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Governor

Kleros Governor Interface Kleros Governor enables DAOs and on-chain organizations to execute governance decisions with a built-in dispute resolution backstop. It uses an optimistic execution model: anyone can submit a list of transactions to be executed, and if no one challenges it, the transactions go through. If multiple competing lists are submitted, Kleros Court resolves the conflict. Governor is the mechanism Kleros itself uses to manage protocol parameters, court configurations, and contract upgrades.

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V1 - Production Protocol

Governor V1 runs on Ethereum Mainnet. It was deployed as part of the transition to fully decentralized governance using Snapshot voting and on-chain execution (see KIP-30). It uses the same optimistic execution model as V2, with a simpler implementation:
  1. A governance vote passes on Snapshot
  2. Anyone submits a transaction list to Governor implementing the approved changes
  3. During the submission period, others can submit competing lists
  4. If only one list is submitted, it executes automatically
  5. If multiple lists are submitted, a Kleros Court dispute determines the correct one
  6. After resolution, the winning list’s transactions are executed on-chain

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V2 - Next-Gen Upgrade

Governor V2 runs on Arbitrum and keeps the same optimistic execution model. The sections below describe the V2 implementation.

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Key Capabilities

Optimistic Execution

Transactions execute automatically if unchallenged during the submission period

Dispute Resolution

Competing transaction lists are settled by Kleros Court jurors

Permissionless Submission

Anyone can submit a transaction list by providing a deposit

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How It Works

Governor operates in sessions. Each session follows this flow:
1

Submission Period

Anyone can submit a list of transactions they want the Governor to execute. Each submission requires a deposit and must be submitted within the first half of the submission window (withdrawals are only possible during this first half as well).
2

Approval / Dispute

When the submission period ends, one of three things happens:
  • Zero submissions: The session closes and a new one begins.
  • One submission: The transaction list is approved and executed. The submitter’s deposit is returned.
  • Multiple submissions: A dispute is created in Kleros Court. Jurors decide which list should be executed. The number of choices equals the number of submitted lists.
3

Execution

The approved transaction list is executed on-chain. Transactions in the list are processed sequentially.

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Withdrawing a Submission

Submitters can withdraw their transaction list during the first half of the submission period, provided it is within the withdrawTimeout after submission. This returns their deposit and removes the list from consideration.

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Use Cases

Protocol Governance: Kleros uses Governor to manage its own contract parameters: updating court configurations, whitelisting fee tokens, adjusting staking parameters, and upgrading contracts. DAO Execution: Any DAO can use Governor to execute treasury operations, parameter changes, or contract calls with a dispute resolution safety net. Multi-sig Alternative: Governor provides a decentralized alternative to multi-sig wallets for organizations that want permissionless, transparent governance execution.

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How Governor Differs from Traditional Governance

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What’s Next?

Use Governor

Open the Governor application

Governance Overview

Learn about Kleros governance and KIPs