Lock

Why Locking Matters

Locking is the most strategically important action in the Orvex ecosystem.

By locking ORVX into veORVX, you:

Gain voting power to direct protocol emissions
Earn protocol revenue through trading fees and bribes
Receive anti-dilution protection via the rebase mechanism (via Autovote Vault participation — rebases are not available to solo veORVX holders)
Signal long-term alignment with the protocol's success

The length of the lock determines how much veORVX you receive: longer locks = more voting power.

This voting power lets you influence where emissions go and how incentives are shaped across Orvex, making veORVX holders the true governors of protocol liquidity.

Lock Duration and Voting Power

Your veORVX balance is determined by two factors: the amount of ORVX locked and the duration of the lock.

Lock Duration	veORVX per ORVX	Example (1,000 ORVX)
1 Week	~0.0048	~4.8 veORVX
6 Months	0.125	125 veORVX
1 Year	0.25	250 veORVX
2 Years (Max)	1.00	1,000 veORVX

Key insight: Locking for the maximum 2-year period gives you 1:1 voting power — the highest possible multiplier.

For detailed information on veORVX mechanics and rewards, see veORVX Token Documentation.

veORVX management

Managing your veORVX (veNFT) positions is central to the Orvex model. For both users and protocols, regularly checking the vesting / locking page is essential to keep positions up to date and aligned with strategy.

From the veORVX management interface you can:

Create lock -- Lock ORVX to mint a new veNFT.
Manage lock -- View and adjust existing veNFT positions.
Increase lock amount -- Add more ORVX to an existing lock.
Extend lock duration -- Increase the remaining lock time to boost or maintain voting power.
Merge veORVX positions -- Combine multiple veNFTs into a single position (subject to protocol rules).
Delegate -- Assign your voting power to another address if you want someone else to vote on your behalf.

These tools give long-term participants control over their governance weight while keeping the emission and incentive system aligned with those who are most committed to Orvex and the Robinhood Chain ecosystem.

Advanced Lock Operations

Merge

Merging combines multiple veNFT positions into a single position:

Consolidates voting power for easier management
Reduces gas costs for voting and claiming rewards
The resulting position inherits the longest remaining lock duration among merged positions
Useful when you have multiple locks approaching expiration and want to consolidate

Example: Merging a 6-month lock (100 ORVX) with a 1-year lock (200 ORVX) creates a single 1-year lock with 300 ORVX equivalent voting power.

Delegate

Delegation assigns your voting power to another address without transferring token ownership:

You retain full ownership of your veORVX position
The delegate can vote on your behalf each epoch
Delegation can be changed or revoked at any time
You can configure whether rewards go to you or the delegate

Use cases:

Let expert voters optimize your returns
Enable protocols to participate through trusted managers
Automate voting through strategy contracts
Participate in governance without weekly time commitment

For strategic considerations on delegation, see veORVX Advanced Operations.

Extend

Extending your lock duration increases your veORVX balance immediately:

A 6-month lock extended to 2 years instantly gains 8x more voting power
Extension can be done at any time before expiration
Strategic timing can maximize rewards around high-bribe epochs
No penalty for extending — only upside in voting power

Example: 1,000 ORVX locked for 6 months = 125 veORVX. Extending that same lock to 2 years immediately gives you 1,000 veORVX (8x increase).

Unlocking & Exiting

Understanding how to exit a veORVX position is just as important as understanding how to create one. The exit path depends entirely on which account type you hold. For a full account-type reference, see veORVX Token Documentation.

Permanent accounts cannot be unlocked. Flex early exit forfeits 50% of your ORVX. Read this section carefully before locking.

Permanent Accounts — No Exit Path

Permanent accounts are created by burning oORVX into a permanent veNFT. This process is one-way and irreversible:

The underlying cannot be withdrawn under any circumstances
There is no unlock mechanism, no early exit, and no expiration
The ORVX equivalent is permanently committed to protocol governance
Your veORVX position persists indefinitely with 1.0x voting weight

If you hold a Permanent account and need liquidity, the position itself cannot help you — it is a governance commitment, not a time-bounded lock.

Flex Accounts — Normal Expiry

Flex accounts are time-bounded locks of liquid ORVX with a maximum duration of 2 years. Voting power decays linearly over the term toward zero as the lock approaches expiry.

Once a Flex lock reaches the end of its term and auto-relock is not enabled, the position becomes redeemable:

You must redeem the unlock to receive your underlying ORVX — expired positions are not credited back automatically
On redemption you receive 100% of your locked ORVX, with no penalty
Voting power is zero at this point (the lock has fully decayed)

To claim your tokens, visit the veORVX management interface, locate the expired position, and redeem the unlock to receive your ORVX.

Flex Accounts — Early Exit

If you need to exit a Flex lock before it expires, an early exit option is available. The exit splits your locked ORVX three ways:

Destination	Share	Description
Returned to you (liquid)	50%	Immediately available as liquid ORVX
Burned	25%	Permanently removed from supply
Compounding Vault	25%	Redirected as permanent governance capital

Worked example — early exit on a 1,000 ORVX Flex lock:

500 ORVX returned to you as liquid ORVX
250 ORVX burned (permanently destroyed)
250 ORVX sent to the Compounding Vault as permanent governance capital

Early exit is available at any time during the lock term, regardless of remaining duration. The split is fixed — it does not change based on how much time is left.

Auto-Relock

Flex positions can be configured to automatically extend to the maximum lock duration (2 years) at expiry:

When enabled — the lock renews at maximum duration automatically, maintaining full voting power with no manual action required
When disabled — the lock expires at its set end date; the underlying ORVX becomes redeemable with no penalty (see normal expiry above — you redeem the unlock to receive your ORVX)
Toggling — auto-relock can be enabled or disabled at any time before the lock expires

Auto-relock is useful for long-term participants who want sustained maximum voting weight without managing weekly or monthly renewals. If you anticipate needing liquidity at a known date, leave auto-relock off and plan around your lock's natural expiry.

Strategic Lock Timing

When to Lock

Optimal timing for creating or extending locks:

Early epochs — Benefit from maximum anti-dilution rebases (via Autovote Vault participation)
Before high-value epochs — Capture bribes from protocol launches or partnerships
After accumulating ORVX — Lock in bulk to minimize gas costs
Before major governance votes — Ensure your voice is heard on protocol decisions

Epoch Coordination

Remember that voting snapshots occur Thursday 00:00 UTC at the start of each epoch:

Lock or extend before the snapshot to participate in that epoch's voting
Locks created after the snapshot must wait until the next epoch for full rewards
Plan lock extensions around epochs with attractive bribe opportunities

For full epoch timing details, see Epochs Explained.

Lock vs. Provide Liquidity

Should you lock ORVX or provide it as liquidity?

Strategy	Best For	Returns From
Lock → veORVX	Long-term holders, governance participants	Trading fees, bribes, anti-dilution rebases (via Autovote Vault)
Provide Liquidity	Yield seekers, market makers	oORVX emissions (via gauge staking)
Both (Split)	Diversified participants	Multiple revenue streams, voting power + LP rewards

Key consideration: veORVX voters receive 100% of trading fees from pools they vote for, while LPs earn oORVX emissions via gauge staking. The optimal strategy depends on your time horizon, capital size, and participation preferences.

Common Lock Management Mistakes

Avoid these pitfalls:

Locking too short — Missing out on higher multipliers and anti-dilution benefits
Not voting — Locking ORVX but failing to vote means no trading fees or bribes
Ignoring expiration — Letting locks expire without extending loses voting power
Scattered positions — Multiple small locks increase gas costs; consider merging
Last-minute voting — Voting after the Thursday snapshot means waiting another week
Underestimating exit costs — Flex early exit returns only 50% of your locked ORVX; if you may need liquidity before lock expiry, size the position accordingly or plan around the natural expiry date

Key Takeaway

Locking ORVX into veORVX is the foundation of Orvex governance and incentive alignment.

By understanding lock mechanics, timing your locks strategically, and using advanced operations like merge, delegate, and extend, you maximize your influence and returns within the protocol.

The longer you lock, the more power you wield.