Approval of New Credit Protocols and Credit Types

This section describes how new credit protocols and credit types are formally approved into the Regen Registry once expert review and public comment have been completed.

Overview

Regen Registry’s governance processes are designed to uphold the principles outlined at the beginning of this Handbook while ensuring decisions are transparent, participatory, and accountable. The goal is not only to confirm the technical rigor of new credit protocols and credit types, but also to align them with Regen’s broader mission of ecological regeneration and public benefit. To achieve this, protocols move through a sequence of expert and public review, community feedback, and on-chain decision-making. This structure ensures that diverse perspectives are heard, that approvals are guided by shared values, and that all outcomes are permanently and transparently recorded on chain.

Approval of Credit Protocols

After the expert review and public comment period (described in previous chapters) the approval process proceeds:

• Final Confirmation: Once either (a) all comments are resolved, or (b) the Registry Agent has made a decision on outstanding issues, the protocol can proceed.

• Notification: The Registry team notifies the methodology developer of the approval decision.

• On-Chain Record: The Regen Registry team will create a proposal in the DAODAO Regen Registry and vote to approve the protocol. This ensures a transparent and permanent log of all approved protocols (beginning fall 2025).

Approval of New Credit Types

If the credit protocol involves a new credit type, the new credit type must go through a governance process for acceptance.

• Credit Protocols vs. Credit Types: Most new methodologies are approved as credit protocols. However, if the proposal establishes an entirely new credit type (e.g biodiversity credits vs. carbon credits), it requires broader governance

• Governance Pathway:

  1. Forum Proposal: The proposer must first introduce the credit type concept in the Regen Forum. This creates an open space for community members, stakeholders, and experts to review and provide feedback.

  2. Feedback Period: A minimum two-week period is required for discussion, refinement, and feedback from the community before advancing to a formal vote. This ensures transparency and broad input.

  3. Governance Vote: After the feedback window closes, the proposal can be submitted as a governance vote. Approval is determined by the Regen community of token holders, following the on-chain governance process.

• Historical Log: Approved credit types and the associated decision on acceptance are recorded on chain

Note: For step-by-step instructions on submitting governance proposals on chain, see the Regen Network technical documentation on message-based governance proposals.