Autonomous Organizations Research Articles

Tokenized carbon credits in voluntary carbon markets: the case of KlimaDAO

The voluntary carbon market offers a flexible and cost-effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which has led to increased interest in these markets. Within the decentralized finance ecosystem, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations leverage the tokenization of carbon credits to enhance efficiency and transparency. KlimaDAO, established in August 2021, aims to accelerate the adoption of carbon markets by integrating blockchain technology to facilitate transparent, secure, and accessible carbon trading. This study analyzes the evolution of KlimaDAO by evaluating its market capitalization, token prices, staking participation, carbon credit retirements, market participation, and concentration. The analysis reveals that while KlimaDAO initially achieved significant engagement and activity, it now faces challenges associated with market maturity and participant retention. Finally, the study highlights the importance of standardization and regulatory frameworks to enhance interoperability, transparency, and legitimacy within the tokenized carbon market.

Tax Challenges and Potential Opportunities Arising from Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

In this article, the author discusses how decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), as blockchain-based electronic entities, are well-suited to a global digital economy. While challenges related to taxation persist, the author highlights the potential for more efficient tax collection in a digitally integrated world.

Leadership in Public Sector Interorganizational Networks: A Synthesis of the Literature and Propositions Based on a Multiple Case Study

Abstract Previous studies characterize public sector interorganizational networks as sets of horizontal relationships between autonomous organizations. Due to these horizontal relationships, networks seemingly offer a promising context for leadership beyond hierarchical tools of coordination as prevalent in individual, hierarchical organizations. However, despite the promising role of leadership in public sector networks, as yet no conceptualization of the functioning of leadership within this context has been developed. This is mainly due to the current disconnect between various branches of scholarly literature on collaborative governance, network management, and leadership. Based on a synthesis of the literature and an empirical investigation of three public sector networks in The Netherlands, this study aims to fill this gap by providing a conceptual framework of leadership in public sector interorganizational networks constituting the types, distribution, and directions of leadership behaviors and the formulation of four theoretical propositions that relate these behaviors to network context.

Four-party evolutionary game analysis of enterprise environmental behavior.

With the implementation of the "Rural Revitalization Strategy" in China, it is common for enterprises to go to the countryside to develop business. However, enterprises often neglect the local environmental protection in rural areas while developing the economy to pursue profits. As the end of the national administrative system and the villagers' autonomous organization, the village committee needs to participate in monitoring enterprises' environmental behavior. With this in mind, this paper builds a game model of enterprises, grass-roots governments, farmers, and village committees and analyzes the impact of village committees, grass-roots governments, and farmers on enterprise environmental behavior. The conclusions are as follows: (i) it is difficult for the village committee to promote the positive environmental behavior of enterprises, which needs the supervision of the grass-roots government; (ii) Improving the coordination ability of village committees is conducive to reducing the burden of government supervision; (iii) Farmers' awareness of environmental protection can affect the environmental behavior of enterprises through the rights protection mechanism and reputation mechanism.

Artificial Intelligence for Social Innovation: Beyond the Noise of Algorithms and Datafication

In an era of rapid technological advancement, decisions about the ownership and governance of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence will shape the future of both urban and rural environments in the Global North and South. This article explores how AI can move beyond the noise of algorithms by adopting a technological humanistic approach to enable Social Innovation, focusing on global inequalities and digital justice. Using a fieldwork Action Research methodology, based on the Smart Rural Communities project in Colombia and Mozambique, the study develops a framework for integrating AI with SI. Drawing on insights from the AI4SI International Summer School held in Donostia-San Sebastián in 2024, the article examines the role of decentralized Web3 technologies—such as Blockchain, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, and Data Cooperatives—in enhancing data sovereignty and fostering inclusive and participatory governance. The results demonstrate how decentralization can empower marginalized communities in the Global South by promoting digital justice and addressing the imbalance of power in digital ecosystems. The conclusion emphasizes the potential for AI and decentralized technologies to bridge the digital divide, offering practical recommendations for scaling these innovations to support equitable, community-driven governance and address systemic inequalities across the Global North and South.

Исследование распределения контроля и метрик разнообразия в децентрализованных автономных организациях

This study empirically investigates the distribution of control and diversity in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) on the Ethereum blockchain. It uses a number of measures-the Nakamoto coefficient, Gini coefficient, Her-findahl-Hirschman index, Theil index, Shannon entropy, and Simpson diversity index-to assess decentralization and fairness in the distribution of control tokens. The analysis reveals a complex landscape in which some DAOs exhibit decentralization with diversity in the distribution of control, while others exhibit significant concentration of power and inequality in the distribution of power. A key observation is the coexistence of a broad distribution of control among EOA addresses with significant inequality in the ownership of control tokens. This indicates that a broad distribution of control does not always correlate with a fair distribution of management tokens. The study also highlights the possibil-ity of delegation mechanisms that may lead to a more equitable distribution of power compared to direct representa-tion. This study provides insight into the governance dynamics of DAOs by demonstrating the complex multi-level bal-ance between decentralization and centralization in a decentralized technology infrastructure.

Inter-organizational mobilization in non-hierarchical settings: Bootstrapping information infrastructures for integrated care

In the realm of healthcare digitalization, the advancement of patient-centred care models hinges crucially on the establishment of inter-organizational information infrastructures (IIs): intricate “systems of systems” designed to facilitate efficient data sharing, consolidation, and utilization. However, closed and siloed health information systems often fragment patient data across multiple repositories, resulting in inefficiencies and limitations in inter-organizational access and decision-making at the population level. Bridging these divides demands the integration of loosely coupled information systems within and across organizations. The ongoing evolution of these IIs is intricately shaped by the complex sociotechnical installed base governing their development. It can be difficult to engage potential participants in building and using an II that spans organisational boundaries particularly in contexts marked by diversity of mission, high organizational autonomy and lacking a single authoritative actor. Through a case study in England’s National Health Service, this paper examines the intricate process of mobilizing autonomous organizations to collaborate in developing a shared II for integrated care. In non-hierarchical settings, lacking a clear organizing entity such mobilization requires strategic partnerships and a mix of skills. I introduce the term “collective mobilizer” to represent the collaborative coalition of entities with the capacity to garner sufficient interest among potential constituencies and align visions and resources. By unpicking the role of collective mobilizers, this paper offers insights into the challenges of bootstrapping II development in non-hierarchical contexts and how they may be overcome.

О коллизии норм гражданского законодательства в части определения порядка управления автономной некоммерческой организацией

Introduction. The article is devoted to the comparative legal analysis of the civil legislation norms establishing the requirements to the management of an autonomous non-profit organisation, which allowed us to identify the conflict of certain provisions of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law ‘On Non-Profit Organisations’. Resolving the identified contradictions requires amendments to the special legislation on non-profit organisations to bring it into line with the requirements of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. The aim of the work is to propose improvements to the Russian legislation on non-profit organisations, in particular, determining the procedure for managing autonomous non-profit organisations. Methods. When writing the article, the author used the dialectical method of cognition, general scientific methods of cognition, namely, analysis and synthesis, as well as such specific scientific methods as comparative-legal, formal-logical and other methods. Results. Based on the study of the norms of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law ‘On Non-Profit Organisations’, the measures to resolve the identified conflict regarding the definition of management of an autonomous non-profit organisation are proposed. Guided by the principle of priority of a codified normative act, the author proposes to exclude from the Federal Law ‘On Non-Profit Organisations’ the norms that contradict the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, which will make it possible to distinguish the competing norms of the above legal acts and preserve the norms concerning public legal aspects of the status of a non- profit society.

The unusual DAO: An ethnography of building trust in “trustless” spaces

Blockchains have been discussed as a response to the decline of trust for as long as the technology exists. This paper expands the discourse on trust in blockchains to decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs), novel forms of organisation deployed on top of a blockchain. I show how core tenets about trust in blockchains are mirrored in the design of DAOs. Echoing Nissenbaum’s call to nourish trust online, an ethnographic case study of the blockchain art collective DADA exemplifies how DAOs may be designed differently to allow for trust to emerge. The paper contributes to the scholarly debate on trust in blockchains, by extending it to the layer of DAOs and describing various avenues for further research and builds a more nuanced understanding of DAOs as a modular framework to address declining trust online. Overall, the findings indicate how the affordances of DAOs can be expanded to encompass both “trustless” organisation and trusted online communities.

Reorganization of the administrative-territorial system and self-government in Subcarpathian Rus in 1919-1926

The article analyzes the organizational and legal prerequisites and the process of reorganization of the administrative and territorial system and the formation of local self-government on the territory of Subcarpathian Rus (Transcarpathia) during the first half of the 20s of the 20th century. It was established that the system of administrative and territorial organization of the region was formed gradually, undergoing minor changes at the initial stage. At this stage, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in the former Hungarian lands (Piedkarpattia) not only adopted the existing Hungarian administrative system to a certain extent, but also partially adapted it to its needs. It has been analyzed that instead of Czechoslovak committees under Law No. 126/1920, the old Hungarian committee administration, modified by Law No. 210/1920 and Government Decree No. 476/1920, remained in force in Subcarpathian Rus. It was established that after the recognition of the invalidity of the Committee Law No. 126/1920 and the unsuccessful attempt to introduce Government Decree No. 352/1920 in Subcarpathian Rus, the government of the Czech Republic began to be interested in the centralization of power in the region. It is noted that the resolution of the Presidium of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Czechoslovakia No. 22093 dated August 26, 1921 approved a new administrative-territorial system with a division into three counties and 19 districts. The cities of Uzhhorod and Mukachevo were declared settlements with a regulated magistrate. It is proven that the limitation of local self-government was based on government decree No. 171/1923, the principle norm of which was the appointment of new district notaries, who became civil servants supervising self-government. Corresponding conclusions were made regarding the support by the state authorities of the Czechoslovak Republic of the principle of vertical subordination of self-government bodies, especially city ones, which even illusory did not correspond to the principles of the autonomous organization of the region stipulated by the Saint-Germain Peace Treaty.

Exploring off-chain voting and blockchain in decentralized autonomous organizations

Exploring off-chain voting and blockchain in decentralized autonomous organizations

Decentralised autonomous organisations: targeting the potential beyond the hype

ABSTRACT Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) aim at innovating the organisation forms for business activities. They are complex blockchain-based smart contracts, which allow token holders to participate directly in decision-making processes and decentralised entrepreneurial activities as much as possible. The advocates of this new kind of digital organisation argue that DAOs enjoy significant operational efficiencies and can effectively work outside of any legal recognition. This paper analyses DAOs through the lenses of the economic and legal theories on the firm and on business organisation. The analysis makes three contributions: first, it contributes to the literature on the theory of the firm, looking at the role of digital technology in innovating the organisation of business activities. Second, it enriches the literature on the legally recognised forms of business organisation, analysing the tension between the essential role of the law and the limitations of tamper-resistant technologies, such as the blockchain. Third, it overcomes the largely ideological and dichotomic debate on the promises of DAOs, providing analytical guidelines as to why current forms of sector-specific regulation fail to leverage the potential of DAOs.

Customized decentralized autonomous organization based optimal energy management for smart buildings

In recent years, the unprecedented rising urbanization level and proliferation of distributed energy sources (DES) are motivating the transition of smart building from consumer to prosumer. In the context of mitigating upstream emission via reducing reliance on utility grids, the key challenge becomes realizing autonomous and economically optimal energy management within smart buildings. This paper innovatively proposes a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)-based energy management framework for smart buildings, where the mechanism of day-ahead scheduling DAO considering peer-to-peer (P2P) energy sharing is specifically investigated. Besides, a sequential preference satisfaction mechanism is designed to customize participants’ special demands, thereby achieving effective energy matching. Considering potential communication failures between buildings in practical operations, this study develops a communication failure robust distributed algorithm to minimize operational costs and safeguard building’s privacy. Extensive numerical studies for highly DES penetrated smart buildings successfully offers an operation cost reduction of 33.7% when considering preference satisfaction and P2P energy sharing in the day-ahead scheduling problem. Simulation results also demonstrates that the algorithm in this work excels in resisting potential communication failure during operation.

Blockchain, tokens, smart contracts, and “decentralized autonomous organization”: Expanding and renewing the mechanisms of governance?

AbstractBlockchain, tokens, smart contracts, and decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) are increasingly shaping discussions in media and research. The aim of this contribution is to explore how governance theory can clarify these concepts and how the application of theory to this new problem can also enrich governance theory itself.We focus on the technical environment (blockchain and tokens) that is at the heart of this new form of organization. By exploiting the intrinsic attributes of blockchain (decentralization, immutability, and transparency), smart contracts and DAOs are coordination mechanisms that expand the possibilities of interagent interactions and horizontal coordination, eliminating information asymmetries and the need for trusted third parties. In addition, by taking advantage of the transparency and immutability inherent in blockchain, smart contracts and DAOs make it possible to find and record agreements securely, automating contractual clauses.We argue that these technologies have a significant potential to renew the contractual approach to governance and to overcome some of the limitations of traditional theory.

Proof-of-Stake Non-Fungible Tokens, the Distributed Autonomous Organization, and the Valuation of Art: A Proposal for a Nonprofit, Community Controlled NFT

Abstract This paper describes a way to use blockchain-based non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to address some fundamental failures of the art world introduced when the early-twentieth-century evolution of financial markets expanded to include objets d’art as commodities. It proposes the creation of a distributed autonomous organization (DAO) that uses domain experts’ Delphic consensus methods embedded in smart contracts to provide NFTs with meaningful nonfinancial assessments of intrinsic artistic qualities and merit. Full details of the blockchain implementation and organizational development are online, registered at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/3DF4W with the Open Science Foundation as a large-scale participant/observer social science experiment.

Vertical Spatial Differentiation and Influencing Factors of Rural Livelihood Resilience: Evidence from the Mountainous Areas of Southwest China

Rural livelihood resilience (RLR) is significant for the sustainability of rural areas, farmers and agriculture. This research takes the mountainous areas of Southwest China as the study areas and integrates the buffer, adjustment and renewal capabilities to construct a RLR analysis framework and evaluation indicator system. The RLR of 234 sample counties was evaluated using set pair analysis, and the influencing factors of RLR were investigated using Geodetector. The aim is to scientifically analyze the vertical spatial differentiation and influencing factors of RLR and fully explore the risk-resistant potential of rural livelihood systems in mountainous areas. The results show that (1) From 2000 to 2020, RLR increases significantly, but the level is still low, and its structure shows a primary pattern of “buffer capability > adjustment capability > renewal capability”. (2) There is no significant negative correlation between RLR and terrain gradients, especially in the middle and low mountains. RLR in high mountainous areas is significantly lower than in low and medium mountainous areas, but the gap is narrowing. There are no significant gaps in RLR and various capabilities between low and medium mountain areas. (3) Economic development, non-agricultural industries and grassroots autonomous organizations are essential determinants for RLR. Economic development, grassroots autonomous organizations and transportation conditions are more important in low and medium mountain areas, while non-agricultural industries and medical conditions contribute more to high mountainous areas. (4) To enhance the RLR, policy recommendations should place a strong emphasis on extending the agricultural industry chain, improving rural production and living infrastructure and strengthening the supply of high-quality social public services. The findings can provide a scientific basis for governments to implement rural revitalization strategies and improve farmers’ well-being, as well as practical guidance for enhancing the risk resistance ability of underdeveloped mountainous rural areas.

The Illusion of Community in Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): Why Members Disengage

The Illusion of Community in Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): Why Members Disengage

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations and Collective Innovation: An Empirical Investigation

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations and Collective Innovation: An Empirical Investigation

A blockchain-based solution for transparent intellectual property rights management: smart contracts as enablers

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to address the limitations of traditional methods for managing intellectual property rights (IPRs) by proposing a blockchain-based solution. By leveraging blockchain technology and smart contracts, the aim is to create a comprehensive ecosystem that offers advantages such as reduced transaction costs, improved transparency, enhanced security and increased liquidity levels for IP assets.Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposes using blockchain technology to manage intellectual property rights (IPRs) through a smart contract-based ecosystem. It outlines the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the blockchain to represent IPRs, with smart contracts automating interactions and encoding rules for various processes such as applications, licensing, transfers and royalty distribution. Governance mechanisms, such as decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), are employed to allow stakeholders to propose and vote on contract changes, ensuring adaptability. This approach aims to streamline IPR workflows, reduce transaction costs, improve transparency and enhance security.FindingsThe findings of this study suggest that implementing a blockchain-based ecosystem for managing intellectual property rights (IPRs) can lead to various benefits. These include reduced transaction costs, improved transparency, enhanced security, increased liquidity levels for IP assets and streamlined automated processes. The use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the blockchain allows for detailed management, valuation and trading of IPRs. Furthermore, simulation results demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of our proposed ecosystem, outperforming traditional IP management systems in terms of transaction speed and cost-effectiveness. These simulations highlight the practical viability of integrating blockchain technology into IP management workflows.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of adopting this blockchain-based ecosystem for managing intellectual property rights (IPRs) are significant. By streamlining processes, reducing transaction costs and improving transparency and security, organizations can expedite the protection and commercialization of their IP assets. Additionally, the increased liquidity levels and accessibility of IP assets to investors and financiers can spur innovation and economic growth.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the field by proposing a novel approach to managing intellectual property rights (IPRs) using blockchain technology and smart contracts. By leveraging non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the blockchain, the proposed ecosystem offers a more efficient and transparent way of managing IPRs, reducing reliance on costly and opaque traditional methods. The potential benefits include improved efficiency, transparency, security and collaboration in the management and commercialization of IPRs.

The Role of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) In Higher Education in India.

Education plays a vital role in the development of any nation. Therefore, the higher education is to be the best on both quantity and quality. There has been a great increase in the number of Universities and Colleges in India. To check and assess the quality of these institutions, an autonomous and independent organization called The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) was established by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India in 1994. There is a positive relationship between education and economic development. However, in this paper an attempt has been made to explain the role of NAAC in higher education in India, Its Job is to assess and accredit the institutions of higher education in India. It came into existence as a result of the recommendations by the National policy on Education (1986) and the Programme of Action (POA-1992) that had stressed on enhancing and improving the quality of higher education in the country.