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Creating Your First DAO

Learn how to create and configure a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) on Gitopia. A DAO enables community-driven decision-making for your open-source projects.

Before You Start​

You'll need:

  • A Gitopia account with a connected wallet
  • Basic understanding of DAOs
  • A clear plan for your DAO's purpose

Creating Your DAO​

Basic Setup​

  1. Go to the Gitopia homepage and click "Create a DAO"

Create DAO

  1. Enter your DAO's details:
    • Name (must be unique across Gitopia)
    • Description of your DAO's purpose and goals
    • Optional: Website URL

DAO Information

Governance Configuration​

Configure how your DAO makes decisions:

  1. Voting Period

    • Set how long members have to vote on proposals
    • Recommended: 24-48 hours for active teams
    • Consider your team's timezone spread

  2. Quorum

    • Set the minimum percentage of YES votes required for a proposal to be accepted
    • Example: 51% means over half of all possible votes must vote YES
    • Recommended: Start with 51% for balanced decision-making

Governance Params

  1. Security Settings Choose which actions need DAO approval:
    • Merging pull requests
    • Creating releases
    • Managing collaborators
    • Deleting repositories

Repository Governance

Setting Up Members and Voting Power​

Each member gets a voting weight that determines their influence in decisions. Here's a typical structure:

Example Weight Distribution:

  • Core Maintainers: 100 weight (project leads)
  • Active Contributors: 50 weight (regular contributors)
  • Community Members: 10 weight (general participants)

To add members:

  1. Click "Add Member"
  2. Enter the member's wallet address
  3. Assign their voting weight

DAO Membership

Understanding Voting Power

If your DAO has:

  • 2 Core Maintainers (200 total weight)
  • 4 Active Contributors (200 total weight)
  • 10 Community Members (100 total weight)
  • Total possible votes: 500

With a 51% quorum:

  • At least 255 weighted votes must vote YES for a proposal to be accepted
  • This could be achieved by:
    • 3 Core Maintainers voting, or
    • 6 Active Contributors voting, or
    • Any combination reaching 255

After Setup​

  1. Test Your DAO

    • Create a test proposal
    • Have members verify their access
    • Check that voting works as expected

  2. Document Your Process

    • Write clear guidelines for proposals
    • Explain how voting works
    • Set up communication channels

Need Help?​

Updating Your DAO​

Most settings can be changed later through DAO proposals, including:

  • Voting period
  • Quorum requirements
  • Member weights
  • Security settings