Decentralized autonomous organization
computer network organization model
A decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is a software system for organization of other computer programs handled through a decentralized ledger technology like a blockchain. These systems are used most commonly to handle voting and finances, among other processes. The precise legal status of this type of organization system is unclear.
DAOs are closely associated with cryptocurrency and Web3. The name and concept originated with the 2016 launch of The DAO, a system built to manage an Ethereum-based venture capital fund amassing 3.6 million in ether cryptocurrency, then worth more than US$70 million. This system was later hacked and drained of US$50 million weeks later. The hack was reversed in the following weeks, and the money restored, via a hard fork of the Ethereum blockchain. Most Ethereum miners and clients switched to the new fork while the original chain became Ethereum Classic.
The governance of DAOs is subject to controversy. As these often allocate and distribute tokens that grant voting rights, their accumulation may lead to concentration of power.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Decentralized autonomous organization” is computer network organization model. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Decentralized, autonomous and organization, not as a finished interpretation.
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The phrase “computer network organization model” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The record creator and administrative purpose are central evidence, because official documentation reflects both action and institutional priorities. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q18204722. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2016.
Later summaries often reconcile disputed chronology or motive more neatly than the contemporary record permits. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Decentralized autonomous organization” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.