What is veMEZO?
When you lock MEZO on Mezo, you receive a veMEZO NFT that represents your locked position. This NFT gives you:Boost Multiplier
Amplify veBTC voting power up to 5x
Rebase Rewards
Earn weekly MEZO emissions to offset dilution
Matching Market
Earn incentives from veBTC holders
Important: veMEZO does not grant independent voting power. It only multiplies the voting power of veBTC positions. Without veBTC, your veMEZO cannot participate in gauge voting.
How veMEZO Weight Works
Your veMEZO weight depends on two factors: the amount of MEZO locked (more MEZO = more weight) and your lock duration (longer locks = higher sustained weight). Your weight decays linearly over time. A user who locks 1,000 MEZO for 4 years starts with 1,000 veMEZO weight, which decays to 500 after 2 years, and reaches 0 at expiration. You can extend your lock at any time to maintain full weight. You can also auto-max lock your veMEZO, which will let you sustain the maximum 4-year voting weight every epoch without needing to relock your tokens continuously.Lock Parameters
What You Earn
Rebase Rewards (All veMEZO Holders)
veMEZO holders receive a share of weekly MEZO emissions as rebases. This protects against dilution from new emissions. The rebase share is dynamic—higher when fewer tokens are locked, lower as more MEZO locks.Incentives (Via the Matching Market)
veMEZO holders can vote on veBTC gauges to earn incentives. When a veBTC holder wants to boost their position but lacks sufficient veMEZO, they may post incentives on their veBTC gauge. By voting for that gauge, you earn those incentives in exchange for providing boost.veMEZO vs veBTC
How to Lock MEZO
1
Prerequisites
Ensure you have:
- MEZO tokens in your wallet
- A connected wallet
- Sufficient BTC for gas fees
2
Navigate to Lock
- Open the Mezo app
- Click Lock in the left sidebar (under “Earn”)
- You’ll see your eligible assets
3
Configure Lock
Find the MEZO asset card and click Lock:
- Amount: Enter the MEZO amount to lock
- Duration: Select lock duration from 1 week to 4 years
- Review your estimated initial veMEZO weight
4
Confirm Transaction
Review your lock details:
- MEZO amount
- Lock duration
- Initial veMEZO weight
- Lock expiration date
Lock durations are aligned to epoch boundaries and rounded down to the nearest full week.
The Boost Mechanism
veMEZO boosts your veBTC voting power by up to 5x through the following formula: Boosted Weight = |veBTC| × min(5, 1 + Boost) Where the Boost term is: Boost = 4 × (|veBTC|_total / |veBTC|) × (|veMEZO| / |veMEZO|_total)Key Properties
- Minimum multiplier: 1x — A veBTC position with no veMEZO votes operates at base weight
- Maximum multiplier: 5x — No combination of holdings can exceed 5x
- Relative, not absolute — Your boost depends on your share of total veBTC and total veMEZO, not raw amounts
Understanding the Formula
The boost formula has important implications: Larger veBTC positions need more veMEZO. The formula contains |veBTC|_total / |veBTC| in the numerator. As your veBTC share grows, this ratio shrinks, requiring proportionally more veMEZO to maintain the same boost level. You reach max boost when your shares match. A participant hits the 5x cap when their share of veMEZO equals or exceeds their share of veBTC: (|veMEZO| / |veMEZO|_total) ≥ (|veBTC| / |veBTC|_total)Example: If you hold 1% of all veBTC, you need at least 1% of all veMEZO to reach the maximum 5x multiplier.
The Matching Market
Every veBTC NFT has its own veBTC boost gauge. veMEZO holders vote on these gauges to allocate boost.1
veBTC Holder Creates Position
A veBTC NFT is minted with an associated boost gauge
2
veMEZO Holders Vote
They allocate veMEZO weight to veBTC gauges
3
Boost is Calculated
The veBTC position’s boost depends on total veMEZO votes it receives
4
Position is Poked
The veBTC holder triggers a transaction to apply the new boost
Why This Creates a Market
BTC-heavy users can attract boost by posting incentives on their veBTC gauge. If the incentive yield per unit of veMEZO is attractive, veMEZO holders will vote for that gauge. MEZO-heavy users earn by voting on well-incentivized veBTC gauges, even if they hold little BTC themselves. The matching market prices boost as a permissionless, tradable service.Boost Without Holding MEZO
You don’t need to hold MEZO yourself to benefit from boost. If you post attractive incentives on your veBTC gauge, other veMEZO holders may vote for it—giving your position a multiplier without you locking any MEZO. Conversely, a veBTC position with no veMEZO votes still:- Retains full base voting weight (1x multiplier)
- Earns passive bridging fees
- Can vote on gauges to earn fees and emissions