DAOs Are the Future But Require Greater Oversight

Kaia Wong, CMO of global crypto exchange LBank, has commented on remarks made by global leaders at Davos 2023 concerning using DAOs. At the World Economic Forum event, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and their regulation came under the spotlight.

The number of crypto businesses participating at Davos this year saw a drop due to last year’s market slide. Nevertheless, the presence of the blockchain and crypto industry was very much visible at the four-day event, which started on January 16. Davos 2023 featured several panel discussions on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. One topic was DAOs and the opportunities they present for driving greater organizational efficiencies.

During a Davos panel, Finland’s communications minister, Timo Harakka, said that the EU should consider legally recognizing DAOs that govern web3 apps. Harakka expressed concerns over the current lack of regulation and potential problems if the EU does not think of regulation on a broader scale.

Responding to these comments, LBank CMO Kaia Wong said: “DAOs are a new way to collaborate and communicate. Though not without their problems, they have the potential to promote a more egalitarian and transparent way of working and supporting treasury management. We’ve already come a long way in DAO adoption, but there’s a need for greater regulatory clarity before DAOs can be more widely utilized.”

One clear consensus to emerge from Davos 2023 is that crypto needs greater regulation. The event saw active participation from government policy-makers and regulators, who came together to discuss the best way to regulate the evolving industry. In addition, the discussions addressing DAOs showed that more needs to be done to safeguard users, who face little legal protection if a DAO is dissolved.

“At LBank, we believe in giving greater power to crypto users,” said Kaia Wong.

“However, given the current landscape and the lack of a battle-tested DAO framework, there is the possibility that users could be taken advantage of. Regulation will be needed to protect users and their assets, especially when funds are pooled within a DAO.”

The WEF released a DAO toolkit on January 17 with contributions from more than 100 industry experts. The document works as a guide for developers and policy-makers with the goal of helping them better understand, regulate, and govern DAOs.

A more condensed version of the toolkit was published in the form of an article on the same day, explaining many of the issues DAOs face and the need for oversight. “Most seriously, DAOs operate within a fragmented and uneven landscape of law, policy, and regulation,” the article stated.

“Collaboration across industry and government is crucial to realizing the potential, and mitigating the risks, of these systems.”