> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://realmtrade.gitbook.io/realm-documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://realmtrade.gitbook.io/realm-documentation/basics/ecosystem-voting.md).

# Ecosystem Voting

One of REALM’s core features is Ecosystem Voting.

Users can burn $REALM to vote for ecosystem tokens they want to receive buyback support. This creates a direct utility for $REALM through token burns while allowing communities to actively support projects within the REALM ecosystem.

For example, if a project launches a token on REALM, its community can burn $REALM to vote for that token. If it gets the most votes in a round, the ETH collected during that round is used to buy it once the round ends.

The buybacks are funded by platform revenue: one third of all the ETH received by the REALM Treasury goes to the voting round that is live when it arrives. The more revenue REALM generates during a round, the bigger that round's buyback. This creates a powerful ecosystem flywheel: projects compete for buyback support, communities burn $REALM to participate, and platform revenue flows back into ecosystem tokens. At the same time, every vote permanently removes $REALM from circulation, creating an ongoing deflationary mechanism that becomes stronger as ecosystem participation grows.

REALM is the first launchpad to introduce this system. Instead of a centralized team deciding which projects receive support, the community determines where ecosystem buybacks are directed through $REALM burns and voting.

## How it works

* **Rounds** are fixed-length and back-to-back, currently 3 days each. A new round starts automatically as soon as the previous one ends.
* **Voting** burns $REALM: 1 $REALM burned = 1 vote. Burned $REALM is gone for good, whether or not your token wins. You can vote as many times as you like during a round.
* **Any token can be voted for**, including tokens not launched on REALM. You can pick one from the leaderboard, search for it, or paste its address.
* **The winner** is the token with the most votes when the round ends. On a tie, the token that reached that total first keeps the lead.
* **The buyback** uses the ETH that the round collected. After the round ends, REALM's operations wallet withdraws it and buys the winning token on the market. If a round receives no votes, or the winner can't be bought, the REALM team decides what to do with that round's ETH.

The voting page shows the live leaderboard, the time left in the round, the ETH available for the buyback and every vote cast. It also shows past rounds, with each round's winner, the $REALM burned, the ETH collected and spent, and the amount of the winning token bought.