[Staking](/governance/staking) — Stake NUMS in the vault
to receive vNUMS, which represents your share and grants voting power.
This page covers the vault token, how voting power is derived, and the fee
structure.
[Votes](/governance/votes) — The Governor contract
manages the full proposal lifecycle: submission, voting, timelock, and
execution. This page details how proposals are created, how voting works,
and the parameters that govern the process.
[Treasury](/governance/treasury) — The treasury holds
protocol assets and serves as the operational reserve. All fund movements
require a passed governance proposal. This page covers what the treasury
holds, how funds are allocated, and the safeguards in place.
### Design principles
The governance system is built around a few core principles:
* **Progressive decentralization** — The protocol is designed to hand over increasing control to the community over time. Governance can vote to adjust any parameter as the protocol matures.
* **Onchain execution** — All governance actions are executed onchain through the Governor and Treasury contracts. There is no off-chain multisig or admin override.
* **Minimal friction** — Staking has no lock-up period and no fee by default. The barrier to participation is intentionally low so that governance reflects the broadest possible set of stakeholders.
* **Transparency** — Every proposal, vote, and fund movement is recorded onchain and can be independently verified by anyone.
## Staking
Token holders can stake their NUMS in the vault to participate in protocol governance. Staking converts NUMS into **vNUMS**, a share token that represents your position in the vault and grants you voting power over proposals, parameter changes, and treasury decisions.
### Token
**vNUMS** is the vault share token. It is a standard ERC-20 with integrated voting functionality. When you deposit NUMS into the vault, you receive vNUMS in return at the current exchange rate. This token is fully transferable—you can hold it, trade it, or use it in DeFi protocols.
The vNUMS/NUMS exchange rate starts at 1:1 at protocol launch. Over time, if withdrawal fees are introduced by governance (see [Fee](#fee) below), the exchange rate can shift in favor of remaining holders—meaning each vNUMS may become redeemable for more than one NUMS.
:::note
At protocol launch, the initial parity is **1 vNUMS for 1 NUMS**.
:::
:::tip
**vNUMS is transferable.** You can deposit it into a liquidity pool or use it elsewhere. However, voting power is tied to the address holding vNUMS. If you transfer vNUMS to a contract (such as a DEX pool), the voting power associated with those tokens is lost—the pool contract cannot delegate or vote.
:::
### Voting power
Your voting power is determined by your **vNUMS balance** at the time a proposal is created. The more vNUMS you hold, the greater your influence over governance decisions.
Voting power applies to all proposal types: game parameter changes, treasury allocations, protocol upgrades, and any other action submitted to the Governor contract.
#### Considerations
See [Votes — How to participate](/governance/votes#how-to-participate) for the full step-by-step guide to staking, delegating, and voting.
* **Delegation is required**: simply holding vNUMS is not enough. You must delegate your voting power (even to yourself) for it to be active. See [Votes](/governance/votes#delegation) for details.
* Voting power is **not retroactive**: only balances at proposal creation time count. Acquiring vNUMS after a proposal is created does not grant voting rights on that proposal.
* There is no minimum stake to vote, but there is a **proposal threshold** to submit proposals (see [Votes](/governance/votes) for details).
### Fee
There is **no fee** associated with entering or exiting the vault. You can stake and unstake freely, with no lock-up period and no minimum duration.
However, the DAO has the ability to introduce a **withdrawal fee** through a governance vote. If such a proposal passes, a fee would be applied when unstaking vNUMS back to NUMS. The collected fees would remain in the vault, mechanically increasing the vNUMS/NUMS exchange rate for remaining holders.
:::note
At protocol launch, **no fee** is applied on deposits or withdrawals. Any future fee can only be introduced through a successful governance vote.
:::
## Treasury
The **Treasury** is the protocol's onchain reserve. It centralizes DAO-owned assets and serves as the financial backbone for grants, partnerships, liquidity management, and operational spending. Every movement of funds requires a passed governance proposal—no single actor can unilaterally access treasury assets.
The Treasury contract is also the account that holds the **administrative permissions** on the protocol. It is the contract authorized to modify game parameters, collect liquidity pool fees, update contract configurations, and execute any privileged operation on the game.
### Purpose
The treasury exists to fund the long-term development and sustainability of the protocol. It enables the DAO to:
Fund development — Allocate resources to protocol
improvements, new features, audits, and infrastructure.
Support growth — Finance grants, partnerships, marketing
initiatives, and community programs that expand the protocol's reach.
Manage liquidity — Oversee the treasury-owned liquidity
pool, adjust positions, and ensure healthy trading conditions for the NUMS
token.
Cover operations — Pay for ongoing costs such as indexer
hosting, RPC services, and other infrastructure required to keep the
protocol running.
### Governance controls
All treasury operations are governed by the proposal and voting process described in [Votes](/governance/votes). The key safeguards are:
Proposal required — No funds can be moved without a
governance proposal that has passed the voting process.
Timelock enforced — Approved proposals enter a timelock
before execution, giving the community time to react.
Onchain execution — Fund transfers are executed by the
Governor contract directly. There is no off-chain step or manual
intervention.
Full transparency — Every transaction from the treasury
is recorded onchain and can be verified by anyone at any time.
## Votes
The **Governor** contract is the backbone of onchain governance. It manages the full lifecycle of proposals—from submission to execution—and ensures that all protocol changes go through a transparent, community-driven process.
### Proposal types
Governance proposals can cover a wide range of protocol decisions. Typical categories include:
Game parameters — Adjust burn percentages, entry prices,
multiplier coefficients, estimated supply targets, or other
gameplay-related values that shape the economy.
Treasury matters — Allocate funds from the treasury for
grants, partnerships, liquidity provisioning, operational expenses, or
community initiatives.
Protocol upgrades — Approve contract upgrades, deploy new
features, integrate external services, or modify the governance process
itself.
Fee changes — Introduce or modify fees, such as a vault
withdrawal fee, referral rate adjustments, or swap fee changes on the
treasury-owned liquidity pool.
Revenue allocation — Adjust the split of protocol revenue
between the team and the vault. By default, all revenue goes to the team,
but governance can vote to redirect a portion (or all of it) to the vault.
Proposals are not limited to these categories. Any action that can be executed onchain through the Governor contract can be submitted for a vote.
### Proposal lifecycle
Every proposal follows a strict sequence of phases:
1. Submission — A vNUMS holder whose balance meets the
proposal threshold submits a proposal. The proposal includes a description
and one or more onchain actions to execute if it passes.
2. Voting delay — A short waiting period before voting
begins. This gives the community time to review the proposal and form
opinions before casting votes.
3. Voting period — The window during which vNUMS holders
can cast their votes (for, against, or abstain). Voting power is based on
vNUMS balance at the time the proposal was created.
4. Quorum check — Once the voting period ends, the
proposal must meet the quorum threshold (minimum percentage of circulating
vNUMS that participated) and have more votes in favor than against.
5. Timelock — Approved proposals enter a timelock delay
before execution. This provides a final safety window during which
participants can react if needed (e.g., unstaking if they disagree with
the outcome).
6. Execution — After the timelock expires, anyone can
trigger the proposal's execution. The onchain actions specified in the
proposal are carried out by the Governor contract.
:::note
**Initial parameters (Governor contract).** At protocol launch:
* **Voting delay**: 5 minutes — Time between proposal creation and voting start
* **Voting period**: 10 minutes — Duration of the voting window
* **Proposal threshold**: 1 vNUMS — Minimum vNUMS required to submit a proposal
* **Quorum**: 30% of circulating vNUMS — Minimum participation for a vote to be valid
* **Timelock delay**: 1 hour — Enforced by the Treasury contract before execution
:::
:::warning
These are **test parameters** and will be updated before mainnet launch.
:::
### Voting
Voting power is derived from your **vNUMS balance** at the time a proposal is created (see [Staking](/governance/staking) for details on how to acquire vNUMS). Each vNUMS equals one vote.
#### Delegation
After staking, you must **choose a delegate** for your voting power. This is a required step—without delegation, your vNUMS do not count toward any vote.
* **Self-delegation** — If you want to vote yourself, delegate to your own address. This is the most common choice for active participants.
* **Delegate to another account** — If you prefer not to vote directly, you can delegate your voting power to another address. That delegate will then vote on your behalf with the weight of your vNUMS balance added to theirs.
Delegation can be changed at any time. You can switch delegates or reclaim your voting power by self-delegating again. Delegating does not transfer your tokens—only the voting power associated with them.
:::note
Delegation is **mandatory** to activate voting power. Simply holding vNUMS is not enough—you must explicitly delegate (even to yourself) for your balance to count in governance votes.
:::
#### Casting a vote
When casting a vote, you choose one of three options:
* **For** — You support the proposal and want it to pass.
* **Against** — You oppose the proposal and want it to be rejected.
* **Abstain** — You participate (contributing to quorum) without expressing a preference.
Abstain votes count toward quorum but do not count for or against the proposal. This allows holders to help meet quorum without influencing the outcome.
### How to participate
Stake NUMS — Deposit NUMS in the vault to receive vNUMS.
Delegate — Choose a delegate for your voting power:
yourself (to vote directly) or another address. This step is mandatory to
activate your vNUMS for governance.
Review proposals — Monitor active and pending proposals.
Evaluate the description and the onchain actions that would be executed.
Cast your vote — During the voting period, submit your
vote (for, against, or abstain). Your vote weight equals your vNUMS
balance at proposal creation.
Submit proposals — If your vNUMS balance meets the
proposal threshold, you can create new proposals for the community to vote
on.
## Game Rules
The game is a skill-based number placement game. Players place 18 numbers (between 1 and 999) into 18 slots in ascending order. Two equal numbers may be placed consecutively. Success depends on strategic placement, timing of power-ups, and managing traps—not luck.
### Game flow
1
The player pays an entry price according to one of several available options
2
The system draws 18 unique numbers between 1 and 999
3
The player always sees the current number to place and the next number (peek)
4
The player strategically places the current number into an available slot. They can reshape their fate by using power-ups and navigating traps
5
Once placed, a number cannot be moved. After filling a certain number of slots, the player unlocks power-ups; using them wisely at the right moment is a key part of the strategy
6
All placed numbers must stay in ascending order from left to right. Two equal numbers can be placed consecutively
7
Complete the game and claim your rewards
Reroll
Discard the current number and get a new one
Double Up
Multiply the current number by two
Foresight
Reveal the following number after this one
Halve
Divide the current number by two
Boost High
Discard and get a number higher than the current one
Boost Low
Discard and get a number lower than the current one
Mirror
Reflect the current number to its complementary value
Swap
Swap the current number with the next number
## Practice
The game offers a **practice mode** that lets you learn the game without risking any tokens. Practice mode is **completely off-chain**—no blockchain transactions, no gas, no on-chain state. It is the ideal way to discover the mechanics, test strategies, and build confidence before playing for real.
### Description
Practice mode uses the same rules and flow as paid games. You place 18 numbers into slots in ascending order, use power-ups when you unlock them at Gem milestones, and navigate traps whose positions you know from the start. The only differences: there is no entry cost, and no tokens are awarded—win or lose.
### Practice mode
Learn the placement logic — Get a feel for when to place low numbers early, when to leave gaps, and how ascending order constrains your choices
Experiment with power-ups — Try Reroll, Halve, Swap, Mirror, and others to see which ones help in which situations
Read the board — Practice spotting trap positions and planning placements to trigger or avoid chain reactions
Develop timing — Decide when to use a power-up immediately versus saving it for a harder moment
:::note
**When to switch.** Once you feel comfortable with the flow, power-up timing, and trap handling, you can move to paid games. Practice mode has no limit on how many times you can play—use it as much as you need before committing tokens.
:::
## Randomness
The game uses a **VRF** (Verifiable Random Function), also known as vRNG (Verifiable Random Number Generator), to generate all random outcomes on-chain. This ensures that number draws and power-up choices are provably fair—neither players nor the protocol can predict or manipulate results.
### Description
Randomness is used throughout the game: the 18 numbers drawn for each game and the power-ups offered at Gem milestones. All of these are produced by the VRF at the moment they are needed, within the same transaction. The request and the random value are processed atomically, so there is no delay and no separate step to wait for—the result is immediately available and verifiable on Starknet.
The system relies on the [Cartridge vRNG](https://docs.cartridge.gg/slot/vrng), which uses the Stark curve and Poseidon hash for efficient on-chain verification. The entire process occurs on-chain, keeping transparency and fairness auditable.
### Key features
Provably fair — Numbers and outcomes cannot be predicted or manipulated before or during play
Atomic execution — Each random value is requested and consumed within the same transaction, with no waiting between steps
Fully on-chain — All randomness is generated and verified on Starknet, ensuring transparency
Unique draws — Each game receives 18 unique numbers between 1 and 999
:::tip
**More details.** For technical implementation, the request/response flow, and integration details, see the [Cartridge vRNG documentation](https://docs.cartridge.gg/slot/vrng).
:::
## Rewards
When you buy a game, a **reward multiplier** is associated with it. Your final reward is then determined by your score and this game multiplier.
### Description
**At purchase** — A multiplier is locked in for your game based on:
Starting stake — The amount put at risk for the game
Token price — Current NUMS price at the time of purchase
Supply — NUMS supply conditions
Average player performance — The protocol's aggregated performance metrics
This multiplier stays fixed for the lifetime of that game.
**When you finish** — Your reward is calculated from your score (slots filled) and the multiplier attached to your game. The better you perform, the higher the reward.
### Claim
When the game ends (game over), rewards are **claimed automatically**. No manual action is required—as soon as the game is over, the NUMS you earned are credited directly to your wallet based on the slots you filled and your game's multiplier. The amount is calculated on-chain and transferred to you in a single step.
Once received, your NUMS are yours to use freely: stake them, trade them, or hold them—no restrictions apply.
:::warning
**24-hour validity.** A game is only valid for 24 hours after purchase. During this period, the game must be played and rewards claimed. Otherwise, the game is no longer playable.
:::
## Traps
Some slots in the game may contain **traps** that affect gameplay when you place a number on them. Each trap triggers a specific effect; all effects produce coherent results—**the ascending order of numbers is always preserved**. Navigating traps is part of the strategy.
### Activation
Traps are predetermined at game start. You see their type and position from the very beginning—they are visible on the board before you place any number. A trap activates when you place a number on its slot; the effect triggers automatically and cannot be prevented. Plan your placements around known trap positions. Traps can reshape the board in your favor or work against you; adapting to the layout is key.
:::note
**One activation per trap.** A trap can only be activated once during the entire game. Once its effect has been triggered, it is disabled for the rest of the game.
:::
:::warning
**Chain reactions are possible.** For example, if you place a number on a Magnet that pulls another number onto a slot with an active trap, that second trap will also activate immediately.
:::
### Traps
Bomb
Reroll the two nearest set numbers after a number is placed here
Lucky
Reroll this tile after a number is placed here
Magnet
Pull the two nearest set numbers towards this tile
UFO
Move this tile to a random slot after a number is placed here
Windy
Push the two nearest set numbers away from this tile
**Gem** icon, two power-ups are drawn at random; you must choose one before continuing. You unlock up to 3 power-ups per game as you progress. Use them with caution—timing is crucial and can make the difference between turning the tide or wasting a valuable resource.
:::note
**One use per power-up.** Once used, a power-up is disabled for the rest of the game. There is currently no mechanic to reuse an already used power-up.
:::
:::tip
**Same type multiple times.** With the choices offered at each Gem milestone, it is entirely possible to end up with the same type of power-up several times (e.g. two Rerolls, two Halves).
:::
### Power-ups