DeSci DAOs

Introduction

DeSci DAOs are decentralized autonomous organizations focused on funding and governing scientific research. Unlike traditional grant agencies or venture capital firms, DeSci DAOs enable communities to collectively allocate capital to research they believe in, using transparent on-chain governance to make funding decisions.

The model emerged in 2021 with the launch of VitaDAO, a community-owned collective funding longevity research. Since then, specialized DAOs have formed around women's health, psychedelics, genomics, brain health, rare diseases, synthetic biology, and more — many incubated through the Bio Protocol (formerly Bio.xyz) launchpad.

How DeSci DAOs Operate

Treasury Management: DeSci DAOs maintain on-chain treasuries funded through token sales, donations, or investment rounds. VitaDAO received a notable $4.1 million investment from Pfizer Ventures in December 2022, validating the model in the eyes of traditional pharma.

Governance: Most DeSci DAOs use token-weighted voting, where holding governance tokens grants proportional influence over funding decisions. Some, like PsyDAO, use more sophisticated Ostrom-inspired governance with separate token classes for governance and operations.

IP Ownership: Funded research IP is often held collectively via IP-NFTs, giving token holders governance rights over the resulting intellectual property.

Major DeSci DAOs

VitaDAO — Longevity research. 31 projects funded, $4.7M deployed, 3 companies founded.
AthenaBIO — Women's health research, focusing on ovarian aging and reproductive biology.
PsyDAO — Psychedelic science. 6 grants totaling $280k across MDMA, DMT, and LSD research.
GenomesDAO — Genomic data ownership and privacy-preserving DNA sequencing.
ValleyDAO — Synthetic biology and biomanufacturing.
CryoDAO — Cryopreservation research.
Cerebrum DAO — Brain health and neuroscience.
HairDAO — Hair loss research; filed the first DAO scientific patent in December 2023.

External Links

Introduction

How DeSci DAOs Operate

IP Ownership: Funded research IP is often held collectively via IP-NFTs, giving token holders governance rights over the resulting intellectual property.

Major DeSci DAOs

VitaDAO — Longevity research. 31 projects funded, $4.7M deployed, 3 companies founded.

AthenaBIO — Women's health research, focusing on ovarian aging and reproductive biology.

PsyDAO — Psychedelic science. 6 grants totaling $280k across MDMA, DMT, and LSD research.

GenomesDAO — Genomic data ownership and privacy-preserving DNA sequencing.

ValleyDAO — Synthetic biology and biomanufacturing.

CryoDAO — Cryopreservation research.

Cerebrum DAO — Brain health and neuroscience.

HairDAO — Hair loss research; filed the first DAO scientific patent in December 2023.

Type	Organizational Model
First DeSci DAO	VitaDAO (July 2021)
Active BioDAOs	11+ via Bio Protocol
Domains	Longevity, Women's Health, Psychedelics, Genomics, Brain Health, Rare Diseases
Total Deployed	$4.7M+ (VitaDAO alone)
Governance	Token-weighted voting, Ostrom-inspired models

Type	Organizational Model
First DeSci DAO	VitaDAO (July 2021)
Active BioDAOs	11+ via Bio Protocol
Domains	Longevity, Women's Health, Psychedelics, Genomics, Brain Health, Rare Diseases
Total Deployed	$4.7M+ (VitaDAO alone)
Governance	Token-weighted voting, Ostrom-inspired models