A decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is a group organized around a specific mission that coordinates through a shared set of rules enforced on a blockchain. DAOs themselves are just organizational structures that control shared economic resources and/or protocol rules, and each DAO can be different in how it operates. Some DAOs are private and others are open for anyone to join and contribute. For some DAOs, active contributors can get paid by the DAO for their work.
![](https://thedrcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/w8Fm_EQb7jhvrd51VtE61-1-300x150.png)