Background: Moving from Snapshot Off-Chain Voting to On-Chain
Rocket Pool, the Ethereum liquid staking protocol, has submitted a proposal known as RPIP, aiming to build a new on-chain signal voting system to replace its current off-chain voting mechanism that relies on Snapshot. The move is driven by a desire to reduce external dependencies and enhance the protocol's governance autonomy and decentralization.
Snapshot Pro Cost Pressure Triggers Migration
According to the proposal, Snapshot recently launched a paid Pro version costing $600 per month. For Rocket Pool, which requires complex delegated voting strategies, the Pro version provides necessary features but creates recurring costs and reliance on a centralized platform — both at odds with DeFi principles. By moving voting on-chain, Rocket Pool can completely eliminate its dependence on Snapshot while retaining the override logic in delegated governance, ensuring the governance mechanism remains complete and flexible after migration.
Benefits and Potential Impact of On-Chain Voting
An on-chain signal voting system records all votes directly on the Ethereum mainnet, making them publicly verifiable and immune to third-party platform policies. This not only cuts operational costs (no more Snapshot Pro subscription fees) but also enhances censorship resistance and transparency. For node operators, rETH holders, and community members in the Rocket Pool ecosystem, on-chain voting offers a more direct and autonomous way to participate.
The RPIP proposal is currently under community discussion. If approved, Rocket Pool will become one of the first major LSD protocols to implement fully on-chain signal voting. This change could prompt other similar protocols to follow suit, gradually shifting DeFi governance from off-chain to on-chain voting.