(Simple explanation for the curious about Web3)
🤔 What is a DAO?
DAO stands for "Decentralized Autonomous Organization", or in French:
Organisation Autonome Décentralisée.
It’s a new way to organize on the Internet, without a boss, without a company, without hierarchy…
👉 Just a community of people + rules coded into the blockchain.
📜 How does it work?
Let’s imagine a group of people wanting to:
manage a project
fund a cause
create a game, art, an app…
Instead of creating a traditional company, they launch a DAO.
In this DAO:
The rules are inscribed in a smart contract.
The decisions are made by vote, with governance tokens.
Each member can propose, vote, or execute an action, according to their rights.
🗳️ Concrete example:
A DAO wants to fund eco-friendly projects.
Everyone puts $50 into the common treasury.
A member proposes: “let’s help an organic farm.”
Others vote. If the majority says YES, the funds are automatically released.
No need for a leader.
The blockchain executes the decision.
🎯 What is a DAO for?
✅ Fund a project collectively
✅ Manage a DeFi protocol
✅ Launch a game, NFT, or community app
✅ Create a shared and transparent treasury
✅ Make decisions together, without going through a company
⚠️ The challenges of DAOs
Members must be active and informed
There can be vote manipulation (e.g., “whales”)
Errors in smart contracts can be very costly
Some DAOs are not really decentralized (of “DAO washing”)
🧠 In summary
A DAO is a community organized by code, without a boss.
Everything relies on transparency, collaboration, and public votes.
💡 It’s a governance revolution:
We move from a single CEO to a community of decision-makers.