Glossary definition

DAO

A DAO is an organization whose membership, decision process, treasury, or execution rules are coordinated partly through blockchain-based systems.

also: decentralized autonomous organization · reviewed July 22, 2026

DAO is a decentralized autonomous organization in which decisions are not made by a CEO. DAOs are typically owned and managed collectively by their members. They often have built-in treasuries whose assets cannot be accessed without the approval required by the DAO’s rules. Governance is commonly enabled through tokens or NFTs, and decisions go through a process of proposal and voting.

Well-known examples include:

  • Uniswap DAO
  • Aave DAO
  • MakerDAO
  • Nouns DAO