DReps — Your Voice in Governance
DReps (Delegated Representatives) are community members who register on-chain and vote on governance actions with the voting power that ada holders delegate to them. They are not elected: any ada holder can delegate to a DRep, change that choice at any time, or choose Abstain or No Confidence.
- Take part in discussions and working groups
- Vote on governance actions
- Represent the ada holders who delegate to them
- Help shape the future of Cardano
Did you know?
Anyone can become a DRep. Registering needs a refundable deposit of 500 ada (protocol parameter at epoch 665), plus a clear statement of what you stand for and your community’s trust.
GovTool — The Gateway to Governance
GovTool is the official open-source governance app. With it you can delegate your voting power to a DRep (or choose Abstain or No Confidence), register as a DRep, and browse and read governance actions.
- Delegate your voting power
- Register as a DRep
- Browse live governance actions
- Read the GovTool documentation
Did you know?
Only use GovTool and wallets from their official addresses. This site never asks you to connect a wallet.
Governance Actions — How Decisions Are Made
There are seven types of governance action. Each one moves through the same steps; the bodies that vote depend on the type.
- Discuss off-chain in forums and community calls
- Submit on-chain with a refundable deposit of 100,000 ada
- Vote during the action’s lifetime (6 epochs)
- Ratify and enact if thresholds are met; otherwise it expires and the deposit is returned
Did you know?
Parameter values are read from protocol parameters at epoch 665 (Koios), verified 2026-11-05.
Constitutional Committee — Guardians of the Constitution
The Constitutional Committee votes on whether an action is constitutional, not on whether it is a good idea. It is one of three groups that vote on governance actions:
- Delegated Representatives register on-chain and vote with the voting power ada holders delegate to them. They are not elected; their weight comes from delegation.
- Stake pool operators vote on a subset of actions, such as hard forks, no-confidence motions, committee updates and security-relevant parameters.
- The Committee’s quorum is 2/3; members serve terms of up to 146 epochs.
Did you know?
The Committee checks constitutionality only. Whether an action is a good idea is decided by DReps and, for some actions, stake pool operators.
Get Involved — Everyone Can Participate
You do not need to be a developer to take part in Cardano governance. Start with one of these steps:
- Delegate your voting power to a DRep you trust
- Follow live actions on the Governance Pulse
- Join an AACC Coalition Assembly to discuss actions with your region
- Read and discuss the Cardano Constitution
Did you know?
AACC is an independent community coalition. Our assemblies are open to everyone in Asia, Africa and beyond.
Governance is for everyone.
Together, we build a better Cardano.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-11-05