⚙️ Delegation Mechanics: How It Works
Understand smart contract delegation and revocation processes
Delegate your voting power to trusted representatives
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0 / 5 completed⚙️ How Delegation Works On-Chain
Delegation isn't magic—it's a smart contract function that updates your voting power pointer. When you delegate, the governance contract tracks: delegatedTo[yourAddress] = delegateAddress. Your tokens never move. The delegate just gets permission to vote using your weight.
🎮 Interactive: Delegation Process Walkthrough
Step through the delegation process. See what happens on-chain, off-chain, and when gas fees apply.
Connect Wallet
Link your wallet containing governance tokens to the DAO interface
🔄 Three Delegation Actions
Click each action to understand the mechanics, costs, and real-world examples.
🔑 Critical Technical Details
Voting power is captured at proposal creation (block number snapshot). If you delegate after a proposal starts, your delegate can't use your tokens for THAT vote—only future ones.
Delegation does NOT lock your tokens. You can transfer, sell, or stake them. Voting power updates automatically when balance changes. Sell 50%? Delegate loses 50% of your voting power instantly.
All delegations are on-chain and public. Tools like Tally and Boardroom show who delegated to whom. Your delegate choice is NOT anonymous—governance is transparent by design.
Delegation takes effect immediately for proposals created AFTER your delegation tx. No cooldown. But you can't retroactively affect active votes—prevents manipulation.
💡 Key Insight
Delegation is remarkably simple on-chain: one function call, $5-$50 gas, instant effect. But choosing WHO to delegate to is the hard part. You're trusting someone to vote aligned with your interests—possibly for years. Next, we'll explore how delegation creates power concentration (top 20 delegates often control 30-50% of voting power) and why that's both efficient and risky.