How Much Does a Crypto-Vote Cost?

“In cryptonetworks where a token provides some kind of voting power (e.g. a DAO or proof-of-stake), we might determine the cost of each vote by calculating how much interest it would cost to borrow that token in secondary lending markets for the duration of the vote. This idea highlights the important role of time as a variable in the governance process, because the longer the period one needs to borrow the token to vote, the more expensive it is in terms of interest paid. If this is true, we can use this insight to design stronger governance systems. Protocols can’t control second-market interest rates, but they can influence the “cost of governance” by manipulating how much time it takes to complete the voting process.“