Public vs. Permissioned Blockchains for DAOs: Insights for Standardized Implementations

Web3 technologies are reshaping organizational structures through Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), promoting transparent, automated, and collaborative governance. However, despite their promise, DAOs have seen limited mainstream adoption beyond financial domains, hindered by interoperability issues, governance complexities, and the absence of standardized implementation frameworks. To address these challenges, this work conducts a comparative analysis of public and permissioned blockchain environments—specifically Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric—to evaluate DAO implementation trade-offs, synthesize design requirements, and identify actionable considerations for standardized implementations, such as transition frameworks and emerging technologies that can support adaptable, scalable DAO systems. The findings aim to inform more inclusive and interoperable DAO adoption across diverse industry and governance contexts.