Network Nervous System (NNS)

How it works

The Internet Computer doesn’t require complicated forks to upgrade its capacity. Anyone can submit a proposal to make protocol level changes. Once approved by ICP token holders, these changes are automatically deployed by the NNS, seamlessly upgrading the network. For participating in governance, ICP token holders receive voting rewards.

Help govern the Internet Computer

Anyone can participate in governance by simply sending ICP to the NNS and staking it in neurons. These neurons have to be locked for a specific time between 6 months and 8 years to be eligible for voting and earning voting rewards.

Once locked, neurons can vote on proposals manually or follow the vote of other neurons — this is called liquid democracy. The longer a neuron is locked for, the more voting rewards it collects

Earn staking rewards

Voting rewards are distributed among participants who have locked ICP in neurons and are voting either manually or follow other neurons that vote. Rewards are distributed daily to voting neurons as maturity. This maturity is unrealized ICP that can be either staked or spawned. Staking maturity adds to the voting power of the neuron. Spawning mints the maturity into a neuron that becomes liquid after a week so that the ICP contained in the neuron can also be used outside of the NNS.