The parameters of a DeSci DAO (distributed autonomous organization) will establish responsibilities and incentives that will be paid in tokens, all of which will be recorded on a blockchain.
Instead of requiring graduate degrees or other qualifications to join and participate in a standard lab established at a university or corporation with a hierarchical structure managed by a principal investigator (PI) or director and a formal recruiting procedure, anybody may join and participate in a DeSci lab.
The parameters of a DeSci DAO (distributed autonomous organization) will establish responsibilities and incentives that will be paid in tokens, all of which will be recorded on a blockchain. Complete the assignment to obtain the tokens. Of course, some of the activities will require specialized expertise, training, or equipment, just as they would in a real lab, but no one can stop you from doing them. When a series of tasks produce intellectual property, ownership is transferred to the whole DAO, with each member’s part proportionate to the number of tokens held. If the IP is sold or licensed, the proceeds go directly to the DAO and its token holders.
Although they resemble ownership shares in a typical firm, token regulations are more flexible and are wholly determined by the token holders themselves, implemented by smart contracts on an irreversible blockchain. Decisions in a normal corporation are often made by a small number of management members who, being human, might occasionally unjustly dish out favors. DAO decisions are decided through smart contracts that, once stated, cannot be manipulated.
At least, that’s the theory. Of course, an NFT-based DeSci credit system is dependent on providing proper credit to its forefathers — but that is also true in today’s academic publication.
The indelible nature of the blockchain eliminates several sources of blatant fraud in a DeSci society. Smart contracts, by removing humans from the loop, cannot be bribed or intimidated. Each stage of the process is permanently recorded on an unalterable blockchain ledger, making data manipulation impossible. And DAO choices about which research to support are decided collectively, rather than at some hidden meeting of officials.
