# User Guide

This guide walks you through participating in Treem DAO governance as a regular user.

### Prerequisites

* Ethereum wallet (MetaMask recommended)
* TREEM tokens
* ETH for transaction fees

### Step 1: Connect Your Wallet

1. Visit the Treem DAO platform
2. Click "Connect Wallet" in the top right
3. Select MetaMask or your preferred wallet
4. Approve the connection request
5. Ensure you're on the correct network (Ethereum Mainnet)

### Step 2: Stake Your Tokens

Staking tokens is required to participate in governance:

#### Choose Your Staking Tier

**6-Month Staking:**

* Stake for 180 days
* Vote on all proposals
* Earn voting rewards

**12-Month Staking:**

* Stake for 365 days
* Vote on all proposals
* Create grant proposals
* Higher reward multipliers

#### Staking Process

1. Navigate to the "Staking" section
2. Enter the amount of TREEM tokens to stake
3. Select your preferred lock period (6 or 12 months)
4. Click "Stake Tokens"
5. Confirm the transaction in your wallet
6. Wait for transaction confirmation

#### Important Notes

* Tokens are locked for the entire staking period
* You cannot unstake before the lock period expires
* Staking automatically delegates voting power to yourself
* You can delegate to another address if desired

### Step 3: Participate in Voting

#### Finding Active Proposals

1. Go to the "Governance" section
2. Browse active proposals in the "Active Voting" tab
3. Click on any proposal to view details

#### Voting Process

1. Read the proposal title, summary, and full description
2. Review any attached resources or documentation
3. Consider the potential impact on the DAO
4. Choose your vote:
   * **For**: Support the proposal
   * **Against**: Oppose the proposal
   * **Abstain**: Neutral position (not implemented in current version)
5. Optionally add a comment explaining your reasoning
6. Click "Cast Vote"
7. Confirm the transaction in your wallet

#### Voting Power

Your voting power equals your staked token amount at the time the proposal was created. You can check your voting power in the governance dashboard.

### Step 4: Claim Voting Rewards

Earn TREEM tokens for participating in governance:

#### Reward System

* **Base Reward**: 5 TREEM per vote cast
* **Annual Cap**: 500 TREEM per user per year
* **Source**: Foundation treasury

#### Claiming Process

1. Navigate to the "Rewards" section
2. View your accumulated voting rewards
3. Click "Claim Rewards"
4. Confirm the transaction
5. Rewards are transferred to your wallet

#### Reward Tracking

* Participation counter tracks votes cast
* Counter resets to zero after claiming
* Annual cap prevents excessive rewards
* Claim anytime after voting

### Step 5: Create Proposals (12-Month Stakers Only)

If you have 12-month staked tokens, you can create grant proposals:

#### Grant Proposal Creation

1. Go to "Governance" → "Create Proposal"
2. Select "Grant Proposal" type
3. Fill in required information:
   * **Title**: Clear, descriptive title
   * **Summary**: Brief overview of the request
   * **Description**: Detailed explanation
   * **Grant Amount**: Requested TREEM amount
   * **Recipient**: Recipient name or organization
4. Review your proposal
5. Submit the proposal
6. Confirm the transaction

#### Proposal Guidelines

* Be specific about funding use
* Include timeline and milestones
* Provide background information
* Specify expected outcomes
* Follow community guidelines

### Step 6: Monitor Your Activity

#### Dashboard Overview

Your governance dashboard shows:

* Current staking status
* Active stake locks
* Time remaining until unlock
* Voting power
* Participation history
* Accumulated rewards

#### Stake Management

* View all active stakes
* Monitor unlock timers
* Unstake when lock period expires
* Track staking rewards

#### Transaction History

* Review all governance-related transactions
* Track proposal votes
* Monitor reward claims
* View staking activities

### Best Practices

#### Informed Voting

* Read proposals thoroughly
* Research the impact of decisions
* Participate in community discussions
* Consider long-term effects on the DAO

#### Security

* Keep your wallet secure
* Verify transaction details before signing
* Don't share private keys
* Use hardware wallets for large amounts

#### Community Engagement

* Join Discord/Telegram discussions
* Follow official announcements
* Provide feedback on proposals
* Share your expertise

### Common Issues and Solutions

#### Transaction Failures

**Problem**: Transaction fails or gets stuck**Solution**:

* Check gas fees and increase if necessary
* Ensure sufficient ETH balance
* Try again during lower network congestion

#### Voting Power Issues

**Problem**: Voting power shows as zero**Solution**:

* Verify tokens are staked
* Check if delegation is set correctly
* Ensure stake was active when proposal was created

#### Reward Claiming

**Problem**: Cannot claim rewards**Solution**:

* Verify you have voted on proposals
* Check if annual cap is reached
* Ensure treasury has sufficient balance

### Next Steps

* Learn about Staking in detail
* Understand Proposals lifecycle
* Explore Technical Integration for developers