Proposals get debated on the forum, voted on by masternodes, and funded from the treasury. It’s not perfect, but it’s alive. I’ve seen five upgrades in the last year that were community‑driven. That’s more than many larger projects. The mix of zk‑SNARKs, staking, and governance creates a balanced ecosystem. Satoshi was vague about governance, but PIVX shows it can work. If you want to observe the process, this forum post archive is a fascinating window.