> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.aqua.network/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.aqua.network/for-projects/what-are-voting-incentives.md).

# Voting incentives

Voting incentives reward voters who support a specific market, directing AQUA emissions toward it — funded by projects or by the protocol itself.

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Voting incentives are one of two tools for projects growing liquidity on Aquarius — see [Growing Liquidity on Aquarius](/for-projects/for-projects.md) for the full picture, including how voting incentives compare to Pool Incentives.
{% endhint %}

A **voting incentive** is a reward attached to a specific Stellar market on [aqua.network/vote](https://aqua.network/vote) to incentivize voters. Voters on markets with voting incentives receive daily payouts for as long as the market stays incentivized.

There are two types of voting incentives:

* **Protocol voting incentives** — funded automatically from AMM trading fees, paid to voters on high-volume markets.
* **External voting incentives** — submitted by anyone to boost votes for a specific pair.

### External voting incentives

Primarily project owners who want AQUA holders to vote for markets related to their token — but any user can create a voting incentive to influence markets in their interest. Markets with voting incentives consistently attract more votes, since voters earn passive income for supporting them.

* Voting incentives can be assigned to any Stellar market.
* Since June 2026, AQUA emissions are limited to assets whitelisted in the [Asset Registry](/governance/asset-registry.md). Creating voting incentives for non-whitelisted markets remains possible, but won't lead to any AQUA rewards for that market.
* A market can carry voting incentives in multiple assets at once, though AQUA is the most commonly used token.
* Markets with voting incentives are marked in the UI and collected under the **With Voting Incentives** tab on the [voting page](https://aqua.network/vote/).

### How voting incentives work

1. **Creation.** A claimable balance is created with a marker for the market with voting incentives and the reward tokens used to pay voters.
2. **Collection.** New voting incentives can be created until 18:00 UTC on Sundays for the following week. At 19:00 UTC on Sundays, Aquarius collects and validates all voting incentives for the coming week.
3. **Distribution.** Approved voting incentives are distributed linearly from Monday to Sunday. Snapshots and payouts happen at random times each day to keep things fair — keep your votes on the market with voting incentives around the clock, since adjusting them can mean missing a snapshot.

### Requirements and validity

* Minimum voting incentive size: **100,000 AQUA per week** (no maximum).
* On collection, Aquarius performs a validity check by purchasing 100,000 AQUA from the offered tokens via a path payment — this ensures voting incentive tokens hold real value. The purchased AQUA plus the remaining reward tokens are distributed to voters.
* Example: a voting incentive of 1,000 USDC with AQUA at $0.003 — at collection, 300 USDC converts into 100,000 AQUA, and voters on the market receive the 100,000 AQUA plus the remaining 700 USDC.
* Rejected voting incentives are refunded to the sender.

### Using voting incentives

Voting incentives level the playing field: any Stellar market can be incentivized, with no infrastructure on your side.

* **No coding** — voting incentives are created directly from the Aquarius interface; vote tracking and distribution are handled by the protocol.
* **Open participation** — the process is permissionless for projects and individuals alike.
* **Guaranteed payouts** — distribution is automatic; voters who lock their AQUA receive the promised rewards.
* **Transparency** — all voting incentives are visible on [vote.aqua.network](https://vote.aqua.network), with payout details and schedules.
* **Flexibility** — voting incentives can be paid in any Stellar asset, including your own token, and a single market can carry several voting incentive assets at once.

***

* To create a voting incentive, follow the walkthrough: [Creating voting incentives](/user-guides/how-to-create-voting-incentives.md).
* To earn voting rewards as a voter, see [Voting for Markets](/user-guides/how-to-vote-for-markets-on-aquarius.md).