Lock BARK (get a veNFT)

Locking BARK is how you join the voting side of BarkSwap. You lock your BARK for a chosen amount of time and receive a veNFT — your voting power — which lets you direct emissions each week and earn fees, bribes, and the rebase. If the term veNFT is new, skim Understand ve(3,3) and The BARK token first.

Need BARK first?

On testnet there's no BARK faucet — swap some DOGE for BARK on the Swap screen to get the BARK you'll lock here. See Set up your wallet.

How locking works

The deal is simple: how much you lock × how long you lock = your voting power.

• More BARK → more power.
• Longer lock → more power.
• As time passes and your unlock date gets closer, voting power gradually decays — so people top up their lock or extend it to keep their weight.

   1000 BARK locked for 2 years   →  more voting power
   1000 BARK locked for 2 months  →  less voting power

Lock BARK

• Go to Lock in the app.
• Enter the amount of BARK to lock.
• Choose the lock duration. Longer means more voting power (up to the maximum the protocol allows).
• Approve BARK (one-time), then confirm. You receive a veNFT representing this lock.

That veNFT now shows up in your account and can vote starting the next time you visit the Votes screen.

Growing or extending a lock

You don't have to start over to add to your position:

• Increase amount — add more BARK to an existing veNFT to boost its power.
• Extend duration — push the unlock date further out to refresh and raise its power.
• Hold several — you can keep multiple veNFTs (e.g. one long-term, one shorter) and vote with each.

Lock longer to earn more

Voting power, and therefore your share of fees, bribes, and the rebase, scales with lock length. If you believe in BarkSwap for the long run, a longer lock simply earns you more. That's the "(3,3)" incentive: staying is the winning move.

Unlocking

When your lock fully expires, you can withdraw to turn your veNFT back into liquid BARK. You cannot withdraw early — that's the whole point of vote-escrow; the commitment is what gives the vote its weight.

What's next after locking

A veNFT sitting idle doesn't earn much — its power is meant to be used. Two things to do every week:

• Vote for the pools you want to direct emissions to.
• Claim the fees, bribes, and rebase your votes earned.

Locked means locked

Once you lock, that BARK is committed until the unlock date — you can extend it, but not retrieve it early. Lock an amount and duration you're comfortable with.