Community Governance for Blockchain

Short description of the proposal or policy framework

This policy framework proposes ways to move from plutocratic, wealth-based governance models in blockchain communities toward more democratic and plural systems. The framework, using the Wildland project as a case study, is built on two core pillars:

• Soulbound Tokens (SBTs): Governance rights are tied to a user’s engagement and social relationships within the network, measured through non-transferable tokens that represent a user’s affiliations, memberships, and credentials.
• Plural Mechanisms: The use of Plural Voting and Plural Funding allow participants to express the intensity of their preferences, protect minority interests, and encourage diverse coalitions.

What problem did this project seek to address?

The framework confronts the trend of re-centralization of power in web3. Many blockchain projects, despite their decentralized architecture, default to governance systems where power is proportional to wealth, such as one-token-one-vote, leading to plutocracy. This framework seeks to address the following specific problems:

• The dominance of “coin-voting,” which often leads to governance outcomes that favor large token holders over the broader community of users and builders.
• A lack of genuine political decentralization to match the architectural decentralization of the technology.
• Vulnerability to Sybil attacks, where a single actor can create multiple fake identities to gain disproportionate influence.

Was this developed in partnership with any organization or in response to a call for submissions, etc?

This framework was developed with the support of the Golem Foundation and focuses on the Golem-led project, Wildland.

How does this support more democratic outcomes?

This framework redefines what constitutes a “stakeholder” in a digital community. By shifting from a purely financial basis of power to one based on social reputation, accounting for different types of contributions and relationships, it empowers a broader and more diverse set of community members. And by creating a system where identity and reputation are harder to fake, the framework offers stronger protections against collusion and Sybil attacks, leading to more legitimate and trustworthy governance processes.

Who are the key audiences or communities of participants?

The primary audiences for this framework are entities and individuals involved in building and participating in decentralized digital ecosystems. This includes:

• Blockchain developers and platform builders who are designing governance systems for DAOs, dApps, and other web3 projects.
• Users of decentralized technologies who are seeking more agency and a greater voice in the platforms they use.
• Researchers, policymakers, and advocates in the fields of digital governance, decentralized systems, and democratic innovation.

Were there any related events, outcomes or impacts?

The “Finding Wildland’s Soul” report published in 2022 is the central outcome of this work. The report is intended to serve as a roadmap to guide the Wildland community in implementing Plurality principles.

Are there any testimonials, documents, assets, links or other ways we can illustrate this project?

Finding Wildland’s Soul - RadicalxChange