svmgov Terminology

This glossary defines the core terms used throughout the svmgov program, CLI, and proposal lifecycle.

Governance Lifecycle Terms

Proposal

An on-chain governance object created by a validator. It stores title, description link, voting window, support totals, vote totals, and finalization state.

Support Phase

The period after proposal creation where validators call support_proposal.
If support reaches cluster_support_pct_min_bps (default 1500 bps = 15%), voting activates.

Voting Phase

The period from start_epoch to end_epoch where validators can cast_vote and modify_vote, and delegators can submit overrides.

Finalized

A terminal state set by finalize_proposal after the voting window ends. Vote totals are locked and no further changes are allowed.

Stake and Voting Terms

Basis Points (BPS)

Vote allocation units where:

• 10,000 bps = 100%
• 1,000 bps = 10%

Validator and delegator vote splits (for, against, abstain) must sum to exactly 10,000.

Stake-Weighted Vote

A vote whose impact is proportional to active delegated stake (in lamports), not just one-wallet-one-vote.

Vote Override

A delegator action that replaces the validator’s vote outcome for that delegator’s stake account.

Vote Override Cache

A per-proposal/per-validator accumulator used when delegators override before the validator has cast their vote. Cached values are applied when validator vote is submitted.

Effective Validator Stake

Validator stake used for final vote math after subtracting delegator-overridden stake portions.

Proof and Snapshot Terms

ConsensusResult

The finalized NCN snapshot root and hash used by svmgov to verify stake proofs. Set when support activates voting and used by cast_vote / cast_vote_override.

MetaMerkleProof

An on-chain proof account containing the validator-level Merkle proof used to validate stake weight against the NCN ConsensusResult.

StakeMerkleProof

A stake-account-level Merkle proof used in delegator override flows to prove stake account membership under a validator subtree.

Snapshot Slot

The Solana slot tied to the stake snapshot used for a proposal’s voting process.

Account Terms (svmgov Program)

GlobalConfig

Global governance parameters (length limits, support threshold, epoch windows, min proposal stake).

ProposalIndex

Global sequential counter for proposal numbering.

Proposal

Main governance account containing lifecycle and vote totals.

Support

Receipt account proving a validator has already supported a specific proposal.

Vote

Validator vote account storing bps split, lamport totals, stake, and timestamp.

VoteOverride

Delegator override record tied to proposal + stake account + validator vote.

VoteOverrideCache

Temporary accumulator for pre-validator overrides.

Config Terms

min_proposal_stake_lamports

Minimum stake required to create a proposal.

cluster_support_pct_min_bps

Minimum share of cluster stake required to activate voting.

discussion_epochs

Epoch gap before active voting starts after support threshold is met.

voting_epochs

Length of the active voting window.

snapshot_epoch_extension

Epoch offset used when computing the snapshot slot at voting activation.