In tomorrows episode of DAO Deep Dives, we talked to René Pinnell, the founder of Free Ross DAO and Artizen Fund. He discussed his extensive involvement in these decentralized autonomous organizations and their missions. The conversation highlighted the potential and challenges of decentralized organizations, and how they can revolutionize the way we fund and curate creative projects.

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In this Episode

Here is what you can expect from Episode 2 of DAO Deep Dives.

Free Ross DAO

René was instrumental in the founding of the Free Ross DAO in late 2021 to support and advocate for the freedom of Ross Ulbricht, who was convicted of starting and running the Silk Road.

The DAO was successful in raising significant funds to support Ross's legal efforts, but it has struggled to have the impact they hoped for due to the challenges and limitations of decentralized organizations when dealing with serious initiatives that impact a persons life. As René explained, coordinating a group of strangers in a democratic and transparent way, especially when the stakes are high, can be incredibly challenging. Despite these challenges, René believes that the potential benefits of decentralized organizations make it worth exploring and innovating in this space.

Artizen Fund

On the other hand, Artizen Fund, René's other DAO, aims to revolutionize the way creative endeavors are funded and curated. Artizen has experimented with various ways of funding projects, such as reinventing grant funding and cash prizes, and has settled on a system where anyone can submit their project for funding. The projects are then reviewed by the Artizen community, who vote on the ones they think are the strongest. The top projects are curated for the official selection, and each project has a special type of NFT, called an artifact, that encapsulates the essence of the project. Governance is baked into the product itself, as the funding comes from buying these artifacts, and the curation comes from owning them. The more artifacts you own, the bigger your voting power.

René's interpretation of a DAO is a way for a group of people to pool resources of any kind and decide how to allocate that value, with governance structures becoming more complex from there. Governance is the product itself in Artizen, and it's just governance for a very specific purpose, which is pooling capital and then allocating capital towards creative projects. This innovative approach to funding creative endeavors has the potential to democratize the arts and sciences, allowing anyone to submit their project for funding and giving the community a voice in deciding which projects are the most promising.

René's involvement in these DAOs sheds light on the potential and challenges of decentralized organizations. They have the power to raise funds and make decisions in a democratic and transparent way, but they can also struggle to coordinate and have a significant impact when the stakes are high. Despite the challenges, the potential benefits make it worth exploring and innovating in this space. DAOs have the potential to revolutionize the way we fund and curate creative projects, democratize access to funding, and give the community a voice in deciding which projects are the most promising.

As the world becomes increasingly decentralized, DAOs will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of funding and governance. The potential benefits are immense, and René's work with Free Ross DAO and Artizen Fund demonstrates how DAOs can be used to make a positive impact in the world. It will be exciting to see how these organizations continue to evolve and innovate in the years to come.