Collusion-Proof Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

Abstract

We develop a model of decentralized autonomous organizations and examine when these new institutional arrangements are both incentive compatible and collusion proof. Incentive compatibility can be achieved through a staking mechanism. Participants are required to post stakes, a digital form of collateral that carries voting rights. Additional effort must be spurred by higher stakes, which increase the risk of collusion. To be inherently collusion proof, DAOs either require a high revenue or a sufficient degree of decentralization in combination with a large network size. If neither one of these conditions is fulfilled, collusion can be precluded by governing the DAO with stochastic voting and having voting power concentrated among a few key token holders.

Keywords: Decentralized Autonomous Organization, Blockchain, Incentives, Collusion

JEL Classification: D02, D23, D82, G22