Great thread! Adding the DAO and governance perspective, especially relevant for European regulatory context.
DAOs Under MiCA: The Unresolved Question
The European DAO Challenge
MiCA doesn’t directly address DAOs, which creates interesting ambiguity:
Key Questions Still Being Debated:
- Are DAO tokens securities under MiCA?
- Who is the “issuer” for a truly decentralized protocol?
- How do DAOs handle CASP licensing requirements?
- What about DAO treasuries and reserve requirements?
Why EthCC Matters for DAO Builders
EthCC has historically been the best event for DAO governance discussions:
Technical Tracks:
- On-chain governance mechanisms
- Voting systems and delegation
- Treasury management smart contracts
- DAO tooling ecosystem
Research Presentations:
- Game theory of token voting
- Governance attack vectors
- Voter participation studies
- Decentralization metrics
European DAO Legal Landscape
Different EU jurisdictions are taking different approaches:
| Jurisdiction | DAO Approach |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | DAO LLC structure available |
| Malta | DAO-friendly framework |
| France | PACTE law adaptations |
| Germany | Cautious, case-by-case |
| Estonia | Previously friendly, now uncertain |
My Conference Recommendations for DAO Builders
Paris Blockchain Week:
- Legal status discussions
- Regulatory engagement opportunities
- Lobbyist networking
EthCC:
- Technical governance innovations
- DAO tooling demos
- Builder networking
BTC Prague:
- Less relevant for DAOs (Bitcoin-focused)
- But interesting for governance philosophy discussions
Side Events to Watch
The best DAO discussions often happen at:
- DAOist events - Usually runs alongside major conferences
- Aragon/Snapshot workshops - Tooling-focused
- Legal hackathons - Exploring DAO structures
My 2026 Focus
I’ll be at both Paris Blockchain Week (regulatory clarity) and EthCC (technical innovation). The combination gives a complete picture of where DAOs stand in Europe.
@regulatory_rachel the DAO question is the big unresolved issue in European crypto regulation. These conferences are where that ambiguity might start getting resolved.