Tokens Matter: How to Win Votes and Influence DAOs

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  • Johannes Rude Jensen
  • Nina-Birte Schirrmacher
  • Michel Avital
  • Ross, Omry

In the span of just a few years, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) have grown into a high-value form of organization. A growing body of IS literature examines the decentralized, transparent, and equitable design of these organizations. DAO governance is commonly mediated using ‘governance tokens’ in a one-token-one-vote system. However, the inconspicuous role of tokens for DAO governance is rarely investigated. We present preliminary findings from a netnographic study of controversial decision-making processes in two large DAOs. Our cases reveal how top holders of tokens leverage their favorable position to enact unpopular decisions unilaterally. The findings indicate a discrepancy between the espoused values and enacted practices of DAO governance, as economic capital rather than social capital investment becomes the primary determinant of voting power. We examine emerging alternative voting systems and offer a framework for parsing these new initiatives. Contributions to the literature and future work are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 44th International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2023) : Rising like a Phoenix: Emerging from the Pandemic and Reshaping Human Endeavors with Digital Technologies
Number of pages9
PublisherAssociation for Information Systems
Publication date2023
Article number1794
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Event44rd International Conference on Information Systems - Hyderabad, India
Duration: 10 Dec 202313 Dec 2023

Conference

Conference44rd International Conference on Information Systems
LandIndia
ByHyderabad
Periode10/12/202313/12/2023

ID: 384346245