# Incentive Loops

Laika’s flywheel is a set of closed, weekly feedback loops that route value toward the most *coordinated* communities.

This page maps those loops, the signals they use, and the guardrails that keep them sustainable.

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### Loop A — Launch → DAO → Stake

Goal: turn a token launch into an operating economy.

1. LaunchOS (Cabal or Open) boots the token with DAO + treasury + StakeOS pool.
2. Treasury seeding (from bonding curve/fees) funds the first proposals.
3. StakeOS converts holders into veTOKEN (lock → vote → earn).
4. GovernOS executes early actions (rewards, buybacks, creator budgets).

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### Loop B — Bribe → Vote → Emissions → Lock

Goal: reward organization over mercenary capital.

1. Project posts bribes to its StakeOS gauge.
2. veLAIKA voters route emissions to pools with better risk-adjusted outcomes.
3. Higher emissions → higher APR to veTOKEN → more & longer locks.
4. Next epoch, voters reward pools that kept locks + delivered proposals.

Signals used: bribe efficiency (rewards/bribes), vote entropy (diversity), lock growth, churn at unlock.

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### Loop C — Distribution → Users → Governance

Goal: make attention measurable and compounding.

1. Project funds ShillOS campaigns (brief → escrow → proof → payout).
2. Creators drive OG List sign-ups, staking, DAO turnout.
3. Healthier metrics → better gauge outcomes, cheaper future bribes.
4. DAO funds the next creator cohort; high-rep creators get rehired.

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### Loop D — Fees → Buybacks/Treasury → Performance

Goal: recycle protocol activity into long-term value.

1. Modules accrue fees (LaunchOS, StakeOS, ShillOS, integrations).
2. Weekly policy routes them to buybacks / veLAIKA distributions / treasuries / reserves.
3. Buybacks + distributions increase veLAIKA yield, encouraging longer locks and higher quality curation.
4. Better curation → better launches/staking outcomes → more fees.

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### Loop E — Curation → Alpha → Participation

Goal: pay insiders by merit, not by access.

1. Commit–reveal voting (Cabal) prevents frontrun; only the winner is revealed.
2. Aligned voters & top pools receive alpha windows (e.g., 1-minute allowlist).
3. Participants who act on alpha become early veTOKEN lockers & governors.
4. Their performance signals feed back into future curation.

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### Loop F — Builders → Deliverables → Grants

Goal: turn output into a budgeted habit.

1. Teams hire via Creator Hub (escrow → milestones → payout).
2. Delivery improves KPIs (site live, audit complete, docs shipped).
3. DAO renews grants for providers with high completion/on-time scores.
4. Providers accumulate on-chain reputation → discovery improves → faster shipping.

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### Guardrails (dampers)

* Caps/decays on emissions and bribe spikes (governable).
* Commit–reveal + randomized TGE windows (anti-snipe).
* Timelocks on treasury actions; emergency pause hooks with community override.
* Non-transferable ve-assets (no market for raw voting power).
* Cross-checks: anti-sybil for creator campaigns; route allowlists for swaps/bridges.