**Preamble**

We the community of the Polkadot Ecosystem in order to form a more decentralized network, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Polkadot DAO.

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**Article I: Polkadot Origin Story**

**Section 1: Polkadot Whitepaper**

Polkadot was founded by Dr. Gavin Wood, who also co-founded Ethereum (2014) and created the Solidity programming language (2014). He introduced the first vision in November 2016, in a draft whitepaper called "Polkadot: Vision for a heterogenous multi-chain Framework".

The commitment to decentralization was already expressed by the words from the document:
"Where parameters are specified, they are likely to change. Mechanisms will be added, refined and removed in response to community ideas and critiques".

**Section 2: Polkadot OpenGov**

In 15 June 2023 the Polkadot OpenGov governance system officialy launched, making DOT holders the largest and most decentralized decision-making group in the world. They are at the heart of the OpenGov system and carry the primary responsibility for governance decisions.

By giving decision-making power to the Community, it is unstoppable (even by its creators).

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**Article II: Community Principles**

**Section 1: Inclusivity and Diversity**

The Polkadot DAO is dedicated to create an inclusive space, where everyone regardless of age, gender, race or nationality is welcomed. It stands against racism, harrasment and discrimination, promoting respect and equality for all DOT holders.

**Section 2: Open Participation**

The Polkadot DAO is open to all DOT holders. Everyone is invited to share ideas, engage in discussions and participate in the OpenGov governance. The term "Web3" was coined by the Polkadot founder Dr Gavin Wood in 2014. It was described as "A decentralized online ecosystem based on blockchain". Polkadot DAO embodies the core values of Web3, emphasizing decentralization and open-source collaboration. Every DOT holder is invited to contribute their perspective, regardless of their experience or expertise.

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**Article III: Governance Framework**

**Section 1: The OpenGov System**

All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in the OpenGov, which shall consist of the collective DOT holders, with the advisory input from the The Technical Fellowship.

**Section 2: Proposals on OpenGov**

In the Polkadot OpenGov, all proposals are initiated by the public. Any DOT holder can submit a proposal, which then progresses through the governance based on community support and engagement. To ensure accountability and transparency, only individuals with a verified on-chain identity can submit full proposals, such as governance improvements, protocol changes or treasury allocations.

Regardless of on-chain identity status, every DOT holder can submit on the small tipper and small spender track.

**Section 3: Delegating**

Delegations allow token holders to assign voting power on different tracks to different entities, who are experts in judging the referenda submitted to those tracks. DOT holders who lack time or expertise in specific fields should perform due dilligence and find an expert, who acts in the best interest of the Network protocol.

**Section 4: The Technical Fellowship**

The Technical Fellowship is a self-governing body of experts and developers of the Polkadot Network protocol. It is not exclusive to developers, but also to ideators, designers, formalisers and research analysts with knowledge required in the ongoing maintenance and development of the Polkadot Network. Any DOT holder with long-term contrubutions can apply to join the Fellowship.

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**Article IV: Rights and Responsibilities of DOT Holders**

**Section 1: Rights**

All DOT holders are entitled to participate in the OpenGov governance by creating proposals, voting on referenda and proposing changes to the protocol. Polkadot DAO will remain open and inclusive to the whole community. A voter's identity is protected, but they can also have an on-chain ID to grow trust.

To maintain trust and accountability within the ecosystem, all governance activities, not limited to proposal discussions and voting records, must be visible and transperent to all DOT holders.

**Section 2: Responsibilities**

It is the duty of DOT holders to participate in the governance process, by voting or delegating, and if possible, also by actively participating in discussions and creating their own proposals.

To maintain a positive, constructive and engaged community, all DOT holders must conduct themselves with respect and integrity, refraining from any behaviors, that might harm other participants of the Network.

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**Article V: Amendment Process**

**Section 1: Proposing Amendments**

Any DOT holder can propose amendments to this Constitution. As this is a draft, comments shall be made on hackmd.io, X, Reddit etc. - but after release of first version, only by sufficient support and voted through OpenGov.

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**Article VI: Treasury Management**

**Section 1: Treasury Governance and Oversight**

The Treasury is a decentralized, community-driven funding for Polkadot projects. It is primarily funded through inflation, network fees or slashing and is managed by every DOT holder via OpenGov. Any activity or project that benefits Polkadot can be funded by the treasury. Treasury funds can be allocated via on-chain governance in three ways: proposals, bounties, and tips.

**Section 2: Transparency and Accountability**

All expenditures and voting decisions are documented thanks to blockchain technology. This allows for regular audits, which provide transparency and give a guarentee, that funds from the Treasury are allocated responsible and for initiatives that support the health and growth of the Polkadot Ecosystem. Projects like https://www.opengov.watch/ or https://app.ogtracker.io/all tread a path for the Polkadot DAO transparency.

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**Article VII: Tokenomics**

**Section 1: Tokenomics and Inflation**

Polkadot's economic model, not limited to inflation ratio and token distribution, can be reviewed if needed and adjusted by all DOT holders through the OpenGov voting. The main goal is to sustain the Network stability and incentivize participation but not at the expense of losing security.

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**Article VIII: Ethical Standards**

**Section 1: The Code of Conduct**

All members of the Polkadot DAO community shall engage with respect and inclusivity.

Actions that may compromise the security or integrity of the network, such as market manipulation, fraud or harassment, are strictly prohibited.

**Section 2: Enforcement**

Violations of this Constitution may result in sanctions. Slashing will happen if a Validator misbehaves in the Network. Repeatedly violating the community's ethical standards in OpenGov or any social media platform may result in restrictions on governance participation via community voting.

**Section 3: Interpretation**

This Constitution serves as the foundation of the Polkadot governance. All proposals in the OpenGov must conform to its provisions. During major governance or structural changes the Constitutions shall be updated first, to ensure, that the Network remains stable.

This Constitutions shall come into force via OpenGov proposal with a supermajority of aye votes from the DOT holders. It would become the second on-chain Constitution within the Web3 and on a DAO after the Cosmos protocol.