8.6 DAO-Based Player Sponsorship & Tournament Governance

Billiards Hub leverages a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) model to enable community-driven decision-making for player sponsorship and tournament funding. Unlike traditional sponsorship models, the Billiards Hub DAO utilizes transparent, on-chain governance, empowering fans, club owners, investors, and players to participate in a fair and democratic support structure.

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1) Overview of the DAO Sponsorship System

• DAO Participants: Holders of 8BALL tokens and Billiards Hub NFTs, including community members, club operators, investors, and players

• Core Functions:

  • Player Sponsorship Voting: Community members vote on which players to sponsor

  • Tournament Funding Decisions: Allocate prize pools and determine sponsorship involvement in events

  • Talent Discovery: Identify and support promising amateur or emerging players through DAO-driven sponsorships

  • Club Development Support: Fund club upgrades, expansions, and operational improvements through DAO proposals

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2) DAO Operation Mechanism

1. Player Sponsorship Voting Process

Step 1: Candidate Registration

• Professional and aspiring billiards players submit their profiles to the DAO

• Player submissions include past match records, NFT ownership status, and tournament achievements

2. Player Sponsorship via 8BALL Token

1. Community members can directly sponsor players using 8BALL tokens

2. Tokens are transferred directly to the selected player’s wallet upon sponsorship

3. The DAO also facilitates community voting to determine which players receive official foundation-level sponsorship

4. Voting rounds are held on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on governance settings

5. The scope and size of the sponsorship are defined during the DAO proposal process

   • The total number of tokens pledged by token holders is awarded directly to the selected player

   • Separately, the Billiards Hub Foundation may contribute additional sponsorship funding

6. If the sponsored player performs well in official tournaments, rewards are distributed to DAO participants who supported that player

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3. Community Review & Sponsorship Voting

Step 2: Candidate Review & AMA Sessions

• DAO community members review player profiles submitted for sponsorship consideration

• AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions are held to allow direct interaction and transparency between candidates and the community

Step 3: Voting & Sponsorship Decision

• DAO members holding 8BALL tokens exercise voting rights

• The player with the highest number of votes receives the allocated sponsorship funds

Step 4: Fund Distribution & Transparency

• Sponsorship funds are distributed via smart contracts, ensuring automatic, secure, and traceable disbursements

• All fund usage is transparently recorded and visible on-chain

✅ Key Differentiator: Sponsorship decisions are made directly by the community, ensuring transparency, fairness, and decentralized empowerment.

3) Tournament Support & Prize Funding

• Tournament Organizers submit DAO proposals requesting support—details include event scale, participating players, estimated audience, and marketing plans

• DAO members review and vote on each proposal, determining whether to provide prize pool and/or marketing support

• After the event, smart contracts distribute rewards automatically to participants and winners based on performance

✅ Key Differentiator: Community-driven funding ensures that high-quality tournaments receive fair and merit-based support and distribution.

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4) Incentive Structure for DAO Participation

• Voter Rewards: DAO participants who vote on sponsorship and funding proposals are rewarded with 8BALL tokens or BHP points

• Performance-Based Bonuses: If a sponsored player achieves notable performance in official tournaments, voters who supported that player receive additional rewards

• Contributor Compensation: Members who actively contribute to DAO operations—such as submitting proposals, reviewing candidates, or facilitating community engagement—are rewarded with tokens or points

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5) Anticipated Impact

• Transparent Sponsorship Structure: All sponsorship funds are traceable and fairly distributed via blockchain-based smart contracts

• Direct Engagement Between Fans and Players: The DAO enables a community-first sponsorship model, fostering stronger connections between players and supporters

• Increased Player Motivation: Knowing that fan-backed support is on the line, players are incentivized to perform and remain engaged in competitive play