On-chain Governance

At its core, on-chain governance is a group of individuals coming together to make decisions on the blockchain. POA Network aims to improve the governance process by making it more secure, efficient and most importantly transparent.

POA Network remains transparent by using US public notaries, known as validators, to govern the network. Validators make all governance decisions through exclusive Distributed Applications (DApps) and record all decisions on the POA blockchain. This process creates an effective self-governed system where changes can be made quickly and efficiently to better serve the POA Network.

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Consensus

The Identity at Stake model within POA Network adds a layer of accountability in the overall consensus. Validators must be known individuals whose participation can easily be tracked and monitored. Today, many Proof of Stake models exist which reward individuals that stake a higher amount with a higher return. However, POA Network solves this issue since it's consensus model rewards its validators in an equal manner

Transparency

The Identity at Stake model of the POA Network removes anonymity from the validation equation. Validators must prove their identity and be willing to stake their reputation in order to host a decentralized node. Whereas Proof of Stake (POS) consensus requires validators to put up capital in return for rewards, Identity at Stake requires validators to risk their identity and reputation in order to validate blocks. Transparency creates personal accountability as validators know their actions and participation are written to the public ledger and available for anyone to view.

Notaries

Each POA Network validator is required to be a public notary within the United States in good standing. A public notary is considered a public official of integrity appointed by a state government. They are duty-bound to provide impartial and trusted witness to the signing of official documents. This requirement creates a standard for network validators and allows for accessible identity verification. In addition, every US state has different rules regarding notary licensing. Because Validators reside in many different states, no single state law can impact all Validators at once.

Security

Network security is paramount to any blockchain. Sound cryptography and technical infrastructure must be implemented to provide peace of mind. POA Network takes this a step further by including a set of human checks and balances in the validation cycle. Validators are incentivized to provide an up-to-date and secure node on the network. If a node is corrupted, other network validators will move quickly to remedy the situation through the on-chain governance process.

Scalability

POA Network validators prove its scalability by being able to add and/or remove other validators via ballots within the on-chain governance system. Candidates first start on the Sokol test net and must meet certain requirements before they're considered for the core network. Current core network validators have the ability to vote in a new validator via the Ballots and voting DApp. To be marked successful, a majority vote is required among all existing validators. In the same manner, validators can also be removed if they display negligence or complacency in terms of their responsibilities that come with the role.

Ballots

Validators can create on-chain ballots that propose changes to the network. Some examples of ballots can include decisions such as adding/removing validators, updating governance contracts, hard fork decisions, and much more. Ballots can be initiated through a DApp by any validator and presented to the entire group for a majority vote. Validators discuss the merits of a ballot before voting takes place. This model creates a self-governing mechanism that results in proactive governance to maintain the integrity of the overall network.

Voting

Validator participation within the voting process is vital to the overall success of the network. A majority on-chain vote in favor of a proposed ballot is required in order to proceed with a permanent change written to the blockchain. Validators monitor one another to ensure each individual is contributing to the on-chain governance process. A lack of participation in the voting process may result in a proposal to remove the non-participating individual.

John LeGassic

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

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Jim O’Regan

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Rocco Mancini

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Jefferson Flowers

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Melanie Marsollier

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Stephen Arsenault

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Marat Pekker

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

John D.Storey

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

S. Vishneuski

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Lillian Chan

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Alexey Emelyanov

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Adam Kagy

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Ilmira Nugumanova

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Xiaobo Chen

Validators

POA Network validators are a diverse and self-governed group of individuals. They each have been entrusted in a decentralized manner to promote network health, performance and security. Validators must monitor their own nodes and the ecosystem at large to maintain optimal performance. In addition, validators must also participate in on-chain governance by creating and voting on ballots that may update the state of the blockchain. Some examples include adding/removing validators, updating block size and soft/hard forks.

Learn more about POA validators

Governance DApps

live

Proof of Physical Address

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Source Code

soon

Proof of Bank Account

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Source Code

live

Governance DApp

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Source Code

live

List of Active Validators

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Source Code

live

Statistics of Ballots

Source Code

Wallets

POA Core is supported by various wallets that shape the Ethereum ecosystem. The number of wallets supporting POA Core are rising everyday as the number of DApps for POA increases

How POA Governance Compares


Block Time	5s	15s	0.5s	15-20s	4s
Validator/Block Producer Requirements	Trusted US Public Notary, willing to stake identity and reputation, meet specifications for server performance and emphasis on geographic diversity	Not possible on Ethereum	Ability to successfully produce a block. Includes crypto exchanges and mining pools	Must be within the NEO ecosystem. Every validator must know every other validator	Ripple validators meet specifications for server performance, networking capability, and geographic diversity
Validator Selection	Elected by a majority vote of current validators in a decentralized manner through on-chain governance	N/A	Token holders select validators. More tokens possession allows for more voting power	NEO’s team currently operates all validator nodes in the network	Ripple company adds trusted validators nodes based on diversification of identity, location, hardware and software
Number of Validators/Mining Pools	23	5	21	7	70+
Number of Entities in Control of >50% of Voting/Mining Power	11 (Constantly Increasing)	3	11	1	1

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Table of contents

On-chain governance

Validators

Ballots

What is on-chain governance? What are its benefits?: On-chain governance is the process by which validators coordinate and manage themselves within a blockchain. Some benefits include an increase of coordination and better transparency of the entire decision making process.
In on-chain governance, the process is defined in the code and consistently followed. The governance proposals and vote decisions are recorded on blockchain.
What is the difference between an on-chain and off-chain governance?: On-Chain governance proposes, hosts and records decisions on the distributed blockchain, immutably recording actions and decisions for posterity.
Off-Chain governance uses methods separate from the blockchain to propose changes to the network, often with much less visibility into the process.
What is POA Network’s on-chain governance model?: POA Network uses independent validators, who were chosen in a decentralized manner, to propose and vote on ballots to secure/modify the network and to onboard/remove validators from the consensus.

What is a validator?: A Validator is an independent individual who stakes their identity and is entrusted to maintain a node on the network that validates transactions and commits new blocks to the blockchain. Validators receive a reward in POA token for provisioning blocks.
What is the reasoning behind enforcing validators to be notaries public?: This is a way to verify one’s identity and it puts the validators Identity at Stake to encourage the validators to not act maliciously against the network in any way.
How are validators selected?: Validators are selected through various considerations such as knowledge about Blockchain, background, merit, etc but most importantly, evaluated by their public reputation how they can potentially help improve the network.

What are ballots used for?: Ballots are used to propose changes to the network, onboard/remove validators or to propose changes to consensus.
What is the process of voting via ballots?: To vote on a ballot, you need to have the correct network selected in MetaMask or Trust Wallet and have the Validator’s Voting Key selected. Visit https://voting.poa.network and cast your vote for an active ballot.
Can validators collude to vote their friends in as validators?: While collusion is always a possibility, the reality is that there are 23 validators therefore for any vote to pass, there must be 1) a minimum number of votes met and 2) a majority threshold must be met in order to vote in any new validators. If a validator does try to collude and bring in an actor that may not be beneficial of the network, it is unlikely they will meet the minimum threshold for the vote to be successful.