# governance

## Council and Community

Governance follows a dual structure:

* **Token Governance (on-chain):** $GUILD (SPL) holders submit and vote on proposals recorded on Solana, with off-chain discussion preceding formal votes.
* **Operational Council (early phases):** A limited steward group coordinates execution and program upgrades under community-approved mandates, with a path to full community control.

## Proposal Lifecycle

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### Draft proposal

Initial proposal is prepared and published for community visibility.
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### Community discussion

The proposal undergoes off-chain discussion to gather feedback, iterate, and build consensus before formal voting.
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### On-chain vote and snapshot of voting power

A formal on-chain vote is conducted, with a snapshot of voting power used to determine the result.
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### Execution or scheduling

If approved, the proposal is executed or scheduled—this may include program upgrades, parameter changes, or treasury actions.
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## Review and Security

All protocol or economic changes undergo public review and independent security assessment prior to deployment. Program upgrades follow a controlled process with multi-party approval and time delays where possible.
