Categorising DAOs

Soon, there may be too many DAOs for classification to make much sense. After all, if you asked someone “what types of LLCs exist?” they’d probably find it tricky to answer the question.

DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations - a topic for a future issue) are so important to this thesis because they become the new framework for a group of specialists to organize and coordinate.

Based on Vitalik Buterin’s DAOs, DACs, DAs and More: An Incomplete Terminology Guide from 2014, a DAO could be described then as a capitalized organization in which a software protocol informs its operation, placing automation at its center and humans at its edges. For example, a software protocol could specify the conditions upon which an organiza... See more

Rafa: I think the natural inclination that we have is to classify DAOs on the output that they have or the work that's done. But a different lens to look at DAOs is the initial center of gravity.

When DAOs are needed The growth of DAOs in general and the massive success of some of the most innovative ones inevitably result in the perception that the route to growth and robust network participation requires a DAO structure. In times of ebullience, market forces make it easy to assume that every organization, community, or project needs a DAO... See more

Various types of DAOs have emerged to serve different use-cases. As interest in the space has increased, DAOs have begun to diversify and experiment with the boundaries of what’s possible. There are DAOs for investing, DAOs for building new products, DAOs for socializing, and many iterations both between and beyond.