Science & Technology

On April 2-4, 2023, the DAO Harvard conference brought together practitioners, policymakers, and academics to engage in conversation regarding the research, legal, and policy considerations of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). The conference, hosted by the Belfer Center’s Technology & Public Purpose Project and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics, convened global participants across five continents here at Harvard University. This post will recap some of the major themes and takeaways from each of the individual summits– the Research Summit, Law Summit, and Summit on Equitable Ownership and Governance in the Online Economy.

The internet, and by extension much of the global economy, is built on “digital public goods,” often in the form of open-source software. This open-source software is a critical infrastructure for the devices and applications that are part of our everyday lives, yet remains consistently under-funded and under-resourced. Below we explore the importance of and obstacles to sustainability that open-source software faces today, and highlight various experiments that aim to improve the quantity and quality of such infrastructure.

Over the last decade, developments in blockchain and various decentralized technologies have spurred the evolution of “web3,” introducing significant disruptions across various industries and sectors. For many innovators, these technologies can significantly improve existing transaction and verification processes, by making them more transparent, efficient, and trustworthy. For others, web3 serves as an ideal platform for developing and scaling innovative economic and governance models towards a more sustainable, collaborative, and democratic future. However, the clear evidence of frauds and scams accompanying these advancements make some critics question the credibility and legitimacy of the field. As such, it is vital to critically examine the field and pinpoint areas and use cases where these technologies can truly bring positive change and impact. The event offered an opportunity for practitioners, academics and researchers to explore the most promising approaches and use case areas for employing web3 technologies and blockchain to promote positive social impact. Through a combination of presentations and interactive sessions, attendees have engaged in rigorous debate and analysis of the opportunities and challenges of blockchain technology, including discussions of the technical, economic, and social implications.

On December 1st, the Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project hosted its third and last panel Policymaking in Web3 as part of a three-part Perspectives in Web3 Virtual Series. It was joined by legal scholars, lawyers and policy researchers who work at the forefront of this domain, including Primavera De Filippi, Research Director at the National Center of Scientific Research and Faculty Associate at Harvard’s Berkman-Klein Center for Internet & Society; Connor Spelliscy, Executive Director of the DAO Research Collective; Miles Jennings, General Counsel and Head of Decentralization of a16z Crypto; David Kerr, Principal of Cowrie LLC; and Lindsey Kelleher, Senior Policy Manager at Blockchain Association.

On November 17th, the Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project hosted its second panel Investing in Web3 as part of a three-part Perspectives in Web3 Virtual Series. It was an especially timely discussion given the series of events which have unfolded over the last few weeks surrounding the collapse of FTX, formerly the second largest centralized crypto exchange platform. Joining the conversation wereNick Ducoff of G20 Ventures,Lauren Stephanianof Pantera Capital, andBrandon Hoffmanof Sunset Ventures. This blog serves as an event recap and outlines some key takeaways from the event.

"One way to restore trust [in institutions like local government] is to empower citizens to play a greater role in shaping their cities through more direct participation in local city development and policymaking, as this would allow cities to better reflect the needs of their residents."

Throughout this blog, Technology and Public Purpose Fellow Helena Rong introduces the concept of participatory urban development and planning as an interesting model for democratic processes; highlights how DLTs such as blockchain and its associated concepts of "tokenization" could potentially contribute to building digital tools that elevate fundamental principles of democracy, such as public participation and ownership; and finally, outlines the goals and objectives of her fellowship project that will aim to dive into some of the key questions stated above.