Governance Voter Loop Reuse: Recycled Voting Power Exploits in DeFi Governance Systems

Abstract

<b><i>Governance Voter Loop Reuse</i></b> is a strategic exploit in decentralized finance (DeFi) governance systems whereby the same economic capital is repeatedly reused to exert voting influence across multiple proposals, epochs, or governance venues without maintaining sustained economic exposure. By exploiting snapshot-based voting, token mobility, and weak binding between voting power and duration of risk, attackers can artificially amplify governance influence while avoiding long-term commitment. This paper formalizes the exploit, analyzes its structural enablers and execution mechanisms, and evaluates its systemic impact on DAO legitimacy and protocol security. We further propose mitigation requirements centered on time-weighted exposure, continuity-aware governance models, and behavioral detection mechanisms.