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Building Better Governance: Nouns Agora 

Nouns backed top-tier builders to create a governance platform, and now Agora is setting the bar for on-chain decision-making.

Making Onchain Governance Easy

Agora is an on-chain governance platform that helps DAOs run efficient, transparent decision-making processes. Built on the OpenZeppelin Governor framework, it enables gasless voting, proposal delegation, role-based permissions, and security safeguards to streamline governance. 

Originally funded by Nouns, Agora has since expanded, securing $5 million in seed funding from Haun Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Seed Club Ventures, and Consensys Ventures. It is now used by major blockchain projects, including Optimism Collective, Uniswap Foundation, Deriv, and Ether.fi. Agora provides DAOs with the tools to scale governance without sacrificing decentralization, ensuring proposals are managed effectively while keeping communities engaged.

Core Governance Features:

  • Gasless Voting & Proposing – Enables participation without requiring users to pay gas fees.
  • Delegation Tools – Allows token holders to delegate their voting power to other participants.
  • Multiple Choice Proposals – Moves beyond binary votes to support nuanced decision-making.
  • Role Management – Defines permissions for different governance roles (e.g., proposers, executors, vetoers).
  • Security Council Mechanisms – Introduces multisig-controlled safeguards for added security.

Scalability & Flexibility:

  • Treasury & Smart Contract Control – Seamlessly integrates governance over key protocol assets.
  • Customizable Proposal Types – Supports different voting strategies and approval thresholds.
  • Progressive Decentralization – Adapts governance structures as a DAO matures.
  • On-Chain & Off-Chain Coordination – Enables hybrid governance models for flexibility.

The Nounish Origins of Agora

Agora’s journey began with Nouns where early funding through Prop House helped bring the idea to life: Nouns Agora. After proving its potential, Agora secured additional funding through Proposal 154, securing a grant to develop a governance framework that could be used by DAOs looking to better facilitate their decision-making processes.

Nouns know decentralized governance isn’t just an experiment—it’s the future. And for DAOs to succeed, they need governance tools that are accessible, efficient, and scalable. 

In true Nounish fashion, Agora is fully MIT-licensed — meaning its software is free to fork, modify, and deploy for any project you choose. This open-source approach aligns with the Nouns ethos of permissionless innovation, allowing developers to customize governance frameworks to fit their needs. Agora gives you the freedom to build without restrictions.

Deploy on Agora

Ready to level up your DAO’s governance? Agora provides a battle-tested, scalable, and secure framework for on-chain decision-making. Whether you’re launching governance for the first time or upgrading an existing system, Agora makes it seamless and efficient.

Join the best in Web3 governance: Deploy on Agora today.

The Agora Powerhouse

Agora shows no signs of slowing down. The platform has now been adopted by top companies and DAOs across web3. The team is growing and constantly delivering fresh updates to the platform, like Airdrops which was introduced in October, 2024. 

Media and Links

Funding From Nouns and Timeline

About the Team

Agora was co-founded by Yitong Zhang, a former designer at Coinbase, alongside Charlie Feng and Kent Fenwick, both of whom bring fintech expertise from their time at Clearco. Together, they’ve built a governance solution that is shaping the future of decentralized decision-making. Agora’s story is an example of how start-ups can get their start in Nouns and become larger than life.