DAO Governance: A New Collaborative Model in the Blockchain Era

In the physical world we are familiar with, various types of governance are usually decided by one or more centers, following a strict hierarchy. However, with the birth and development of Bitcoin, a brand new idea has gradually emerged - a collaborative system that everyone can participate in.

This concept originated from the Ethereum network. About two years ago, driven by the ICO craze, people envisioned a new type of social organization from the Ethereum network. Through smart contracts, anyone can raise funds and issue tokens on the network. Participants holding tokens can participate in project governance, without permission, everyone is equal, and code serves as the guideline.

This is the prototype of the governance philosophy of the DAO( decentralized autonomous organization). Although most initial attempts failed, after two years of exploration and practice, this new type of organizational form is gradually being improved.

DAO stands for Decentralized Autonomous Organization, which is a collaborative model spontaneously formed by groups with a common vision based on the core principles of Blockchain. DAO is a derivative product after the Blockchain solves the trust issue, representing a revolutionary evolution in human collaboration methods. In fact, Bitcoin, as the first decentralized distributed protocol, is widely regarded as the first complete DAO. DAO requires initial programming, but once the rules are established, it will operate automatically and fulfill its functions without external interference.

In an ideal DAO system, management is coded, programmatic, and automated. "Code is law", the organizational structure shifts from a pyramid to a distributed model, power is decentralized, and management transitions from a hierarchical system to community self-governance. Following the principles of equality, voluntariness, reciprocity, and mutual benefit, each node can effectively collaborate based on its own advantages, under token incentives, generating a powerful synergy.

However, DAO governance faces many real-world challenges. It not only involves the interplay of human nature, social forms, and interests, but achieving a balance under a unified goal is extremely difficult to implement. Most participants often lack the motivation to engage deeply in decision-making, and only a small number of core stakeholders genuinely care about the development of the protocol.

Currently, there is no perfect DAO governance solution in the blockchain field. Some tools like Snapshot from the Ethereum community provide a transparent governance space without incurring gas fees and are widely adopted. This reflects the leading position of the Ethereum ecosystem in terms of innovation.

In the face of the revolutionary changes brought by this new form of social organization, we need to view the concept of DAO from a developmental perspective, continuously deepening exploration and practice, and gradually perfecting this collaboration model full of potential.