Blockchain, tokens, smart contracts, and “decentralized autonomous organization”: Expanding and renewing the mechanisms of governance?
本文探讨区块链、代币、智能合约和去中心化自治组织如何通过去中心化、不可篡改和透明性等特性，扩展协调机制并更新传统治理理论，对研究治理和区块链的学者有参考价值。
Abstract Blockchain, tokens, smart contracts, and decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) are increasingly shaping discussions in media and research. The aim of this contribution is to explore how governance theory can clarify these concepts and how the application of theory to this new problem can also enrich governance theory itself. We focus on the technical environment (blockchain and tokens) that is at the heart of this new form of organization. By exploiting the intrinsic attributes of blockchain (decentralization, immutability, and transparency), smart contracts and DAOs are coordination mechanisms that expand the possibilities of interagent interactions and horizontal coordination, eliminating information asymmetries and the need for trusted third parties. In addition, by taking advantage of the transparency and immutability inherent in blockchain, smart contracts and DAOs make it possible to find and record agreements securely, automating contractual clauses. We argue that these technologies have a significant potential to renew the contractual approach to governance and to overcome some of the limitations of traditional theory.