[Prologue: The Lies of DAO]
In the past few years, all DAOs have been shouting for 'decentralized governance'.
But in reality, governance tokens have become a symbol of power.
Whale voting, internal monopolies, and speculative arbitrage have turned the 'community' into a slogan.
Linea is the first Layer 2 that dares to dismantle this logic.
Its governance is not based on 'capital participation', but on 'proof of contribution'.
[1. The Dilemma of DAO: Democracy ≠ Decentralization]
The core issue of DAO is the singular source of power.
The more tokens you hold, the greater your voice.
This model is called 'Plutocracy' in political science.
It brings three negative outcomes:
Governance has become speculative;
Decision-making lacks professionalism;
Community contributors are marginalized.
Linea's response is:
“We want to establish a real political system in Web3, not a token voting system.”
【Two, Linea's Design: Power Hierarchy】
Linea introduces a 'dual governance structure':
Types of Power Correspond to Source Economic Security Rights Token Stake (ETH / L2 Staking) Governance Decision Rights Reputation (Contributor Reputation)
This separates tokens from governance, forming checks and balances.
Reputation is not bought but earned through building, education, and participation.
You write tutorials, develop tools, host AMAs → Reputation rises
You contribute to the ecosystem long-term → Gain proposal rights
No contributions but hold many tokens → Can only stake to ensure security, cannot interfere with direction
Linea's governance for the first time allows 'contribution rights' to outweigh 'capital rights'.
【Three, Case Study: Linea Builders Governance】
At the beginning of 2025, Linea launched the Builders Council,
All ecosystem project funding and protocol proposals are to be reviewed by the Reputation system.
Result:
Small team proposal approval rate rises by 30%
Community participation doubles
Whale voting influence decreases by 70%
More importantly, controversies decrease, and execution is faster.
“Decentralization” has become orderly for the first time.
【Four, From Governance to Society: Linea's Institutional Prototype】
Linea is not just an L2; it is the 'digital city' of Web3.
We can understand it as:
Token Layer → Economic System
Reputation Layer → Political System
Execution Layer → Administrative System
This is a complete 'constitutional on-chain social model'.
It allows for institutional decentralization in the blockchain world for the first time.
【Five, Extending Trends: The Future of Decapitalized Governance】
This model will be referenced by more protocols:
Governance DAOs shift to 'Reputation-Representative System';
Public product funding is changed to 'Community Committees';
Tokens no longer dominate decision-making, only fulfill security functions.
The significance of Linea lies not only in technology but also in institutional innovation.
It brings the 'self-governance' of Web3 from concept to reality.
【Conclusion】
The future of DAOs is not more democratic, but more orderly.
Linea replaces emotion with institutions, replaces capital with reputation,
This is the first time in blockchain history that 'the civilization of governance' has appeared.
