> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.berachain.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is Proof-of-Liquidity?

> Two-token model, validator incentives, and reward vaults.

Proof-of-Liquidity (PoL) is a novel economic mechanism that uses network incentives to align the interests of ecosystem participants and bolster both the application-layer and chain security.

## Two token model

Berachain's consensus borrows from the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) model and contains two key components:

1. `$BERA` - Validators secure the chain by staking the native gas token
2. `$BGT` - A soulbound governance token distributed by validators for proposing new blocks, which is ultimately rewarded to those who provide ecosystem liquidity (see [Reward Vaults](/general/proof-of-liquidity/reward-vaults))

A validator's `$BGT` emissions increase with the amount of `$BGT` delegated to them. Protocol-provided Incentives are received for these emissions, and validators pass these to their delegators after collecting a commission.

This model creates meaningful economic alignment between previously isolated groups. Validators who return the maximum value to their `$BGT` delegators are likely to receive more delegations.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/berachain-422fce37/t_xR8qCqqtWXRidI/images/general/proof-of-liquidity-flywheel.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=t_xR8qCqqtWXRidI&q=85&s=4872545c5145c9201030ac18c1d4a0a9" alt="Diagram showing the Proof-of-Liquidity flywheel mechanism" width="1515" height="863" data-path="images/general/proof-of-liquidity-flywheel.png" />
</Frame>

### Separation of concerns

Significantly, Proof-of-Liquidity separates the token responsible for gas and security from the token used to govern chain rewards and economic incentives.

The following diagram illustrates the roles of tokens in Berachain's PoL compared to Ethereum's PoS:

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/berachain-422fce37/t_xR8qCqqtWXRidI/images/general/berachain-pos-vs-pol.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=t_xR8qCqqtWXRidI&q=85&s=b684a8ee09a821cb1a40eee3243bb13f" alt="Comparison diagram of Proof-of-Stake versus Proof-of-Liquidity token roles" width="1428" height="604" data-path="images/general/berachain-pos-vs-pol.png" />
</Frame>

Read more in [Proof-of-Liquidity Overview](/general/proof-of-liquidity/overview).
