Abstract:

The blockchain hasn’t just seen the rise of the bitcoin as a mean of exchange, but also the possibility of the creation for DAO, Distributed Autonomous Organisations. Both DAOs and blockchain projects itself (each crypto coin) are never finished projects, but require continues update and decisions. How should those be permitted? Developing the correct decision making procedure is not just extremely challenging, but also carries severe risks. Doing it incorrectly might create a potentially unstoppable organisation badly governed. On the other side the research on eDemocracy and Decision Making has 300 years old roots going back to voting theory from the French Revolution, and has recently progressed a lot thanks to computer simulations and modern cryptographic theory. So we have some good basis on which it is possible to lay the ground for some real Distributed Autonomous Decision Making Systems. And the moment to design them is now. Once a decision making system is in place it is nearly impossible to change it, as whoever is gaining for it, will fight against any change. The topic is huge, we will only be able to look at some particular problems and solutions.

An invited talk for the Amsterdam meet-up group: Blockchain talks.