> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/mezo-org/documentation/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# veBTC Locking

> Learn how to lock BTC to earn with veBTC, including voting power, rewards, and lock management

veBTC is the tokenized (NFT) representation of BTC locked on Mezo Network. Locking BTC gives you governance power and a share of protocol fees.

## What is veBTC?

When you lock BTC on Mezo, you receive a veBTC NFT that represents your locked position. This NFT gives you:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Voting Power" icon="check-to-slot">
    Direct emissions across the ecosystem through gauge voting
  </Card>

  <Card title="Protocol Fees" icon="coins">
    Earn from chain activity and bridging fees
  </Card>

  <Card title="Governance Rights" icon="gavel">
    Shape Mezo's economic future
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## 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

The more voting weight you allocate to a gauge, the larger your share of that gauge's fees and incentives.

<Note>
  You must vote each epoch to earn active rewards. See the Epochs section below.
</Note>

## 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)

<Note>
  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.
</Note>

This normalization ensures all locks expire cleanly at epoch boundaries and simplifies voting weight calculations across the system.

## How to Lock BTC

<Steps>
  <Step title="Prerequisites">
    Ensure you have:

    * BTC deposited on Mezo
    * A connected wallet
    * Sufficient BTC for gas fees
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Lock">
    * Open the Mezo app
    * Click **Lock** in the left sidebar (under "Earn")
    * You'll see your eligible assets
  </Step>

  <Step title="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
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm Transaction">
    Review your lock details:

    * BTC amount
    * Lock duration
    * Initial veBTC weight
    * Lock expiration date

    Click **Confirm Lock** and approve the transaction in your wallet.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 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.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Access Position">
    Go to the Lock page and select your veBTC position
  </Step>

  <Step title="Extend Duration">
    Click **Extend Lock** and select your new duration (1–28 days)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm Extension">
    Confirm the extension to reset your voting weight
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Claiming Rewards

Voting rewards accrue throughout each epoch and become claimable once the epoch ends.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Position">
    Go to your veBTC position
  </Step>

  <Step title="Claim">
    Click **Claim Rewards** to receive your earned fees and incentives
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Rewards don't compound automatically. You must claim and redeploy them manually.
</Note>

#### 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

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Expired Position">
    Go to your expired position on the Lock page
  </Step>

  <Step title="Withdraw">
    Click **Withdraw**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Receive BTC">
    Your original BTC is returned to your wallet and the veBTC NFT is burned
  </Step>
</Steps>