Arbitrum DAO boosts ARB utility with staking and governance upgrades

The DAO bolsters its framework and community by enabling ARB staking and enhancing token utility and security.

In a major advancement for the Arbitrum ecosystem, the Arbitrum DAO has approved a temperature check proposal focused on boosting the utility of the ARB token and strengthening governance security.

The proposal, which garnered overwhelming support with 91% approval from more than 25,000 participants, concluded its onchain voting on Aug. 15.

ARB staking and governance enhancements

The core of the proposal focuses on unlocking the utility of the ARB (ARB) token by enabling ARB staking. However, it stops short of distributing fees to tokenholders for now. Instead, it introduces a liquidity-staking ARB token (stARB) through the Tally protocol. 

This innovative staking mechanism will allow ARB tokenholders to stake and delegate their tokens in exchange for stARB, which represents their stake. The stARB token supports the automatic compounding of future rewards, restaking options, and compatibility with various decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.

This strategic initiative is anticipated to encourage greater active participation within the Arbitrum ecosystem. By staking ARB tokens and actively delegating them, holders will be eligible to receive surplus sequencer fees in the future.

This mechanism is intended to incentivize voter participation in the DAO, addressing the current low levels of engagement.

Addressing ARB underperformance and security measures

The proposal highlights a pressing issue: the underperformance of the ARB token in terms of value accrual. According to the proposal, less than 1% of ARB tokens are currently active within the onchain ecosystem, and voter participation has been on a decline since the DAO’s inception. 

Related: Arbitrum DAO votes on $1M fund for Tornado Cash devs’ legal defense

Another critical aspect of the proposal is the focus on preventing potential governance attacks. As the Arbitrum treasury grows, it becomes an increasingly attractive target for malicious actors. 

By implementing the staking mechanism and ensuring active delegation, the DAO aims to create a more robust and secure governance structure. This proactive approach is crucial in safeguarding the treasury and maintaining the integrity of the governance process.

In June, the team behind Arbitrum, a layer-2 network built on Ethereum, allocated 225 million ARB tokens ($215 million) for distribution via the Gaming Catalyst Program over the next three years.

Additionally, in March, the Arbitrum DAO rejected a proposal to cover the legal expenses of Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, the developers behind Tornado Cash.

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