Streaming Quadratic Voting

Streaming Quadratic Voting (SQV) enables community members to allocate continuous support to projects or proposals using quadratic cost principles. Unlike traditional one-time voting, participants stream their preferences over time, enabling fluid, adaptive governance that captures evolving community sentiment.

How It Works

SQV extends quadratic voting from discrete events into continuous, dynamic allocation.

1. Participants receive voice credits — tokens, reputation points, or time-weighted signal credits
2. Credits are allocated to options with quadratic cost — the cost of additional votes increases quadratically (1 vote = 1 credit, 2 votes = 4 credits, 3 votes = 9 credits)
3. Allocation is continuous — rather than voting once, participants stream support over time
4. Dynamic rebalancing — voters can adjust their allocations in real time as conditions, preferences, or project performance change
5. Rate controls prevent manipulation and spam while maintaining responsiveness

Advantages

• Captures evolving community sentiment rather than point-in-time snapshots
• Prevents vote-buying and plutocracy via quadratic cost
• Supports nuanced, expressive inputs that reflect intensity of preference
• Creates responsive decision loops with minimal latency

Limitations

• Not suited for binary or one-time decisions
• Requires engaged communities — low participation distorts results
• Needs reliable identity verification to prevent sybil attacks
• More complex to implement and understand than simple voting

Best Used When

• Protocol governance where token holders continuously prioritize features or upgrades
• Grants allocation where supporters stream backing across different domains dynamically
• Civic participation where citizens allocate budget preferences over extended periods
• Any context where preferences evolve and one-time votes are insufficient

Examples and Use Cases

Continuous Feature Prioritization

Protocol teams use SQV to let token holders continuously signal which features or upgrades matter most, with priorities shifting in real time.

Dynamic Grants Allocation

Funding communities stream quadratic votes across grant categories, dynamically rebalancing as new proposals emerge or existing ones deliver results.

Extended Civic Budgeting

Citizens allocate budget preferences over months using SQV, with the community's evolving priorities reflected in real-time dashboards.

Further Reading

• Allo Capital — Streaming Quadratic Voting