DAO Governance in Theory and Practice: Metrics, Cases, and Structural Evaluation for Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

This book offers an interdisciplinary investigation of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) as emerging governance structures. It examines how DAOs seek to replace institutional trust with programmable code and the vulnerabilities that appear when code proves incomplete. Combining political theory, cryptoeconomics, organizational design, and cultural analysis, the volume introduces original tools such as DAO Health Indicators, KPI-based governance models, and network-driven valuation methods. It also explores institutional resilience through concepts of ambiguity, dissent, and organizational memory. The chapters range from applied frameworks and selected case studies to theoretical insights, including Gödel’s incompleteness theorem, complexity theory, and quantum coordination metaphors. By integrating scholarly rigor with actionable templates, the book provides a roadmap for developers, researchers, and policymakers seeking to design resilient, transparent, and legitimate decentralized institutions. It is essential reading for anyone engaged with the governance challenges of the Web3 ecosystem.