The role of DAOs in Venture Capital and funding

Karolina

19 May 2023
The role of DAOs in Venture Capital and funding

The ever-evolving finance and investment landscapes have been significantly impacted by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). DAOs are causing a paradigm shift in the traditional venture capital sector. Blockchain technology enables the growth of these disruptive organizations, which are redefining venture funding and management. DAOs showcase decentralized governance, transparent decision-making, and unique funding approaches. These aspects revolutionize access to capital for entrepreneurs and early-stage investor participation. In this article, we delve into DAOs in venture capital, focusing on their potential to transform the industry, their benefits, challenges, and real-world use cases in shaping funding innovation and entrepreneurship.

Evolution of Venture Capital

Understanding DAOs in venture capital impact requires grasping traditional investment models' evolution. Traditional venture capital features centralization, with few investors controlling funding decisions. This creates entry barriers for entrepreneurs and limits opportunities for a few favored people. Decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain technology birthed a more inclusive, accessible option. DAOs use smart contracts and consensus-driven governance, disrupting the venture capital scene. Decentralization principles position DAOs as a new venture capital frontier, enabling a democratic, transparent funding process for innovative projects.

DAOs in Venture Capital and Funding

DAOs represent a paradigm shift in how companies raise capital and manage their operations. They open up new possibilities for venture capital and funding by bringing the following features to the table:

  • Decentralization: DAOs distribute the decision-making authority among its members, eliminating the need for intermediaries or centralized authorities. This makes the funding process more efficient and transparent.
  • Tokenization: DAOs use cryptographic tokens to represent ownership or voting rights. This enables investors to have a direct say in the operation and governance of their investments. (Interested in DAO tokenomics? Check out our article!
  • Smart Contracts: DAOs utilize smart contracts, self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. These contracts automate many processes, reducing the need for manual intervention and potential for human error.
  • Global Access: Given their decentralized nature, DAOs enable anyone, anywhere, to participate in venture capital funding. This widens the pool of potential investors and fosters global collaboration.

Investment DAO

DAO is transforming the VC industry. Investment DAOs are crucial for sourcing, evaluating, and managing investments. They use blockchain and smart contracts for a democratic, transparent process. DAOs in venture capital pool funds from contributors. This allows for collective decision-making and capital allocation to projects.

A wider range of investors can join early-stage investments. Investment DAOs offer platforms for knowledge sharing and due diligence. This leads to more informed decision-making. Decentralized governance replaces traditional middlemen in these organizations. Investment DAOs have the potential to change the VC industry significantly, promoting innovation and growth for startups inclusively and cooperatively.

More about this topic

Traditional Venture Capital vs Investment DAO

Traditional vs VC Investment DAO (DAOs in Venture Capital)

Success Stories

DAOs in venture capital have made a mark through various success stories, showcasing DAOs' transformative potential in venture capital for innovative projects funding.

MetaCartel Ventures, a pioneering investment DAO, invested in multiple blockchain startups. Their group approach evaluates opportunities, offers guidance, and utilizes networks to fast-track portfolio companies' growth.

Syndicate DAO is known for decentralized finance investments. With group decision-making and thorough research, they've backed Aave, Uniswap, and Compound projects, advancing the DeFi ecosystem.

OrangeDAO is a venture fund of past, present, and future Y Combinator founders who specialize in crypto. Orange DAO also helps startups apply to, and be accepted into Y Combinator, while helping mentor their leadership and recruit talent, and acquire customers.

The LAO, one of the first legal decentralized venture funds, has invested in numerous projects like NFT platforms, decentralized social networks, and blockchain infrastructure projects.

DAO.vc is a decentralized autonomous entity that acts as a service for a pool governed by shared voting on investment projects chosen using a predefined algorithm. 

SeedClub is a DAO that builds and invests in communities. The mission of Seed Club is to assist web3 community builders. They are creating a future in which the value created by online communities is captured by people rather than platforms. 

These achievements underline how investment DAOs disrupted traditional models by offering a more inclusive and decentralized platform. Investment DAOs have proven their capability to detect and support groundbreaking startups, redefining the future of venture capital.

Potential for Future Growth and Expansion of DAO-driven Venture Capital

The future of DAOs in venture capital and funding looks promising. As blockchain technology continues to mature, DAOs are likely to become more robust, secure, and user-friendly, attracting more participation from both investors and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, regulatory clarity around DAOs could also propel their growth in venture capital.

In the future, we may see more venture capital firms incorporating DAO structures to give their investors more direct control over their investments. We may also see more startups choosing to raise funds through DAOs instead of traditional venture capital, due to the transparency, global access, and democratized decision-making that DAOs offer.

Another potential area of growth is the integration of DAOs with DeFi (Decentralized Finance) platforms. This could open up even more avenues for decentralized funding and provide investors with new ways to earn returns on their investments.

Conclusion

In summary, DAOs are transforming the venture capital sector. They employ blockchain technology and decentralized governance for a new approach. This shift from traditional centralized models results in transparent decisions, inclusive capital access, and creative funding strategies.

Significantly, investment DAOs like MetaCartel Ventures, Syndicate DAO, and The LAO demonstrate the potential of DAOs in venture capital. They have successfully backed various projects, spotlighting their skill in discovering and fostering groundbreaking startups. Their accomplishments highlight the inclusive, transparent, and democratized decision-making offered by DAO-driven venture capital.

As we look forward, the prospects of DAOs in venture capital are bright. With blockchain advancements and changing regulations, DAOs will become more secure and accessible to a broader audience. Increased adoption of DAO structures by venture capital firms and startups is expected, as well as integration with decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. The transformative power of DAOs is creating a decentralized, inclusive, and transparent system that benefits both entrepreneurs and investors.

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Blockchain for Creators: Secure and Sustainable Infrastructure

Miłosz Mach

07 Nov 2025
Blockchain for Creators: Secure and Sustainable Infrastructure

In today’s digital creative space, where the lines between art and technology are constantly blurring, projects like MARMALADE mark the beginning of a new era - one where creators can protect their work and maintain ownership through blockchain technology.

For Nextrope, being part of MARMALADE goes far beyond implementing features like screenshot blocking or digital watermarking. It’s about building trust infrastructure - systems that empower creators to thrive in the digital world safely and sustainably.

A new kind of blockchain challenge

Cultural and educational projects come with a completely different set of challenges than typical DeFi systems. Here, the focus isn’t on returns or complex smart contracts - it’s on people: artists, illustrators, educators.

That’s why our biggest task was to design secure yet intuitive infrastructure - lightweight, energy-efficient, and accessible for non-technical users exploring Web3 for the first time.

“Our mission wasn’t to build another financial protocol. It was to create a layer of trust for digital creators.”
— Nextrope Team

Security that stays invisible

The best security is the kind you don’t notice.
Within MARMALADE, we focused on making creators' protection seamless:

  • Screenshot blocking safeguards artworks viewed in browsers.
  • Dynamic watermarking helps identify unauthorized copies.
  • Blockchain registry ensures every proof of ownership remains transparent and immutable

“Creators shouldn’t have to think about encryption or private keys - our job is to make security invisible.”

Sustainability by design

MARMALADE also answers a bigger question - how to innovate responsibly.
Nextrope’s infrastructure relies on low-emission blockchain networks and modular architecture that can easily be adapted for other creative or cultural initiatives.

This means the technology built here can support not only artists but also institutions, universities, and educators seeking to integrate blockchain in meaningful ways.

Beyond technology

For Nextrope, MARMALADE is more than a project — it’s proof that blockchain can empower culture and creators, not just finance. By building tools for digital artists, we’re helping them protect their creativity and discover how technology can amplify human expression.

Plasma blockchain. Architecture, Key Features & Why It Matters

Miłosz Mach

21 Oct 2025
Plasma blockchain. Architecture, Key Features & Why It Matters

What is Plasma?

Plasma is a Layer-1 blockchain built specifically for stablecoin infrastructure combining Bitcoin-level security with EVM compatibility and ultra-low fees for stablecoin transfers.

Why Plasma Blockchain Was Created?

Existing blockchains (Ethereum, L2s, etc.) weren’t originally designed around stablecoin payments at scale. As stablecoins grow, issues like congestion, gas cost, latency, and interoperability become constraints. Plasma addresses these by being purpose-built for stablecoin transfers, offering features not found elsewhere.

  • Zero-fee transfers (especially for USDT)
  • Custom gas tokens (separate from XPL, to reduce friction)
  • Trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge (to allow BTC collateral use)
  • Full EVM compatibility smart contracts can work with minimal modifications

Plasma’s Architecture & Core Mechanisms

EVM Compatibility + Smart Contracts

Developers familiar with Ethereum tooling (Solidity, Hardhat, etc.) can deploy contracts on Plasma with limited changes making it easy to port existing dApps or DeFi, similar to other EVM-compatible infrastructures discussed in the article „The Ultimate Web3 Backend Guide: Supercharge dApps with APIs".

Gas Model & Token Mechanism

Instead of forcing users always to hold XPL for gas, Plasma supports custom gas tokens. For stablecoin-native flows (e.g. USDT transfers), there is often zero fee usage, lowering UX friction.

Bitcoin Bridge & Collateral

Plasma supports a Bitcoin bridge that lets BTC become collateral inside smart contracts (like pBTC). This bridges the security of Bitcoin with DeFi use cases within Plasma.
This makes Plasma a “Bitcoin-secured blockchain for stablecoins".

Security & Finality

Plasma emphasizes finality and security, tuned to payment workloads. Its consensus and architecture aim for strong protection against reorgs and double spends while maintaining high throughput.
The network launched mainnet beta holding over $2B in stablecoin liquidity shortly after opening.

Plasma Blockchain vs Alternatives: What Makes It Stand Out?

FeaturePlasma (XPL)Other L1 / L2
Stablecoin native designusually second-class
Zero fees for stablecoin transfersrare, or subsidized
BTC bridge (collateral)only some chains
EVM compatibilityyes in many, but with trade-offs
High liquidity early✅ (>$2B TVL)many chains struggle to bootstrap

These distinctions make Plasma especially compelling for institutions, stablecoin issuers, and DeFi innovators looking for scalable, low-cost, secure payments infrastructure.

Use Cases: What You Can Build with Plasma Blockchain

  • Stablecoin native vaults / money markets
  • Payment rails & cross-border settlement
  • Treasury and cash management flows
  • Bridged BTC-backed stablecoin services
  • DeFi primitives (DEX, staking, yield aggregation) optimized for stablecoins

If you’re building any product reliant on stablecoin transfers or needing strong collateral backing from BTC, Plasma offers a compelling infrastructure foundation.

Get Started with Plasma Blockchain: Key Steps & Considerations

  1. Smart contract migration: assess if existing contracts can port with minimal changes.
  2. Gas token planning: decide whether to use USDT, separate gas tokens, or hybrid models.
  3. Security & audit: focus on bridge logic, reentrancy, oracle risks.
  4. Liquidity onboarding & market making: bootstrap stablecoin liquidity, incentives.
  5. Regulation & compliance: stablecoin issuance may attract legal scrutiny.
  6. Deploy MVP & scale: iterate fast, measure gas, slippage, UX, security.