ENS DAO

This is a multi-part exploration to understand the mechanics, culture, and future challenges of ENS DAO.

Part 1 – The Core Structure of ENS DAO

ENS DAO Basics For readers who want to explore ENS DAO in full detail, the ENS DAO Basics website is an excellent official resource. Here, we offer a condensed overview to give you a clear and accessible starting point. Let’s start with a brief rundown of the main aspects of ENS: ENS stands for “Ethereum Name Service”. It’s a decentralized naming protocol. It runs on the Ethereum blockchain. ENS domain names are human-readable (e.g., vitalik.eth). You can link your wallet address to an ENS domain. You can integrate regular DNS domain names with .eth names. Here are some key facts about ENS governance and organization: ...

Part 2 – How ENS DAO Works: Mechanisms and Dynamics

Voting The key aspects of ENS DAO voting process are: Delegation Governance Environments Social and Executable Proposals Steward Elections The ENS DAO uses token-weighted voting – one token, one vote. $ENS tokens must be delegated before a proposal is set into motion. When a proposal is open for voting, it is announced on the ENS DAO governance forum and Twitter/X account. Delegates are asked to vote on all Social and Executable proposals, as well as Steward Elections. ...

Part 3 – Observations on ENS DAO's Strengths and Challenges

Strengths in Practice Working Groups are receptive to community concerns over proposal procedures. For example, a proposal regarding provider selection for the Service Provider Program was set to go live after a 24-hour test period. Some members raised concerns over limited test time. So, the Meta-Governance Working Group postponed the live vote, and the test period was extended from the original 24 hours to 7 days. The long term vision for ENS DAO is to become self-sufficient to avoid market dependency. For this, they periodically transfer DAO assets to their Endowment. This growth in investable funds is accompanied by an Investment Policy Statement, outlining principles and guidelines for management efficiency. ENS DAO is fostering financial growth while maintaining accountability. ...