Locking LISTA into veLISTA sounds great — you can share protocol revenue through voting and influence how incentives are distributed, looking like the perfect passive income solution. But reality is often harsh: a maximum 52-week lock-up period means you completely lose liquidity on these funds.

Before deciding to lock in your tokens, I have to ask myself one question: over the next year, will I really not need to touch this money at all?

If you're a trader who gets anxious watching price fluctuations daily, or if life suddenly requires you to access capital, locking tokens simply isn't for you. veLISTA was designed for those planning to be "shareholders" in this ecosystem, not for frequent traders.

So when does it make sense to participate in Gauge Voting to earn bribes? Only one prerequisite applies: you must treat this LISTA portion as a long-term equity allocation, or in other words, as a sunk cost already spent. In other words, you need to accept that it won't be accessible for the next year.

Beyond this mindset, my top priority remains maintaining liquidity. This isn't caution — it's survival instinct.

(Disclaimer: The above is personal research sharing and should not be construed as any investment advice.)