4.2 KiB
| type | title | author | url | date | domain | format | status | tags | event_type | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| source | Futardio: Fund Futarchy applications research — Dr. Robin Hanson, George Mason University | futard.io | https://www.metadao.fi/projects/metadao/proposal/Dt6QxTtaPz87oEK4m95ztP36wZCXA9LGLrJf1sDYAwxi | 2026-03-20 | internet-finance | data | unprocessed |
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proposal |
Proposal Details
- Project: MetaDAO
- Proposal: Fund Futarchy applications research — Dr. Robin Hanson, George Mason University
- Status: Pending
- Created: 2026-03-20
- URL: https://www.metadao.fi/projects/metadao/proposal/Dt6QxTtaPz87oEK4m95ztP36wZCXA9LGLrJf1sDYAwxi
- Description: Fund Futarchy applications research — Dr. Robin Hanson, George Mason University
Content
Author: Proph3t and Kollan
Category: Operations Direct Action
Proposed period: 6 Months: April – September 2026 (tentative on final grant agreement)
Budget: $80,007 USDC
Summary
This proposal requests $80,007 USDC from the MetaDAO treasury to fund a six-month academic research engagement at George Mason University. Led by Dr. Robin Hanson — the economist who invented futarchy — this project will produce the first rigorous experimental evidence on the information-aggregation efficiency of decision-market governance, directly validating or challenging the theoretical basis on which MetaDAO operates.
A positive market outcome will authorize treasury disbursement and delegate authority to the MetaDAO director to execute a contract with GMU to initiate the engagement.
How and why this benefits MetaDAO and META token holders
-
Legitimacy
- Results will anchor MetaDAO's governance claims — a differentiator vs. competing platforms
-
Protocol improvement
- Experimental data will identify potential design weaknesses in current Futarchy mechanics, enabling targeted upgrades
-
Ecosystem growth
- Published findings will attract and support institutional adopters and projects evaluating the Futarchy Management tool on Solana
Scope of work
The research team will design and run controlled experiments with 500 student participants (500@$50 each, $25,000 total) in structured decision-making scenarios. All protocols will undergo Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. Dr. Daniel Houser (experimental economics) will participate as co-investigator. A graduate research assistant will handle programming, recruitment, data collection, and analysis across the full academic year and summer.
Budget Allocation
| Item | Amount (USDC) |
|---|---|
| Dr. Robin Hanson — 2 months summer salary | ~$30,000 |
| Dr. Daniel Houser — Co-investigator (0.85% AY + summer) | ~$6,000 |
| Graduate research assistant — full AY + summer | ~$19,007 |
| Participant payments (500 @ $50) | $25,000 |
| Total | $80,007 |
Risks and Mitigations
The primary risk is that experimental results challenge some assumptions underlying futarchy — this is a feature, not a bug. Regardless, MetaDAO benefits from honest/accurate data either way.
A secondary risk is IRB or recruitment delays; the GRA timeline includes buffer for both.
We propose funds to be disbursed in two payments (subject to the final grant agreement): 50% on agreement execution, 50% upon delivery of the interim report, giving the DAO a natural checkpoint.
Onchain action
Upon passing the program will authorize a treasury transfer of $80,007 USDC. In the event that George Mason University is unable to accept cryptocurrency payments, the MetaDAO servicing entity is authorized to convert the approved USDC to USD and execute a cash payment to GMU in the full amount of $80,007, with any conversion or transfer fees borne by the MetaDAO treasury. No further governance action required.
Supporting Documentation
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MBStw8sAwjn7_cdoufQ-ooJjt4_nKY4o?usp=drive_link
Raw Data
- Proposal account:
Dt6QxTtaPz87oEK4m95ztP36wZCXA9LGLrJf1sDYAwxi - Proposal number: 2
- DAO account:
CUPoiqkK4hxyCiJcLC4yE9AtJP1MoV1vFV2vx3jqwWeS - Proposer:
tSTp6B6kE9o6ZaTmHm2ZwnJBBtgd3x112tapxFhmBEQ - Autocrat version: 0.6