The Occam DAO is moving forward rapidly, and as we described in the ‘Temple Path’ series of OIPs back in July of 2022 — the subject of governance is one of the most important to the future success of the DAO.
Our vision of governance is simple in theory, but like many good things, it is exceedingly tricky to implement properly. The goal is to provide a system that is, above all else, easy to use — as proper democratic governance of the Occam DAO can only be achieved through maximum participation and engagement from our members.
We have been saying for a few months now that the ‘Occam DAO is moving to Discord’, which is not without reason. Discord allows us to concentrate our community, governance, and reputation systems on a single platform we use daily. This concentration is a primary driver of the participation we wish to achieve. When you can take part in on-chain governance using the communications platform already utilized by the DAO, the barriers to entry for our members reduce significantly.
The Occam DAO is building something exceptional; an innovation accelerator that follows a robust set of principles and attention to detail that allows us to go beyond what others in the space are capable of — especially in decentralized governance. Our ultimate goal has always been to offer an equitable, inclusive governance model for our community that allows a meaningful level of participation for all members of the DAO at any level of stake.
So read on to learn what a governance system worthy of our community looks like in practice!
TLDR: Occam’s Discord-based governance
Note: This article covers the entirety of the new governance systems as described in the Temple Path OIPs published in July of 2022. Some aspects, such as the reputation system, will not be available at launch but will be introduced as soon as technically viable.
We include this section to describe the new systems in simple terms. By digesting the following bullet points, and the associated diagram, you will gain a basic understanding of the new governance structure.
- Stake your $OCC tokens on the OccamRazer platform
- A ‘Soulbound’ NFT is minted for you — this represents your tier and base voting power. Your NFT is burned after unstaking
- Your voting power may be modified above your tier’s base by increasing your reputation; reputation is reflected in your NFT, and increased through participation and positive action within the DAO (Reputation features will only be available after MVP launch)
- Join or create a Guild to maximize your strength within the system. To create a Guild you must hold at least a Tier 0 level of stake. Guilds provide many benefits such as:
a. Providing a vibrant community of like-minded DAO members.
b. Amplifying your voting power by delegating it alongside that of similarly aligned guild members to your Guild Leader.
c. Allowing access to Guild tasks, which are rewarded either by the Occam DAO in $OCC, or by project teams within the Occam governance and incubation layer (rewarded in their native token). These rewards are split between the Guild leader and Guild membership, providing access to early-stage incubated project tokens and other incentives at the task providers’ discretion.
d. The ability to create and vote upon draft OIP proposals within your Guild, which become votable by the entire DAO after reaching a 51% vote threshold in the Guild vote.
5. Your Guild Leader votes on OIPs with the full delegated voting power of their Guild’s membership, strengthening the voices of their entire membership.
NFTs powering Occam’s future
When the new governance features become active, staking $OCC on the OccamRazer platform will provide you with a ‘Soulbound’ (non-transferable) NFT. These unique tokens are minted when staking $OCC (of any supported network) on the OccamRazer platform; they are burned upon unstaking, and each holds the following basic functionality:
- A base amount of voting power equal to the tier it represents, and full access to the Discord governance system
- The ability to form (Tier 0 or higher) or join a guild
- Tier-based access to governance and incubation channels in Discord
- Beautiful artwork featuring our favorite monk, Occam!
The Occam DAO’s ‘Aspect’ governance NFTs are unique works of art, representing the keystone of your participation within the DAO; so make sure to display yours with pride on every platform that supports profile pictures!
When you stake $OCC on OccamRazer, you will receive an NFT that represents your tier and holds a level of voting power based on the mid-point of that tier’s range, essentially increasing the base voting power of those staking in the lower bounds of the given tier’s range. Here we provide an example based on a Tier 3 user’s NFT (1000 $OCC staked):
In addition to representing your tier, your personalized NFT entitles you to access the Governance, Guild, and reputation systems on our Discord server. Occam DAO governance NFTs also possess a reputation modifier that influences the base voting power of the holding address, although this feature will not be available until after the MVP launch.
The role of reputation in governance
Note: As stated previously, this reputation system will be inactive at launch. It will be enabled when the governance features themselves have been battle-tested, and it is technically viable to do so.
The Occam DAO’s new governance systems will not only rely on how much $OCC you are willing to stake, but also on your social contributions to the DAO. As you make positive contributions to the DAO, your reputation will increase along with your voting power. Increasing your reputation is the only way to increase your NFT’s voting power beyond its base (tier-derived) value.
You may increase your reputation in several ways, including:
- Participating in governance
a. Voting activity
b. Proposing OIPs
2. Various forms of DAO contribution
3. Activity within the Occam DAO Discord
Each action that increases your reputation will have a smaller or more significant effect depending on its value to the Occam DAO. Alongside incredible governance and social benefits, the aesthetic of your NFT will also evolve as you earn more reputation.
We are excited to provide you with the opportunity to increase you voting power within the DAO through social means, and will update this section of the article when the reputation features are live!
Guilds, bringing Occam’s DAO members together
The new systems available to the DAO allow its very soul to be represented through Guilds. These are groups of Occam DAO members who have created a community around an ideal, a goal, or some other parameter like a common language or region. Guilds represent the primary voting blocks within the DAO, and it is through participation in Guilds that you may amplify your voice through your peers’ shared ideals and voting power.
To form a guild, you will need to hold a Tier 4 level of stake (400 $OCC) or higher; however, all guilds will need to be ratified and joined by a member who holds Tier 0 (12,000 $OCC) or above. These requirements offer a shallow barrier to entry for guild creation yet require each guild to be ‘backed’ by an amount of $OCC that ensures its relevance within the governance of the DAO.
Guilds are not only a governance mechanism but also a social one. They bring our members together, forming synergistic structures that allow for impressive levels of cooperation, debate, and decision-making at inter- and intra-guild levels.
You may directly propose a draft Occam Improvement Proposal to your guild’s membership, which can then be voted on and amended internally. Once a draft OIP proposal passes the internal vote through a simple 51% majority, it may be voted on by the wider DAO and formalized upon success. When voting on a finalized OIP, your guild leader will wield the combined voting power of the entire guild’s membership.
Guild leaders
If Guilds are the soul of the Occam DAO’s governance, then Guild Leaders are its beating heart — community champions willing to lead from the front for the betterment of their peers and the Occam DAO.
As a Guild leader you will interact directly with those involved in the Occam DAO’s governance and incubation layer, including but not limited to:
- Occam DAO core contributors
- Incubated project teams
- Partner teams
This level of access is granted so that you may take on Guild Tasks provided by these entities and organize your Guild’s membership to complete them. Completing Guild tasks will reward both yourself and your membership in a weighted manner from the rewards provided by the issuing entity, providing value to both the issuer and your membership alike.
Guild tasks/rewards
One of the major benefits of joining a guild (besides the awesome community and governance aspects) is the ability to earn a share of rewards from Guild Tasks.
Guild tasks will vary depending on the issuer, but just a few examples might include:
- Social engagement
- Creative tasks such as graphical assets and copy
- Translations of new or existing content
- Participation in real-life events representing the DAO
Tasks will be provided either by the Occam DAO core contributors, or project teams within the governance and incubation layer of the DAO, and rewarded in tokens or incentives provided by the task issuer. For example, a task provided by the Occam DAO core contributors might be rewarded in our native $OCC token or some other appropriate incentive.
Both Guild members and Guild Leaders will earn a weighted share of the entire reward emission for any given task, with Guild leaders taking a higher percentage for their efforts in organizing the task’s successful completion. In this manner, becoming a Guild member can earn you access to some of the incredible projects passing through the Occam DAO governance and incubation layer, in the form of incentives and early exposure to their native tokens.
The Occam DAO’s governance and incubation layer
At the heart of all things Occam is the DAO’s governance layer, a catch-all term we use to describe anyone or anything that affects the DAO’s structure, remit, partnerships, or other parameters through voting procedures. Previously you may have interacted with this layer by voting on OIPs through Snapshot, however, in the new system, there will be far more direct interaction for both guild members and guild leaders.
Your Guild Leader will have high-level access to the DAO’s governance and incubation layer, allowing the core contributors, incubated project teams, and DAO partners to provide incentivized tasks to your Guild. When a task is provided it is up to the guild leader to organize and mobilize your guild’s response; completed tasks are rewarded with $OCC, $PROJECT tokens, and other incentives shared between the guild’s entire membership.
As a member of a guild, you will gain increasingly higher levels of access to the DAO’s governance and incubation functions. Your tier and reputation increase the voting power of your governance NFT, and as you climb tiers you will get access to restricted chat rooms alongside other reputable DAO members, core DAO contributors; even incubated project and partner teams at higher levels.
It is the members of the Occam DAO that are to determine its future, by forming Guilds and actively participating in the DAOs governance process. With the implementation of the Temple Path initiative, we hope to provide you with the tools you need to do this in an efficient, fair, and effective manner.
Even more to come…
Governance is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of the Temple Path initiative; however, there is far more to unpack than just this single aspect. We have not been sitting idle, and in short order, we will have more information on our new tier structure, the incredible new rewards token $CHAKRA, and the full implementation of our ambassador program.
What adventures will 2023 bring? What new experiences and challenges will we face? It’s hard to say for certain, but one thing we can say with confidence — it is sure to be an exciting year for the Occam DAO!
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