Buterin framed DAO governance using his “convex vs. concave” lens, suggesting different problems require different governance structures. Some decisions benefit from broad participation and compromise, while others require decisive leadership with accountability rather than constant voting by large groups.

He also warned that low turnout, whale dominance and decision fatigue continue to plague DAO ecosystems, even as governance tokens reach a combined market value of over $17 billion. To address this, Buterin pointed to tools like zero-knowledge proofs, secure computation and limited AI assistance to protect privacy and reduce voter burnout — while cautioning against DAOs being run by AI outright.