Tokenistic Behavior? Exploring Blockchain and DAOs as a Participatory Practice in Museums

Abstract

The paper examines the possibilities offered by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) for supporting audience participation in the museum sector. DAOs, a type of digital infrastructure underpinned by blockchains and smart contracts, have been seen as informing a more autonomous, self-managing, transparent, and more efficient online organization, one capable of shaping how users participate and communicate with one another. At the same time significant questions have been raised over how DAO technologies complicate the human issues of democracy and shared authority. This paper explores and evaluates the impact of DAO structures in the context of museum participation, specifically viewing them through the lens of shared authority and democracy. It argues that these technologies are capable of offering evidence-based participation, but that this is contingent on access and trust.