Education

A comprehensive list of DAOs to explore

Makoto Takahiro

Apr 24, 2023 — 4 min read

Explore the diverse world of decentralized autonomous organizations with our comprehensive list of DAOs, including governance, investment, service, grant, and protocol DAOs.

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) have emerged as a popular and innovative approach to governance and decision-making in the blockchain and crypto space. In this article, we explore the diverse world of DAOs, covering different types, notable examples, and how to get involved.

Types of DAOs

DAOs can be classified into several categories, depending on their primary focus:

Governance DAOs: Focus on decentralized governance and decision-making.
Investment DAOs: Pool resources to invest in various projects and assets.
Service DAOs: Provide services or products to their members or the public.
Grant DAOs: Allocate funds to support projects and initiatives.
Protocol DAOs: Govern the development and management of blockchain protocols.

Notable DAOs

Here is a list of well-known DAOs for each type:

Governance DAOs:

Aragon: A platform that empowers users to create, manage, and govern their own DAOs.
Colony: A decentralized platform for creating and managing organizations using a reputation-based governance system.
DAOstack: A framework for building and managing decentralized organizations with a focus on scalable decision-making.
KyberDAO: Governs the Kyber Network, a decentralized exchange and liquidity provider, using a community-driven approach.
DxDAO: A community-led organization that governs multiple DeFi protocols and platforms.
Aave Governance: Enables token holders to participate in decision-making for the Aave decentralized lending and borrowing platform.
Synthetix Governance: Manages the Synthetix protocol, a decentralized platform for trading synthetic assets.
MakerDAO: A decentralized organization governing the Maker Protocol and DAI stablecoin.
UMA Governance: Governs the UMA protocol, which enables the creation of synthetic tokens representing any real-world asset.
Compound Governance: Allows token holders to participate in the governance of the Compound decentralized lending platform.

Investment DAOs:

The LAO (https://thelao.io/): A decentralized venture capital fund for Ethereum projects.
MolochDAO (https://molochdao.com/): A decentralized funding organization for Ethereum infrastructure.
FlamingoDAO (https://flamingodao.xyz/): A decentralized collective focused on investing in digital art and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
MetaCartel Ventures (https://metacartel.org/): A decentralized venture capital fund for Web3 projects.
NeptuneDAO (https://neptunedao.xyz/): A decentralized investment organization focused on DeFi and blockchain projects.
FWB DAO (https://www.fwb.help/): A decentralized community investing in and supporting creators and social tokens.
MStableDAO (https://mstable.org/): Governs the mStable protocol, a DeFi platform for stablecoins, and invests in related projects.
Yam Finance (https://yam.finance/): A decentralized organization that governs a DeFi platform and invests in other projects through its treasury.
Index Coop (https://www.indexcoop.com/): A decentralized organization creating and managing crypto index products.
Rocket Pool (https://www.rocketpool.net/): A decentralized Ethereum staking pool governed by its community.

Service DAOs:

Kyber Network (https://kyber.network/): A decentralized exchange and liquidity provider governed by the KyberDAO.
PieDAO (https://piedao.org/): A decentralized organization that manages tokenized index funds.
RaidGuild (https://raidguild.org/): A decentralized collective of developers, designers, and strategists working on Web3 projects.
BanklessDAO (https://www.bankless.community/): A decentralized community working to promote and educate people about decentralized finance (DeFi).
Tornado Cash (https://tornado.cash/): A decentralized privacy solution for Ethereum transactions, governed by its community.
dOrg (https://dorg.tech/): A decentralized collective of developers and consultants collaborating on blockchain projects and DAO development.
Opyn (https://opyn.co/): A decentralized insurance platform for DeFi users, governed by its community.
Gelato Network (https://gelato.network/): A decentralized platform offering automation services for Ethereum smart contracts, managed by its token holders.
Ocean Protocol (https://oceanprotocol.com/): A decentralized data marketplace that enables users to share and monetize data, governed by its community.
EnsDAO (https://ensdao.org/): A decentralized organization that governs the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), which allows users to create human-readable Ethereum addresses.

Grant DAOs:

Gitcoin (https://gitcoin.co/): A decentralized platform for funding open-source projects and public goods through grants and bounties.
Panvala (https://panvala.com/): A decentralized platform for funding projects that improve the Ethereum ecosystem.
Giveth (https://giveth.io/): A decentralized platform for transparent and accountable donations to social impact projects.
clr.fund (https://clr.fund/): A decentralized platform for funding public goods using Quadratic Funding.
Common Fund (https://common.fund/): A decentralized grant platform that uses DAO governance to allocate funds to social impact projects.
Grassroots Economics (https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/): A decentralized organization that supports community currencies and local economic development.
Unconditional Basic Income (https://ubi.org/): A decentralized organization advocating for Universal Basic Income (UBI) policies and exploring blockchain-based solutions.
RadicalxChange (https://radicalxchange.org/): A decentralized community focused on promoting innovative ideas and policies for improving society.
The Audacity Fund (https://audacity.fund/): A decentralized grant platform supporting projects that aim to build a more equitable and sustainable world.
Public Goods Funding DAO (https://publicgoods.tech/): A decentralized organization that allocates funds to projects focused on open-source software and public goods.

Protocol DAOs:

Aave (https://aave.com/): A decentralized lending and borrowing platform governed by its token holders.
Yearn Finance (https://yearn.finance/): A decentralized finance (DeFi) platform offering various yield optimization strategies, governed by its community.
Curve Finance (https://curve.fi/): A decentralized exchange for stablecoins governed by its token holders.
Balancer (https://balancer.finance/): A decentralized automated market maker (AMM) governed by its community.
SushiSwap (https://sushi.com/): A decentralized exchange and DeFi platform governed by its token holders.
Uniswap (https://uniswap.org/): A decentralized exchange for swapping ERC-20 tokens, governed by its community.
Harvest Finance (https://harvest.finance/): A decentralized yield farming platform, governed by its token holders.
BadgerDAO (https://badger.finance/): A decentralized organization focused on building infrastructure for Bitcoin in DeFi, governed by its community.
BarnBridge (https://barnbridge.com/): A decentralized risk management platform for DeFi, governed by its token holders.
Keep3r Network (https://keep3r.network/): A decentralized platform for coordinating off-chain work and maintenance, governed by its community.

How to Get Involved with DAOs

To join or contribute to a DAO, follow these steps:

Research DAOs that align with your interests and expertise.
Identify the DAO's requirements for membership or participation.
Use appropriate DAO tools, such as this comprehensive list, to engage with the community and contribute.
Participate in governance, decision-making, and other activities to help shape the DAO's direction.

For more information on creating a DAO, visit this guide.

Future of DAOs

As the blockchain and crypto industry continues to evolve, DAOs are expected to play an increasingly important role in shaping its future. Some potential developments in the DAO landscape include:

Greater adoption of DAOs across various industries and sectors.
The emergence of hybrid organizations that combine elements of centralized and decentralized structures.
Increased focus on privacy and security through technologies like zero-knowledge proofs.

Conclusion

DAOs represent a fascinating development in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency, offering a new approach to governance, decision-making, and collaboration. By exploring the different types of DAOs and their examples, you can begin to understand the potential impact of these organizations and how to get involved. As the technology continues to advance, the future