How DAOs Are Connecting Digital Assets to Longevity Science
Several DAOs are redirecting cryptocurrency trading activity toward funding scientific research on aging. Projects including VitaDAO, BiohackerDAO, CryoDAO and Pump.science have established systems where token transactions generate revenue for longevity experiments.
Pump.science recently began accepting pre-orders for Urolithin A, a compound that may enhance mitophagy—the cellular process that cleans and replaces mitochondria. Research funding came from cryptocurrency traders buying related tokens, with community members selecting research targets and receiving portions of resulting intellectual property.
The platform tested this compound on various organisms, with worms showing a 6.35% lifespan increase and flies demonstrating a 20.13% improvement. Mouse testing is ongoing with mixed results. Human testing will begin when tokenholders receive their supplements in May, using smartwatches to track biomarkers.
This tokenized research model parallels developments in the Bittensor network, where the Dynamic TAO upgrade expanded the ecosystem to over 80 active subnets. Each subnet represents both technological application and investment opportunity, with validators able to stake TAO tokens and receive subnet-specific tokens with fluctuating values based on market demand.
We warn our readers that DAO investments carry substantial risk. According to recent expert assessments, approximately 90-99% of DAOs may fail in upcoming market cycles, as these organizations remain in experimental stages compared to traditional corporate structures.
About 45,000 token holders have generated $2.37 billion in volume and 220 SOL in fees. A legal challenge exists as Urolithin A, being naturally occurring, cannot be patented, though experimental methods can receive protection.
VitaDAO, operating for three and a half years, has funded 24 research projects with $4.2 million. This DAO implements NFTs to represent intellectual property on Ethereum, later fractionalizing ownership into ERC-20 tokens for additional funding.
Some DAOs in this space have faced internal tensions between scientific advancement and token price appreciation. Max Unfried, formerly with VitaDAO, noted a shift from being "mission-aligned" toward becoming "crypto first and not longevity, as much as the narrative to get the tokens to higher prices."
