# Align

As an aligned CC holder, you hold governance authority in the Cascadia ecosystem. This means you have the right to vote on proposals and influence protocol development.

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In Cascadia, "locking" is more aptly referred to as "alignment".  This terminology better reflects the nature of the locking process within the Cascadia ecosystem.
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**Step 1: Connect your Wallet.**

Click on the "Connect My Wallet" button.

Follow the prompts to connect your preferred wallet.\
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**Step 2: Align CC to Receive bCC.**\
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Determine the amount of CC you want to align.  You can select 25%, 50%, 75%, the maximum amount of your available balance, or enter a custom number.

Click the "Approve" button to confirm your selection to initiate the alignment process.

Your bCC balance will update to reflect your new alignment.

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Alignment may also be increased (realigned).  This process will not reset your Cooldown.
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**Step 3: Check Alignment and Realigning.**

You can check your level of alignment at any time on the dashboard.  Here you'll see the amount of bCC you currently hold and your alignment as a percentage total bCC.  If you wish to re-affirm your alignment, you can click on the "Realign" button.\
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**Step 4: Claim bCC.**

Click on the "Claim" button on the dashboard.\
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**Step 5: Start a Cooldown.**

Click "Start Cooldown" button to initiate the cooldown process.\
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**Step 6: Withdraw CC.**

Click on the "Withdraw" button to withdraw CC.  You'll receive CC, not bCC.

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You can withdraw CC after the Cooldown period ends.
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