An increasing number of people are gaining knowledge about the metaverse and exploring it to understand why it will eventually take the place of the internet. There is a vast amount of information readily available on various investments and projects related to the metaverse, including a lot of metaverse VR games, with a majority of them supporting Mark Zuckerberg’s company to become a leading player in the field. However, there are also other well-funded ventures, such as NVIDIA’s Omniverse, that are also competing for a similar market share.
The objective of the metaverse is to democratize and decentralize the internet, not to centralize it with initiatives like Meta’s Horizon Worlds. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) have emerged to support more decentralized metaverse projects, with a long term vision of a decentralized internet.
What is the Metaverse?
The term ‘metaverse’ was first introduced in the novel “Burning City” by Larry Niven. The concept described a boundless virtual reality network, similar to the internet, where participants would have access to a shared, immersive, and persistent online universe. The metaverse was depicted as a massive simulation that contained the collective knowledge of all its inhabitants.
As the metaverse evolves, it is becoming three things. First, it is a social experience where people can interact in 3D virtual worlds or augmented reality environments controlled by artificial intelligence. Second, it is a community-governed system run by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) also known as DAO governance. Lastly, it is a self-sustaining ecosystem, financially supported by tokenomics and cryptocurrencies, made possible through the advancements of Web3 and blockchain technology.
What is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) and How does it work?
DAOs play a crucial role in the Web 3.0 world. It’s a decentralized form of organization that operates without a central governing body, or a central authority. Members of a DAO work towards a shared goal, a decentralized internet, and make decisions collectively. The power is distributed among all members, also known as token holders, who participate in community voting on decisions such as the management of DAO treasury funds, technical upgrades, etc.
DAOs rely heavily on smart contracts to function. Smart contracts are automated agreements on the blockchain that govern decision-making. The voting process within the DAO takes place on the blockchain and is controlled by its members through token ownership. The token holders participate in community voting on proposals that shape the future of the organization.
Additionally, DAOs develop and use smart contract-based voting mechanisms to make decisions on organizational matters such as spending from the treasury funds, new partnerships, profitable treasury fund allocation, authorize transactions, and overall treasury management.
How will Decentralized Autonomous Organizations shape the Metaverse?
1. Product Development
The Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) eliminates the need for centralized control, or a central authority. Decision-making is automated through community involvement and engagement. Members can collaborate and contribute to the project, with the whole community invested in its success. When combined with the concept of metaverse worlds, where the world is governed by code and AI, with everyone from metaverse creators participating, it creates a vision of a thriving community-driven project.
2. Funding for Projects in the Metaverse
DAOs have applications beyond blockchain and crypto, such as in crowdfunding. They serve as a tool to gather treasury funds for specific causes, like the Legislative DAO and Metaverse DAO which are prime examples of how DAOs can support initiatives for raising treasury funds. DAOs can be utilized for crowdsourcing money to achieve specific goals for your projects.
3. Investing using NFTs
In the Metaverse, another significant use case for DAOs is NFT investing. With the growing popularity of DAO-powered NFT platforms, NFT-based investing is gaining momentum. NFT holders can vote and receive tokens by staking their NFTs, which represents a small portion of the group’s decentralized assets. An example of this is HeadDAO, where members pool their valuable NFT holdings.
4. Governance
DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) empower token holders to make crucial decisions for a community through voting. This gives each member a say in the direction of the group. Currently, organizations like Decentraland, which uses the Ethereum Blockchain, operate using the DAO model, giving the community control over key decisions. However, there is still a challenge with interoperability, meaning that DAOs in one platform may not work in another.
5. Inclusivity
DAOs, or Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, were created with the purpose of improving coordination and collaboration in communities. They aim to serve the community better by utilizing resources efficiently and effectively. In the future, DAOs and the Metaverse are believed to be the foundation of an inclusive society where everyone has equal opportunities.
DAOs are structured to return value to the ecosystem they are a part of. The Metaverse, on the other hand, is a virtual world where anyone with a smartphone, internet access, and a digital wallet can participate and earn money through gaming. This concept is known as the Play2Earn Economy, where players can earn money by playing games. With the integration of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, the Play to Earn model has been improved. Gaming developers, especially in the metaverse games, have implemented Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to allow for the ownership and trade of other decentralized assets in-game. The combination of the Play2Earn economy and the metaverse’s immersive environment has led to a growing interest in NFT game development among gaming developers, who are increasingly incorporating NFTs to create other decentralized assets in-game that are unique, and can be owned and traded by players.
This has sparked a revolution in the traditional idea of work. It provides opportunities for those who are socially disadvantaged or have disabilities to regain their dignity and participate in the economy. This in turn leads to the creation of a more inclusive and just society.
6. Meeting Common Goals
A Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) brings members together to achieve shared goals and visions. For instance, a DAO in the Metaverse could function as a carbon offset fund, incentivizing individuals and organizations to adopt sustainable virtual practices.
In the Metaverse, DAOs can also support community-driven initiatives, like resource-sharing programs, by pooling resources from freelancers or small businesses to accomplish mutually beneficial outcomes, prioritizing practicality over monetary gain.
Applications
1. Government
Governments can easily communicate with citizens abroad and involve them in important matters through digital means. This also enables digital voting on policy issues, eliminating the need for physical voting centers. Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) promote democratic governance by allowing citizens to directly vote on policy decisions rather than relying on elected officials. Additionally, the use of the Metaverse allows for governance and simulated testing of policies before implementing them in the real world, covering areas such as finance, trade, infrastructure, environment, cybersecurity, healthcare, education, etc.
2. Businesses
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) have the potential to change how companies are valued and run their operations. In a decentralized digital environment, a company’s value would be based on the contributions of its community or the value of its cryptocurrency token, rather than its assets or revenue. DAOs can provide secure ownership of assets through the use of a vault and adapt to future regulatory changes. Furthermore, the use of smart contracts and AI automation can eliminate the need for manual administrative tasks, freeing up valuable resources.
3. Communities and Individuals
Metaverse and DAOs are revolutionizing the way we interact and manage our communities. With blockchain technology, trust is established through transparent and verified actions, allowing for online communities based on real-world interactions and shared values.
For instance, a neighborhood community can manage its own affairs through a DAO, handling tasks such as collecting dues, maintaining common areas, and granting voting privileges to residents, giving the neighborhood more control over their lives.
Metaverse and DAOs also offer new possibilities for social activism, with the ability to track real-world results through blockchain technology, ensuring the desired impact and preventing fraud or unethical practices by charities and social activists.
Another exciting aspect of Metaverse and DAOs is their ability to form and manage group identities, allowing groups to come together based on shared interests or values, rather than geographical location, ethnicity, religion, or profession. For example, an environmental group could form a DAO to protect the environment, or artists could come together to promote and support the arts. The DAO can manage treasury funds, assets, and volunteers, and take actions on behalf of the group.
Final Thoughts
In the future, DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) and the Metaverse (a virtual world) may play a major role in how people live, work, and interact. This shift is driven by a lack of trust in centralized institutions and governments. DAOs offer transparency and eliminate the need for intermediaries, allowing people to have more control over their lives and communities.
However, there is also the possibility that DAOs could be used to exploit people and enslave humanity, leading to chaos and social implosion. Governments may react by trying to integrate or stop the growth of DAOs, but this could lead to conflicting decisions between global and local regulations.
There are many questions that need to be considered and answered as we move into this future, such as how to prevent digital revolutions, protect against bad actors, and ensure the wise use of DAOs and the Metaverse. The choices we make now will determine our future and impact the world as a whole.
