Collective decision-making.
WHAT A DECENTRALISED AUTONOMOUS ORGANISATION IS
A group coordinating through contracts, with decisions made by token holders.
WHAT IT TYPICALLY GOVERNS
Protocol parameters Treasury spending Upgrades
HOW VOTING USUALLY WORKS
One token, one vote.
WHAT THAT MEANS
Influence proportional to holdings.
WHAT THAT PRODUCES
Governance dominated by large holders.
WHAT LOW PARTICIPATION ADDS
Small holdings controlling outcomes in practice.
WHAT DELEGATION PROVIDES
Holders assigning voting power to others.
WHAT IT CONCENTRATES
Influence in a few delegates.
WHAT GOVERNANCE ATTACKS INVOLVE
Acquiring enough voting power to pass a proposal that benefits the attacker.
WHAT DEFENDS AGAINST THEM
Time delays before execution Quorum requirements Veto mechanisms
WHY TIME DELAYS MATTER MOST
They allow participants to exit before a malicious change takes effect.
WHAT LEGAL STATUS IS FREQUENTLY UNCLEAR
Whether participants bear liability, which has been tested in courts.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH BEFORE PARTICIPATING
What obligations membership might create. Take advice.
WHAT TO EXAMINE IN ANY PROJECT
Whether governance is genuine or decorative.
WHAT DECORATIVE LOOKS LIKE
Votes on trivia while a team retains real control.
