The photograph accompanying this article captures a moment I once witnessed on a beach in Silicon Valley, California. The endless waves of the Pacific Ocean stretch into the distance, fading and dissolving into the sand. All three states of matter are present here: the solid, unmoving sand; the liquid, flowing water; and the wind — invisible yet tangible chaos of air. This landscape seems to symbolize the transitions and boundaries between order and freedom, between stability and change.
This very scene inspired me to reflect on how DAOs, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, transform into a "third state" for communities. They combine the chaotic freedom of scattered individuals and the structured order of centralized organizations, creating something new — fluid and adaptive.
DAO, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, open up unexpected and exciting opportunities for creativity and collaboration. Imagine a world where only two states of matter existed — solid and gaseous. Solid is strict, immobile, and rigid, while gaseous is chaotic and uncontrollable. And then, a third state appears — liquid: flexible, flowing, capable of taking any shape and penetrating even the most inaccessible places. How profoundly it would change our world!
The same goes for DAOs: previously, we either existed as scattered individuals (gas) or united in rigid structures with centralized control (solid). Now, DAOs allow us to be something in between — an amorphous, fluid community that can adapt to any situation, spread across surfaces, or seep into the smallest cracks of opportunity. This state opens entirely new horizons for collaboration, innovation, and self-realization.
🌿 Inspired by this concept, we are building the Eco-Programming Alliance (EPA) as a DAO — a decentralized ecosystem rooted in sustainable programming principles and an algorithm-centric approach. Join us at eco-programming.org and become part of a flexible and innovative community that is reshaping the way we approach programming and technology!
This metaphor helped me rethink how to design a DAO and shape its philosophy, structure, and mechanisms. For instance, creating a DAO required addressing complex intersections of technology and principles, including sustainable software development, leveraging blockchain, AI agents (“centaurs”), and a tokenized incentive system. A key focus became prioritizing verifiable data (“truth”) over subjective perceptions (“reality”) and defining the unique role of AI within this structure.
Many of these decisions stemmed from deep philosophical considerations and the integration of ideas like Decentralized Science (DeSci), collaboration with partner organizations, and the potential for a global crypto-neobank. All of this enables the DAO to become a flexible, fluid community capable of adapting and expanding while staying true to its principles.
What do you think of this metaphor? Does it resonate with you? Perhaps you have your own imagery that helps conceptualize DAOs or ideas for how they can be implemented in other fields? Share your thoughts — I’d love to hear them!
