The DAO API

Overview of DAOIP-2: Common Interfaces for DAOs

DAOIP-2 establishes a standard for Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) to publish metadata through a daoURI, enabling consistent access to both on-chain and off-chain data about the DAO. This standard provides a unified way to represent DAOs, improving discoverability, governance transparency, and interoperability with tools and platforms.

Key Components of DAOIP-2

1. The daoURI:

   • A daoURI is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that points to a JSON-LD object containing structured metadata about a DAO.
   • The metadata includes information such as:
     • DAO description.
     • Member details (membersURI).
     • Proposal data (proposalsURI).
     • Activity logs (activityLogURI).
     • Governance rules (governanceURI).
     • Associated smart contracts (contractsURI).

2. JSON-LD Schemas:

   • DAOIP-2 uses JSON-LD (Linked Data) schemas to ensure data is structured, machine-readable, and extensible for multi-chain or off-chain use cases.
   • These schemas support both minimal metadata (e.g., for simpler DAOs) and complex relationships (e.g., subDAOs, cross-chain setups).

3. Flexibility in Adoption:

   • DAOs can implement daoURI directly in their governance smart contracts or through ENS or EAS.
   • The standard supports both static and dynamically generated JSON data, giving DAOs flexibility in how they publish their metadata.

Benefits of DAOIP-2

• Enhanced Discoverability:

  • Platforms like DeepDAO, Snapshot, or Tally can easily find and display consistent information about DAOs, increasing their visibility in the ecosystem.

• Improved Governance Transparency:

  • By standardizing how DAOs share data about members, proposals, and activity logs, DAOIP-2 enables more transparent decision-making processes.

• Tool Interoperability:

  • The daoURI allows governance tools, analytics platforms, and ecosystem services to work seamlessly with any DAO adopting the standard.

• Multi-Chain Support:

  • DAOIP-2 is designed to work across different blockchains, enhancing interoperability in a fragmented ecosystem.

Use Cases

1. Member Lists:

   • A DAO publishes a membersURI containing a list of active members or addresses, which can be used for voting eligibility or community engagement.

2. Proposal Metadata:

   • The proposalsURI includes details about active and past proposals, enabling participants to track decision-making processes.

3. Activity Logs:

   • The activityLogURI tracks member interactions, such as votes, discussions, or disputes, offering an auditable history of DAO actions.

4. Governance Rules:

   • A governanceURI links to a Markdown file outlining the DAO’s governance processes, enhancing transparency and trust.

Example Adoption Workflow

1. Define Metadata:

   • The DAO collects information about its members, proposals, governance rules, and related contracts.

2. Generate a daoURI:

   • The DAO uses the DAOIP-2 JSON-LD schema to format this metadata and publishes it to a hosting platform like IPFS or GitHub.

3. Implement in Contracts:

   • The DAO updates its governance contract or deploys a registration contract to point to the daoURI.

4. Enable Ecosystem Access:

   • Tools and platforms automatically fetch the daoURI to display the DAO’s metadata, improving user experience.

TL:DR

DAOIP-2 bridges the gap between on-chain and off-chain data, offering a robust foundation for DAO transparency, discoverability, and interoperability. By adopting this standard, DAOs can ensure they are easily understood and engaged with by their members, partners, and the broader ecosystem.