How to Participate in Polkadot’s OpenGov Using Nova Wallet
Polkadot’s decentralized governance framework, known as OpenGov, enables DOT token holders to have a direct say in the development and future of Polkadot. Whether it’s voting on network upgrades, proposing new parameters, or requesting funds for creating amazing applications, OpenGov gives you the power to shape Polkadot’s evolution. With Nova Wallet, participating in Polkadot OpenGov has never been easier.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to participate in Polkadot’s OpenGov using Nova Wallet, explore the benefits of decentralized governance, and provide insights into key governance features like SwipeGov, referendum, delegations, and hardware wallet support.
What is Polkadot OpenGov?
Polkadot OpenGov is the decentralized governance system that allows the community to make key decisions about the network. Unlike centralized systems, decisions on Polkadot are made through a transparent and inclusive process. Every token holder can participate in governance via creating and voting on referenda, where decisions are made to decide the network’s future.
The goal of Polkadot governance is to ensure that the network evolves in a decentralized manner, with every participant having a voice in decisions that impact the ecosystem. This gives the Polkadot community the power to propose, vote, and implement changes, making the network adaptable and resilient. A key feature of Polkadot’s OpenGov is that referendums, once approved, are automatically executed by the protocol, there is no requirement to have a middle-man implementing the change — removing the requirement for “trigger pullers” makes Polkadot’s governance model the most decentralized and resilient in the world.
How Nova Wallet Supports OpenGov Participation
Nova Wallet is your gateway to participating in Polkadot governance. It provides seamless integration with Polkadot OpenGov, allowing you to vote and delegate votes directly from your wallet. Here’s how Nova Wallet supports OpenGov participation:
- SwipeGov: Nova Wallet makes it incredibly easy to participate in Polkadot governance with SwipeGov. Simply swipe to vote on referenda, allowing you to quickly engage in governance decisions. Simply swipe right to vote AYE, left to vote NAY or up to Abstain!
- Referenda: with Nova Wallet, you can effortlessly keep track of ongoing referenda (proposals) and vote on them right from Nova’s vote screen. Using Nova Wallet you can vote in the governance of 15+ networks
- Delegations: if you prefer, you can delegate your vote to another person in the network, such as a technical expert, allowing them to vote on your behalf. Nova Wallet simplifies the delegation process, giving you flexibility in how you engage with governance.
4. Advanced features: Nova Wallet supports integration with Ledger and Polkadot Vault hardware wallets, adding an extra layer of security for your governance participation. You can safely vote, submit proposals, and delegate votes with the confidence that your private keys are secure.
Benefits of Decentralized Governance on Polkadot
Participating in Polkadot governance through OpenGov comes with several key benefits:
- Decentralized governance ensures no single entity controls the network, reducing the risk of malicious changes.
- All proposals and votes are visible on-chain, ensuring that the decision-making process is transparent.
- OpenGov allows Polkadot to evolve dynamically. Proposals and upgrades can be introduced and voted on by the community, and are automatically executed on-chain, without the need for any middle-men. Network upgrades can even be carried out without the need for hard-forks, unlike most other networks.
The most powerful aspect of OpenGov is that Polkadot governance is controlled by its community, enabling users to directly influence decisions about the network’s development — there is no central entity controlling the direction of Polkadot, it is solely controlled by DOT token holders.
Guide to Submitting Votes and Delegating Using Nova Wallet
Here’s how you can vote in OpenGov and set your delegations using Nova Wallet:
1. Voting with SwipeGov
- Open your Nova Wallet and navigate to the vote section.
- Select the network you wish to vote on, for example, Polkadot.
- Select the SwipeGov banner.
- Review the AI summaries of each referendum.
- Swipe right to AYE, left to NAY, and up to Abstain — or press the icons at the bottom of the screen.
- If it is your first time using SwipeGov, you will be prompted to set your voting power (tokens and conviction level).
- Confirm your votes when you are finished.
You can find out more about voting using SwipeGov over at our wiki!
2. Voting without SwipeGov
- Open your Nova Wallet and navigate to the vote section.
- Select the network you wish to vote on, for example, Polkadot.
- Browse through the active referenda (governance proposals) and select one you wish to vote on.
- Choose your vote type (AYE, NAY, or abstain) and confirm it.
- If you prefer, you can delegate your vote to another member of the community as detailed below.
You can find out more about voting in Polkadot OpenGov over at our wiki!
3. Delegating Votes
- In the vote section, select “Add Delegation.”
- Choose a network participant from the list that you wish to delegate to. You can also manually enter their address using the search button.
- Select the “Add delegation” button.
- Select the tracks that you wish to delegate on, or press the “Select all” button
- Select Continue.
- Set the voting power that you wish to delegate (tokens and conviction level).
- Select Continue and Confirm.
You can find out more about delegating your votes over at our wiki!
Feature Breakdown: Key Governance Tools in Nova Wallet
Nova Wallet offers powerful tools to help you engage with Polkadot OpenGov. Let’s break down some key features:
1. SwipeGov
SwipeGov allows you to vote in a simple and efficient manner. With just a swipe, you can cast your vote on referenda and stay actively involved in Polkadot governance. This easy-to-use feature ensures even the busiest people never miss a chance to participate in decision-making.
2. Referenda
Nova Wallet helps you keep track of active referenda. You can quickly view, vote on, and monitor the results of governance proposals, ensuring you’re always in the loop with Polkadot governance.
3. Delegations
With delegations, you can choose to transfer your voting power to a trusted network participant. This option is perfect for those who don’t have the time to vote directly but still want to have a say in the governance process. Nova Wallet’s delegation feature is intuitive and easy to manage, and has a discoverability layer with the delegate registry, allowing you to easily identify key network participants to delegate your vote to.
4. Push Notifications
You can opt-in to receive Push Notifications for governance actions on Polkadot and Kusama. You can customize the notifications that you receive — for example, you can get notified when a new referendum is live, or when the status of a referendum changes. You can also set notifications granularly per track, so for example you can choose to only be notified when powerful Root track referendums are proposed.
You can find out more about Nova Wallet’s push notification feature over at our wiki!
5. Advanced Features: Hardware Wallets
Hardware Wallets
For maximum security, Nova Wallet has support for Ledger and Polkadot Vault hardware wallets. These hardware wallets keep your private keys offline at all times — giving you peace of mind when interacting with the Polkadot ecosystem.
You can learn more about using hardware wallets with Nova Wallet over on our wiki!
Proxy Accounts
Nova Wallet supports proxy accounts, also known as delegated authorities. You can delegate access to your account for specific operations, such as governance, to a second account. This allows you to delegate authority over governance actions to a hot wallet on behalf of your cold wallet — allowing you increased flexibility when voting as you do not need to have your hardware wallet with you at all times.
You can learn more about Delegated Authorities over at our wiki!
Tips for Staying Informed About Governance Updates
To stay up-to-date with the latest governance proposals and updates:
- Nova Wallet offers governance push notifications, so you never miss important updates.
- Stay connected with Polkadot’s official social media and community forums for the latest governance news.
- Engage with the Polkadot community to discuss ongoing proposals and decisions.
Conclusion
Participating in Polkadot OpenGov is a powerful way to determine the future of the network. With Nova Wallet, you can easily review, participate, and delegate in OpenGov making it simple to take part in Polkadot’s decentralized governance.
By using tools like SwipeGov, voting, delegations, hardware wallet support, Push Notifications, and Proxy Accounts, Nova Wallet ensures that your governance experience is both secure and user-friendly. Get started today and make your voice heard in shaping the future of Polkadot with Nova Wallet!
About Nova Wallet
Nova Wallet is the ultimate mobile wallet with support for 100+ networks and over 200 assets. With features such as Staking support for 13+ assets, Hardware Wallet integrations for Ledger and Polkadot Vault, DApp Support for both Substrate and EVM chains, Push Notifications, NFTs, and advanced features such as Proxy account support — Nova Wallet is the fastest, most convenient and secure mobile wallet for the Polkadot Ecosystem. Nova Wallet is fully open-sourced and is funded by the Polkadot Treasury.
Developed by Novasama Technologies.
About Novasama Technologies
Novasama Technologies develops user-focused applications for the Polkadot ecosystem. Our portfolio includes Nova Wallet, the leading mobile app for the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystems available on iOS and Android devices; Nova Spektr the full-spectrum Polkadot Desktop Wallet available on macOS, Linux, and Windows; Telenova, the beginner-friendly self-custodial wallet built into Telegram; and Polkadot Vault, the air-gapped hardware wallet for the Polkadot ecosystem.
