
One part of a representative's score that measures how thoughtfully they participate. Do they just click "yes" or "no," or do they write detailed explanations of their reasoning?
One part of a representative's score that measures how consistently they show up and vote. A reliable representative doesn't miss important votes or disappear for weeks.
One part of a representative's score that measures how open they are about who they are and what they stand for. Do they have a profile? Do they explain their voting philosophy?
Deeper concepts — feel free to skip these for now.
Cardano Improvement Proposal — a formal document suggesting a change to how Cardano works. Think of it like a bill being proposed in Congress. It gets debated and refined before anything changes.
The specific proposal that created Cardano's entire governance system. It's the reason ADA holders can vote on decisions today. Named after its proposal number.
A standard format for publishing vote explanations on Cardano. It makes sure every rationale is structured consistently, so tools like Governada can display them clearly.
A standard for representative profiles on Cardano. It defines how representatives publish their name, bio, and contact information so you can learn about them before choosing one.
Extra information attached to a transaction — like a representative's profile, a vote rationale, or a proposal description. It's stored alongside the transaction on the blockchain.
A special address tied to your wallet that handles staking and governance. It's different from the address you use to send ADA. You don't need to know your stake address to participate — your wallet handles it automatically.
A refundable amount of ADA required to submit a governance proposal or register as a representative. You get it back when the proposal expires or you step down. It prevents spam.
See a term you don't understand elsewhere on Governada? Look for the dotted underline — tap or hover for an instant definition.