May 2026 - Delegate Compensation Results & New Programme Launch!
This month marks a turning point for the Rootstock Collective delegate programme.
After extensive work with our governance facilitator Anode, we are moving away from a competitive tiered structure toward a collaborative, threshold-based model — one where delegates are rewarded for contributing to the ecosystem’s success, not for outscoring each other.
More on the new model below. First, the results.
May 2026 Results
| Delegate | Delegators | Voting Power | Amount (USDRIF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAOStar | 5 | 172,850 | 630 |
| DAOPlomats | 18 | 153,710 | 599 |
| SEEDGov | 2 | 140,410 | 567 |
| Curia | 4 | 140,350 | 536 |
| Axia Network | 6 | 211,430 | 504 |
| ChronoTrigger | 15 | 160,130 | 473 |
| Tané | 2 | 140,200 | 441 |
Total distributed: 3,750 USDRIF
Compensation will be processed via a dApp proposal as per usual.
Two delegates did not qualify this month due to not meeting the minimum delegation threshold. Eligibility criteria are listed below.
What changed and why
The previous structure paid 6 delegates across Gold and Silver tiers based on a competitive score. The problem: competition between delegates created the wrong incentives - optimising for metrics rather than governance quality.
The new model is collaborative. Every delegate who clears the eligibility threshold gets paid. The total pool (3,750 USDRIF/month) is distributed among all qualifying delegates, with a soft taper - meaning the difference between the top and bottom slot is no more than 30%. No one is left out for finishing 7th.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify each month, a delegate must meet all of the following:
- Minimum 50,000 stRIF delegation
- 90% or more of proposals voted
- 90% or more of votes with written rationale
- Minimum 3 hours read time on the forum
- Minimum 5 likes received
Scoring is conducted monthly by Anode. Results are published here each month.
Offboarding
Delegates may be removed from the programme for:
- Confirmed gaming of metrics
- Sustained inactivity
- Peer vote by the delegate group
The proposal on-chain will be live today. Onwards! 
