Code of Conduct Document
Authored by the Compound Governance Working Group (CGWG), in collaboration with the Compound Foundation. Last Updated September 22, 2025.
Summary
The CGWG, in collaboration with the Foundation, proposes the following Code of Conduct, containing principles pertaining to:
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I. Professional Conduct
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II. Voting Guidelines
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III. Conflict of Interest Policy
These policies are meant to safeguard the integrity, transparency, and mission-alignment of Compound’s governance by ensuring that voting behavior and community engagement remain consistent, principled, and free of undisclosed conflicts. It fortifies Compound’s adherence towards maintaining an open and respectful environment for delegates, grantees, service providers, token holders, and any other entities that choose to participate in DAO-adjacent activities. Abiding by these guidelines will help maintain a productive environment as Compound continues to grow.
I. Professional Conduct
Community members are expected to interact respectfully and professionally at all times, whether it be on the forums, community calls, or any other DAO-adjacent environment. Healthy debate and constructive discussion are welcome, but personal attacks or any form of malicious behavior are strictly prohibited. Maintaining a courteous and professional tone helps ensure a welcoming environment for everyone.
Unacceptable Behaviors: To uphold a professional community, certain behaviors are not allowed under any circumstances:
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Spam and Self-Promotion: Do not flood the forums with unsolicited advertisements, repetitive posts, or irrelevant links. Posts that constitute forum spam or overt self-promotion will be removed by moderators, and such behavior may lead to warnings or account penalties such as forum bans.
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Harassment, Threats, and Insults: Treat all members with kindness and respect. You may disagree with others’ ideas, but never attack or belittle any individual/entity. Personal insults or threats directed at other users will not be tolerated. Content that constitutes harassment or abusive language is strictly prohibited and will result in a permanent forum ban.
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Lack of Decorum/Professionalism: Maintain proper professional decorum in all posts. This means avoiding profanity, inflammatory language, or any conduct that disrupts the courteous atmosphere. Unprofessional behavior, such as deliberate provocation or derailing discussions, undermines the community. Posts should remain civil and on-topic.
Note that these examples are not exhaustive. Moderators have discretion to address behavior that is generally deemed as inappropriate or harmful to the community.
Reporting Violations & Enforcement
If you witness a violation of the Professional Conduct guidelines or any other community rule, please report it to the moderators, the CGWG (@PGov, @AranaDigital).
Enforcement: Violation reports will be reviewed by the CGWG. Moderators will evaluate the situation on a case-by-case basis and take appropriate action. Consequences for violating the Professional Conduct rules may include:
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Warning or Removal of Content: For minor or first-time offenses, a private warning may be issued, and the offending post may be edited or removed. The moderator will remind the user of the expected conduct.
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Temporary Suspension: The user’s forum account may be temporarily suspended (for example, a 24-hour or multi-day “cooling off” period) if the behavior is egregious or after repeated warnings. During a suspension, the user will be unable to post on the forums.
Permanent Ban: Severe misconduct, such as credible threats of harm, persistent harassment, or spam attacks, or repeat violations after prior warnings, will result in a permanent ban from the forums. Banned accounts lose their posting privileges indefinitely and may be prevented from creating new accounts.
Enforcement for Funded Roles or Benefits: Participants who are either currently entrusted or have been in the past with official roles, compensation, or other benefits from the community treasury are held to a higher standard than those who may not materially benefit from the DAO. A working group lead, grant recipient, or community-funded service provider should respect the conflict of interest policy or other major conduct expectations. Many of these service provider-related considerations are inherently baked into funding proposals, RFPs, and grant milestone guidelines. Proposal authors are encouraged to keep these considerations top of mind prior to posting.
Dispute Resolution: In the event of a dispute between community members, decorum urges that conflicts be addressed privately first, rather than through public confrontation. Airing grievances in open forums can escalate tensions and distract from governance discussions, harming the community’s reputation. Participants should attempt to resolve disagreements through direct messaging or by reaching out to the CGWG for mediation.
These measures are in place to protect the community. All members are expected to uphold these standards. The goal of enforcement is not to punish honest mistakes but rather to protect the DAO from persistent bad actors or egregious misconduct that undermines Compound’s integrity. By doing so, we create a safe, professional, and enjoyable space for collaboration. If you have any concerns or are unsure whether something might violate the rules, feel free to contact a moderator for guidance.
II. Voting Guidelines
Purpose: To ensure that participants in Compound’s governance vote and act in a manner that is transparent, principled, and aligned with Compound DAO’s long-term mission.
Voting Principles: All voters and delegates are encouraged to uphold the following core principles when evaluating and voting on proposals:
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Mission Alignment: Support proposals that advance the long-term interests and mission of the Compound protocol. Decisions should be made with Compound’s overall success and health in mind, prioritizing the protocol’s and community’s benefit. Each vote cast should reflect what the voter genuinely believes is in the best interest of Compound and its users.
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Process Integrity: Uphold the integrity of Compound’s governance process by supporting proposals that follow the proper governance procedures and due process. This means respecting required proposal stages and not attempting to rush or bypass established processes. By insisting on procedural rigor, we ensure fairness and give the community confidence that every decision was made legitimately and with due diligence.
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Feedback and Transparency: Strive to communicate the reasoning behind your votes, especially for significant or controversial proposals. While not every vote requires a detailed explanation, providing a brief rationale for major votes (e.g. on a proposal’s direct forum post or an entity’s Delegate Platform) is highly encouraged to promote openness. Explaining why you voted a certain way builds community trust and helps others understand the decision-making criteria. When casting critical votes, consider posting a public note outlining your thought process, evidence considered, and how you weighed the pros and cons. This level of transparency not only reinforces accountability but also educates the community on key issues.
III. Conflict of Interest Policy
This COI Policy provides guidance to ensure that decisions are made transparently and with proper disclosures explicated around personal incentives or affiliations.
Policy Guidelines: Governance participants should adhere to the following practices regarding conflicts of interest:
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Disclosure: Participants are asked to publicly declare any material financial, business, or personal interests that could be perceived as influencing their stance on a proposal. This includes, but is not limited to, situations such as holding a significant investment in a project seeking a grant from Compound, being employed by or an advisor to a team submitting a proposal, or having close ties to an organization that stands to benefit from a governance outcome. Disclosures should be clear and specific. For example, if you or your organization work with a Compound competitor, that relationship should be openly stated when relevant. Transparency about these interests enables the community to fairly weigh your input.
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Recusal (Abstaining when Necessary): If a direct conflict of interest is significant enough that it may call into question your impartiality, it is strongly recommended that you recuse yourself from the decision. In practice, this could mean abstaining from a particular onchain vote or not trying to influence others on that matter. While self-interested voting cannot be technically prevented, deliberately choosing to abstain is often proper decorum. At a minimum, entities are encouraged to properly communicate their COI in the event they vote in favor of proposals that may bring them benefit.
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Record-Keeping of Affiliations: It is good practice for delegates and contributors to maintain a public list of their current affiliations, roles, or financial interests. These conflicts tend to be more persistent, affecting decision making writ large, while other disclosures may be one-off or constrained to an individual proposal. The latter can be addressed on an ad hoc basis, while the former are better contained on a Delegate Platform.
Delegate Platform Template
To support the above topics of transparency and accountability, active or aspiring delegates are encouraged to maintain a Delegate Platform on the Compound governance forum. A Delegate Platform is a dedicated thread where delegates outline their principles, background, and disclosures. This also helps COMP holders understand delegate priorities and make informed choices about who to entrust with their votes.
A strong Delegate Platform typically includes the following elements and is kept concise:
[Entity or Individual] Delegate Platform
Name: [Your identity or organizational representation]
Voting Address/ENS:
Tally Page Link:
Contact Info (any of the following: email, X/Twitter, forum handle, website, etc):
Introduction/Background
An overview of who you are. Every delegate is different, can bring a different perspective, and assist with certain areas of expertise that may be important for analyzing or producing proposals.
Motivation
Your history with Compound, governance in general, and why you’re participating in Compound governance.
Voting Philosophy & Core Principles
Summarize the guiding principles behind your governance decisions (like long-term mission alignment, risk management, inclusivity).
Conflict of Interest Disclosures
List any material conflicts of interest in this section. Proposal-specific disclosures can be made on a per proposal basis.