> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.onyx.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.onyx.org/governance/onyx-chain.md).
# Governance on Onyx Chain
Onyx Chain has its own native, fully on-chain governance system. Holders who stake XCN receive **stXCN**, and that staked position is what gives them the power to create proposals and vote on them directly on Onyx Chain (chain ID 327). Approved proposals are executed on-chain by a Timelock contract — no multisig or manual admin action is involved in carrying out an approved decision.
Proposals on Onyx Chain are catalogued as **Onyx Improvement Proposals (OIPs)**: OIP-1, OIP-2, and so on. An OIP number is a permanent identifier assigned when the proposal is created on-chain.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Two governance domains.** Onyx governance exists on two chains, and they are deliberately separate:
* **Ethereum governance** — the original Onyx Governor on Ethereum, controlled by XCN stakers on Ethereum. See the [Governance Overview](/governance/quickstart.md).
* **Onyx Chain governance** — the native system described in this section, controlled by stXCN stakers on Onyx Chain.
A proposal lives entirely on one chain. There is no cross-chain proposal, and XCN staked on one chain never counts as voting power on the other.
{% endhint %}
## Stake-to-vote
The single most important rule of Onyx Chain governance:
> **Only staked XCN votes.** Voting power comes exclusively from stXCN — unstaked ("liquid") XCN held in a wallet on Onyx Chain has **zero** voting power.
To participate, you first stake XCN through the [Onyx App](https://app.onyx.org) and receive stXCN. Your voting weight equals your stXCN balance — including accrued staking rewards — measured at a **snapshot block**. See [Voting Power and Snapshots](/governance/onyx-chain/voting-power.md) for exactly how and when your weight is measured.
## How a proposal flows
```mermaid
graph LR
A["Stake XCN
receive stXCN"] --> B["Snapshot
voting power recorded"]
B --> C["Propose
OIP created on-chain"]
C --> D["Vote
For / Against / Abstain"]
D --> E["Timelock
2-day safety delay"]
E --> F["Execute
change goes live"]
```
1. **Stake** — XCN holders stake and hold stXCN.
2. **Snapshot** — voting power for the proposal is fixed at a published, verifiable snapshot block.
3. **Propose** — a staker whose snapshot weight meets the proposal threshold creates the OIP on-chain, including the exact actions to execute.
4. **Vote** — after a 1-day delay, voting opens for 2 days. Voters cast For, Against, or Abstain.
5. **Timelock** — an approved proposal is queued into the Timelock for a mandatory 2-day delay, giving the community time to review before anything changes.
6. **Execute** — after the delay, anyone can trigger execution. The Timelock performs the proposal's actions exactly as they were voted on.
The full journey from proposal creation to execution takes a **minimum of about 5 days** (1-day voting delay + 2-day voting period + 2-day timelock delay). Every stage is covered step by step in the [Proposal Lifecycle](/governance/onyx-chain/proposal-lifecycle.md).
## Key parameters
| Parameter | Value |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Voting asset | stXCN (staked XCN) only |
| Proposal threshold | max(100,000,000 XCN, 0.10% of eligible staked supply), capped at 1,000,000,000 — currently **100,000,000** staked XCN of snapshot weight |
| Voting delay | **1 day** after proposal creation |
| Voting period | **2 days** |
| Vote options | For / Against / Abstain |
| Quorum | max(200,000,000 XCN, 2.00% of eligible staked supply), capped at 1,000,000,000 — currently **200,000,000**; **only For votes count toward quorum** |
| Pass condition | For votes ≥ quorum **and** For > Against |
| Timelock delay | **2 days** before execution |
| Snapshot challenge window | **1 day** before a snapshot becomes usable |
These parameters mirror the thresholds long used by Onyx governance on Ethereum (100M proposal threshold, 200M quorum), so voters moving between the two domains see familiar rules.
## What you can do as a...
| Role | You need | You can |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Voter** | Any amount of stXCN at the snapshot | Vote For / Against / Abstain on any active OIP |
| **Proposer** | ≥ proposal threshold in stXCN snapshot weight | Create an OIP with concrete on-chain actions |
| **Observer** | Nothing | Watch every proposal, vote tally, queue, and execution live on the [explorer](https://explorer.onyx.org) |
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Rollout status.** Onyx Chain governance is activating in stages. The contracts described in this section are deployed on Onyx Mainnet, and proposal creation and voting open in the [Onyx App](https://app.onyx.org) once the first eligibility snapshot is finalized. Until activation completes, active governance voting continues through [Ethereum governance](/governance/quickstart.md).
{% endhint %}
## In this section
* [Proposal Lifecycle](/governance/onyx-chain/proposal-lifecycle.md) — every stage of an OIP, from draft to execution, and what a voter does at each one.
* [Voting Power and Snapshots](/governance/onyx-chain/voting-power.md) — how stXCN becomes voting weight, how snapshots are published and verified, and the rules to keep your vote eligible.
* [Governance Contracts](/governance/onyx-chain/contracts.md) — the Governor, Timelock, Snapshot Registry, and Grant Treasury contracts, with addresses and architecture diagrams.
---
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