veMENTO & Voting Power

Understanding veMENTO

veMENTO (vote-escrowed MENTO) is the cornerstone of Mento governance. When you lock MENTO tokens, you receive veMENTO, which represents your voting power in the protocol. This system ensures that governance participants are aligned with Mento's long-term success.

How veMENTO Works

The veMENTO model rewards longer commitments with greater voting power:

• Initial Balance: veMENTO proportional to lock duration (maximum 1:1 ratio for 2-year locks)

• Weekly Decay: Your veMENTO decreases by a fixed amount each week until reaching zero

• Non-transferable: veMENTO is bound to your address

• Underlying MENTO: Unlocks gradually each week and can be withdrawn as it becomes available

The weekly decay rate = initial veMENTO ÷ lock period in weeks

Example Scenarios:

• 1-year lock (52 weeks): 1,000 MENTO → 500 veMENTO initially

  • Decays by ~9.62 veMENTO per week

  • After 6 months: ~250 veMENTO

  • After 1 year: 0 veMENTO

• 2-year lock (104 weeks): 1,000 MENTO → 1,000 veMENTO initially

  • Decays by ~9.62 veMENTO per week

  • After 6 months: ~750 veMENTO

  • After 1 year: ~500 veMENTO

  • After 2 years: 0 veMENTO

Creating Your veMENTO Position

Prerequisites

Before locking:

• Hold MENTO tokens in your wallet

• Have sufficient CELO for gas fees

• Understand the lock commitment: MENTO unlocks gradually over your chosen period and cannot be withdrawn faster than this schedule

Step 1: Access the Voting Power Interface

Navigate to governance.mento.org/voting-power and connect your wallet.

The interface displays:

• Your current MENTO balance

• Existing veMENTO position (if any)

• Lock creation interface

Step 2: Choose Your Lock Parameters

Select Lock Amount

• Enter the amount of MENTO to lock

• Minimum lock amount: 1 MENTO (1e18 wei)

• The interface shows your maximum available MENTO balance

Select Lock Duration

• Choose how long you want to lock your MENTO (up to ~2 years)

• Longer lock periods = slower veMENTO decay = more sustained voting power

Step 3: Review and Execute Transaction

Before confirming, review:

• Lock Amount: Verify the MENTO amount

• Initial veMENTO: Your starting voting power (proportional to lock duration)

• Lock Until Date: When your locked MENTO becomes fully withdrawable

Now:

1. Click "Create Lock"

2. Approve MENTO spending

3. Confirm lock transaction

4. Wait for transaction confirmation

You will be prompted to confirm the transaction in your wallet

Your veMENTO balance appears immediately after the transaction confirms.

Managing Your Position

Viewing Your Position

The voting power page displays:

• Current veMENTO Balance: Your active voting power

• Locked MENTO: The amount of MENTO that is locked and not withdrawable

• Withdrawable MENTO: The amount of MENTO that has unlocked and is withdrawable

• Expires: When the lock expires, all your MENTO will be withdrawable

Modifying Your Lock

Once you have an active lock, you can strengthen your governance position via three options:

Top Up Your Lock

Add more MENTO to your existing lock without changing the unlock date:

1. Enter the amount of MENTO to add in the "MENTO to lock" field

2. Keep the lock duration slider at its current position

3. Your additional MENTO will adopt the same unlock date as your existing lock

4. Click "Top up lock" and confirm the transaction

This increases your veMENTO proportionally while maintaining your current unlock schedule.

Extend Your Lock

Extend your unlock date to slow decay and maintain voting power longer:

1. Keep the "MENTO to lock" field at 0

2. Move the lock duration slider to your desired new duration

3. This pushes your unlock date further into the future

4. Click "Extend lock" and confirm the transaction

Extending resets your veMENTO for your locked amount and restarts the decay from the new duration.

Top Up and Extend

Combine both actions to add more MENTO and extend your lock period:

1. Enter the additional MENTO amount you want to lock

2. Adjust the duration slider to your new desired lock period

3. This both increases your locked MENTO and extends your unlock date

4. Click "Top up and extend lock" and confirm the transaction

This maximizes your voting power by increasing both the amount locked and the time commitment.

Key Points:

• All modifications are irreversible - you cannot reduce your locked amount or duration afterwards and will have to wait until your lock expires

• Extensions reset your veMENTO to the full locked amount

• Top-ups add veMENTO based on the remaining lock duration

Important Restrictions

You cannot:

• ❌ Reduce your lock amount or duration

• ❌ Transfer veMENTO to another address

Common Questions