Hello there, I am writing an article on DAO archetypes. I’ve noticed that the current literature drastically comes short on a thorough review of the current and emerging archetypes. What follows are the identified categories that I believe are more comprehensive than what you typically find googling “DAO types”. I would really appreciate any feedback before I finish writing this article around:
- Whether there are other archetypes that should be added to the list
- If you think an archetype should be grouped in with another
- If you would disagree with the names of any of these
Thank you in advance!
My list:
Protocol DAOs
- These manage protocols, voting and making decisions on how to build the DAO, making necessary payments, and managing the community.
Grant DAOs
- These have treasuries that they disperse after reviewing grant applications and determining what projects should receive the funds.
Social DAOs
- These are communities that are deployed on-chain, they might be gated by an NFT or crypto token and are concerned with providing a social experience for their members.
Collector DAOs
- Organized around the purpose of collective ownership of digitial and physical goods.
Venture/Investment DAOs
- These are formed with the intent of using the collective power of pooled resources to invest in something.
Media DAOs
- Focused on putting the power of media in the groups collective hands, like a community ran and owned blog or newsletter.
Social Media DAOs
- Similar to media and social daos, these are formed with the intent of providing and managing a decentralized social media
Entertainment DAOs
- Formed to create a book or movie, or in some other creative pursuit.
Regen DAOs
- These are groups that have come together to build and manage regenerative efforts, for example land management
Philanthropy DAOs
- Formed with the purpose of distributing funds and resources in a philanthropic manner to support others
Freelance/Guild DAOs
- Collectives of freelancers, members are available for hire. They might be a community that shares opportunities and are dedicated to supporting each others work or even have a private marketplace for jobs.
Gaming DAOs
- These exist to serve a few functions including providing a community, providing scholarships for P2E gaming, and facilitating esports
Political Action DAOs
- These form to organize around a political cause, candidate, or party. Can look similar to PAC in building campaign finances or exhibiting an organized and collective push for political action