Blockchain Constitutionalism: the Role of Legitimacy in Polycentric Systems

Blockchain networks and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) have seen a surge in adoption in recent years. However, to fulfill their promise of widespread structural innovation and change meaningfully, they require governance that maintains legitimacy for internal and external stakeholders. In this conference, we will discuss the requirements for this type of governance from both a practitioner and academic perspective, drawing on three core concepts: legitimacy, polycentricity, and constitutionalism. The first day is dedicated to exploring these concepts academically and applying core tenets to blockchain networks. The remaining two days are structured as a set of conversations between researchers and practitioners to examine the role of constitutionalism and polycentric governance in building and maintaining the legitimacy of both blockchain networks and the DAOs that operate on them.

The European University Institute Conference will take place in Florence from the 5th to the 7th of June, 2023.

The first day is dedicated to an Internal Workshop. During this time, working groups will work on several topics, such as Blockchain & Constitution, Blockchain & Endogenous Legitimacy, Blockchain & Exogenous Legitimacy, and Blockchain and Polycentricity.

Then, during the 6th and 7th of June, talks will be given by academics, researchers, and professionals from all around the world. Team members from Ethereum,  Avalanche or Optimism, and DAO Opeator discuss topics such as Law & Regulation or Governance. Each speaker will give a quick presentation and answer the question of the audience.