Plain English
A bribe market is a venue where protocols pay veToken holders (veCRV, veBAL, vlCVX) to vote rewards toward their pool. Votium, Hidden Hand, and Paladin are the main bribe markets. For locked-token holders, bribes can add 5–20% extra annualized yield on top of base emissions.
How it actually works
Each week, protocols deposit “bribe” tokens — often their own native asset — into the bribe contract. Voters who lock their gauge votes for the rewarded pool claim a pro-rata share after the vote. Bribes are denominated in whatever the briber wants liquidity for; the briber gets cheaper liquidity, the voter gets paid for routing it.
What it means for you
For HNW stakers in CRV, BAL, AURA, and Convex ecosystems, bribe income is meaningful — often more than base yield. Tools like Convex/Aura claim portals or services like StakeDAO and Sommelier aggregate bribe income into single deposits. Treat bribe income as part of total return, not as gravy.
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Educational content only. Not investment, tax, or legal advice.