What is veBTC?
When you lock BTC on Mezo, you receive a veBTC NFT that represents your locked position. This NFT gives you:Voting Power
Direct emissions across the ecosystem through gauge voting
Protocol Fees
Earn from chain activity and bridging fees
Governance Rights
Shape Mezo’s economic future
How Voting Power Works
Your veBTC weight depends on two factors: the amount of BTC locked (more BTC = more voting power) and your lock duration (longer locks = higher sustained weight). Your voting power decays linearly over time. A user who locks 1 BTC for 28 days starts with 1 veBTC, which decays to 0.5 after 14 days, and reaches 0 at expiration. You can extend your lock at any time to maintain full voting power.Lock Parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum lock | 1 day |
| Maximum lock | 28 days |
| Lock decay | Linear — weight decreases continuously until reaching zero |
What You Earn
Passive Earnings (All veBTC Holders)
All veBTC holders automatically receive a share of chain and bridging fees proportional to their voting weight. This is passive yield that accrues simply by holding veBTC — no voting required.Active Earnings (Requires Voting)
By voting for gauges, you earn additional rewards based on your vote allocation:- Swap fees from pools you vote for (when LPs stake in those gauges)
- MUSD interest/fee revenue if you vote for the MUSD Savings Rate gauge
- Incentives that protocols or users post to attract votes to specific gauges
You must vote each epoch to earn active rewards. See the Epochs section below.
Epochs
Mezo Earn operates in 7-day cycles called epochs. Each epoch begins on Thursday at 00:00 UTC.Why Epochs Matter
- Votes do not persist. You must vote every epoch to earn fees and emissions. If you don’t vote in an epoch, you forfeit active earnings for that period.
- Votes cast in epoch N determine emission allocation for epoch N+1
- Fees generated in epoch N are distributed based on votes cast in epoch N
Lock Duration and Epoch Alignment
Lock durations are aligned to epoch boundaries, not calendar days. When you create a lock, your lock time is rounded down to the nearest full week. This means:- A 28-day lock created mid-epoch will have an effective duration of approximately 21–28 days, depending on when you lock
- Locks always expire at epoch transitions (Thursday 00:00 UTC)
If you select a 28-day max lock mid-epoch, your effective lock duration will be reduced based on the remaining time in the week — resulting in a lock of approximately 21–28 days.
How to Lock BTC
Navigate to Lock
- Open the Mezo app
- Click Lock in the left sidebar (under “Earn”)
- You’ll see your eligible assets
Configure Lock
Find the BTC asset card and click Lock:
- Amount: Enter the BTC amount to lock
- Duration: Select lock duration from 1 to 28 days
- Review your estimated initial veBTC voting power
Managing Your Lock
Viewing Position Details
Navigate to the Lock page to see:- BTC locked — Amount in your position
- Current veBTC — Your voting power right now
- Lock expiration — When you can withdraw
- Earnings — Accumulated rewards
Extending Your Lock
Maintain voting power by extending the lock duration before its expiration.Claiming Rewards
Voting rewards accrue throughout each epoch and become claimable once the epoch ends.Rewards don’t compound automatically. You must claim and redeploy them manually.
Claim Window
You can claim chain fees accumulated over the epoch when the following epoch starts. Unclaimed earnings will continue to accumulate, but are only available for claim for 50 epochs. Any unclaimed fees after this period are lost.After Lock Expiration
Once your lock expires, your voting power reaches zero and you can withdraw your BTC. You have three options:- Create a new lock — Lock again to regain voting power
- Wait — Your BTC remains safe; you can decide later
- Withdraw — Return your BTC to your wallet