The Towns Lodge represents a pivotal component in the Towns Protocol ecosystem, embodying a decentralized governance structure that upholds the principles of transparency, autonomy, and community-driven decision-making. Organized as a Wyoming Decentralized Unincorporated Nonprofit Association, the Towns Lodge oversees 3 billion TOWNS Tokens in its Treasury allowing all tokenholders to have a voice in how that value should be utilized in shaping protocol’s future.

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The Essence of Towns Lodge

At its core, Towns Lodge facilitates a democratic platform where proposals related to the Towns Protocol are discussed, voted upon, and implemented. This ensures that the protocol evolves in a way that resonates with the collective will of its stakeholders, specifically those who run the network, create Spaces, and use River for communication. Its structure is designed to be both inclusive and effective, accommodating diverse opinions while maintaining a streamlined decision-making process.

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Functionality and Governance

Towns Lodge is designed for an incremental rollout to allow TOWNS tokenholders the ability to experience the system as designed. At present, the River Eridanus Association board of directors makes governance decisions to directly and indirectly further the growth and development of the Towns Protocol. However, in a novel application designed to empower TOWNS tokenholders – the 3 billion TOWNS Tokens held in the Treasury are under the control of the TOWNS tokenholders themselves.
When token governance is goes live on January 1st, 2026, it is the TOWNS tokenholders who will decide whether to keep funding the River Eridanus Association and through proposals always have a voice in the decision-making.

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Token-based Governance

Towns Lodge is pioneering a new governance structure focused on getting the actual stakeholders of the ecosystem the most important voice, without requiring them to shoulder the day-to-day operations (although – if that is the direction members ultimately want – they would be able to accomplish it through governance). Node Operation NFT and Space Owner NFT holders will have a preferential role within in token governance as their proposals will be subject to lower temp-check thresholds before bringing their proposal to a vote of the community – giving those that have invested their time and energy to the community the clearest voice in its decisions. The Towns Token (TOWNS) plays a crucial role in the governance model. It serves as a tool for voting, where the weight of a stakeholder’s vote is proportional to their token holdings. This token-based governance model encourages active participation from the community, ensuring that those who are invested in the protocol have a say in its direction.

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Vision and Mission

The Towns Lodge’s objective is to create a self-sustaining, resilient, and adaptable protocol that remains responsive to the needs of its users and the broader blockchain community. By fostering an environment of collaboration and innovation, Towns Lodge aims to lead the way in demonstrating the power and potential of decentralized governance in the blockchain realm.