> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.orbisprotocol.com/orbis/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.orbisprotocol.com/orbis/design-considerations/upgradability-and-governance.md). # Upgradability and Governance Orbis will essentially consist of an L1 smart contract and an associated contract state UTxO; a network of prover nodes; a rollup data structure; the prover node software; and the associated SDKs. Each component may need to be updated to perform an upgrade. A smart contract cannot be updated after it is deployed on Cardano. The only way to upgrade a smart contract is by deploying a new script. To enable a transparent upgrade process for the layer 1 rollup smart contract, the L1 rollup contract must contain a governance protocol. The initial release of Orbis will feature a governance protocol that is based on voting, which is not fully decentralized. The governing body or the “board” of Orbis V1 will be a group of individuals identified by their public keys. Orbis Labs will determine the initial composition of the board. In the centralized versions of Orbis, the prover could potentially manipulate elections not by creating fake votes but by excluding real votes. This is a special case in the centralized versions of Orbis in which the prover could censor transactions. This loophole will be solved in the first decentralized version of Orbis. The first fully decentralized version of Orbis will feature a decentralized governance protocol. Meaning, that it allows for the participation of an unlimited number of actors in the system. The design of the decentralized governance protocol will be announced in a future revision of the whitepaper. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.orbisprotocol.com/orbis/design-considerations/upgradability-and-governance.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.