TCG & Tokenization Encyclopedia

DAO Encyclopedia

Decentralised governance has developed a dense and sometimes inconsistently used vocabulary. Terms like “governance token,” “multisig,” “timelock,” “quorum,” “delegation,” and “optimistic governance” are used across DAO forums, legal filings, regulatory submissions, and technical documentation — often with subtly different meanings in each context.

The ZUG DAO Encyclopedia provides precise, technically accurate definitions for the terms that matter most in DAO governance. Each entry covers: the technical definition of the concept, how it is implemented in practice (with reference to specific protocols and tools), the regulatory treatment of the concept under Swiss law and other relevant jurisdictions, and the key considerations for DAO designers, legal practitioners, and governance contributors.

Entries are written for an informed audience — lawyers, governance contributors, protocol developers, and institutional investors — rather than for complete beginners. We assume familiarity with basic blockchain concepts but explain DAO-specific terminology with the rigour that legal and institutional contexts demand.

Where regulatory treatment is described, it reflects the informational understanding of applicable frameworks and does not constitute legal advice. Swiss regulatory treatment reflects FINMA’s published positions as of the date of writing; readers should verify current regulatory status for specific circumstances.