$LABOR and Decentralization

This essay is still in the works. Because it’s taking much longer than originally promised, supporters can reach out to me and get their ETH back no questions asked. Don’t hesitate to reach out on Twitter or Instagram (@quasimatt). Thanks!

Much of my time has recently been divided between an academic engagement with labor as a graduate student and a growing interest in web3 and decentralization. I’ve noticed the intersection of these topics seems under-explored. The purpose of this crowdfund is to enable me to research the intersection of labor and decentralization and publish that research publicly on Mirror.

Project:

Perhaps one the most pertinent intersections of labor and decentralization is what could be an emergent labor relation—that of a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) and its members or contributors. DAOs have been touted as a new vision for work, yet it’s hard to identify exactly what makes a DAO a DAO and formalize their labor dynamics. A robust understanding of DAOs as social and economic relationships is crucial to determining how they should operate and how they must evolve. By characterizing the nature of DAOs as firms and understanding the labor relations that form in DAOs, my research will aim to inform our organizational development and aid in the pursuit of just compensation and fair relationship dynamics.

My research will be theoretical, qualitative, and cross-disciplinary. It will include a review of literature from philosophy, economics, economic geography, sociology, and anthropology, essays about DAOs (some of which are published on Mirror), and interviews with people who have worked for DAOs. I plan to follow roughly this structure:

  • Establish a theoretical definition of DAOs as firms.
  • Understand how existing DAOs conform to and deviate from that definition.
  • Summarize DAO labor and compensation structures in theory and in practice.
  • Identify societies or organizations in the past or present that employ similar labor structures.
  • Review the differences between workplace governance in DAOs and in centralized bureaucratic organizations as they relate to power and coercion.
  • Evaluate how DAO labor relations are more or less just than overtly hierarchical labor relations.
  • Suggest structural changes for DAOs to improve their labor structures (if applicable).
  • Comment on the potential of DAOs, algocracies, and decentralization to realize labor justice more generally.

The finished product will be a refined essay of at least 4000 words. I plan to complete the project by the end of the year (update: I hope to publish by the end of January 2022).

As a graduate student whose primary focus is labor, I have access to and general familiarity with the academic literature related to workplace governance and labor relations. If you’re aware of any resources that might aid in my research—especially non-academic sources—I would love to hear from you. Please reach out on Twitter: @quasimatt.

Funding:

If successful, this crowdfund will enable me to research and write independently and publicize research that’s valuable to our community rather than getting a university research job with less autonomy and, frankly, less relevance. The goal of 1 ETH would financially replace having a university research job for a semester and compensate me for hours of research and writing. Any funds raised beyond 1 ETH will be reinvested into other projects on Mirror and the wider web3 ecosystem. If the goal of 1 ETH is not reached, funds will be returned.

Crowdfunds on Mirror issue tokens in exchange for contributions. In this crowdfund, 1 ETH = 1000 $LABOR. For now, I will retain 30% of $LABOR tokens. Two thirds of those tokens (20% of the total supply) will be distributed to editors and interviewees before the final publication of the essay, leaving me with a 10% stake in the final essay. Upon completion, the essay will be published, minted, and auctioned. Any proceeds will be made available to $LABOR holders proportional to their $LABOR holding. Those proceeds can be collected using the crowdfunding block at the top of this page. While this crowdfund is structured such that it could yield a financial return on your investment, I encourage you to see your contribution as an investment in research that will be valuable to our community and decide whether to contribute based on that framing.

Backers