A Modelling Approach for a High Utility Decentralized Autonomous Organization Development

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO) are decentralized appli- cations (Dapps) enabling governance processes. These face limitations caused by the underlying blockchain complexity, usability and scala- bility issues. In addition, the design and validation of the governance mechanisms lack appropriate methods and tools, resulting in a mis- alignment of DAO policies to the stakeholders’ needs. This work proposes a software engineering methodology for developing DAOs with a high degree of utility. In order to do so, we will extend the Trusted-Dapp Modeling concepts to facilitate specification of the incentive mechanisms involved in the token economy. These are an essential component of DAO-based governance, ultimately contribut- ing to the project’s success or failure. As a proof-of-concept proto- type, a support tool will be developed and evaluated in vivo field studies in the context of community currency-system governance.