# Esteem Esteem ($ESTEEM) is the **cornerstone of BetterBank’s ownership structure**, representing a **share of the protocol** while maintaining a dynamic, elastic supply model. Unlike speculative assets, Esteem’s **statically increasing value** is designed to make the **supply scale alongside the protocol’s growth**. **How Esteem Works** * **Represents ownership in BetterBank**, although it **does** **not grant direct control** over operations or treasury funds. * **Functions as a staking and rewards token**, incentivizing participation in the ecosystem. * **Minting increases Wildlands gains.** Esteem **may be minted for** any of the **tokens listed** in the Stronghold, and **the treasury** **utilizes** the tokens it receives in this way by **directly depositing** them in **the Stronghold**, increasing **Wildlands borrowing capacity**. * **Smelting increases Grove Rewards.** Esteem can be **burned** (or "smelted") **to receive newly minted Favor** of the Smelter's choice, **increasing the supply** of that Favor type and as such the **rewards in the Groves**, that **grow by a percentage of supply** daily. Esteem’s Role in the BetterBank Ecosystem * **Governance:** Future protocol upgrades may introduce **governance rights** for Esteem holders in BetterBank's **intended move to full decentralization**. * **Yield Generation:** Holding and staking Esteem **Enables Favor issuance**, reinforcing **BetterBank’s self-sustaining financial model**. * **Acts as a provider of value for the community**, as its minting ensures **inflows into the Treasury** that **services the entire protocol** and thereby **helps all users**. * **Rewards long-term participants** through **continuous rewards** and continuous price increase, encouraging **sustainable staking and lending** behavior. --- # Agent Instructions: 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: ``` GET https://betterbanks-organization.gitbook.io/better-bank/tokens-of-betterbank/esteem.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. 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.