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  4. May 2023
  5. Control of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

Control of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

  • Ian Appel
  • Jillian Grennan
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 113, May 2023
(pp. 182-85)
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Abstract

Blockchain technology has facilitated the emergence of a new type of organizational form, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). In contrast to corporations and other types of business organizations, DAOs do not have managers or directors with formal decision rights. Instead, the members of DAOs collectively make decisions by voting on proposals. The governance process is encoded and executed via smart contracts, negating the need for centralized leadership. We examine the control of DAOs by analyzing 10,639 proposals across 151 DAOs. We find that rather than democratizing decision-making, a small number of entities, often three or fewer, exert control over most decisions.

Citation

Appel, Ian, and Jillian Grennan. 2023. "Control of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 113: 182-85. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20231119

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • D23 Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
  • D86 Economics of Contract: Theory
  • G34 Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Voting; Proxy Contests; Corporate Governance