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Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

spectrum.ieee.org

11–20 of 85 posts

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#11

>“In general what you really want in any kind of a voting-governed structure like the DAO is you want the voters to vote their true preferences. You want them voting in line with what they want to see happen,” says Sirer. In other words, if a token-holder thinks that the proposal will yeild[sic] profits and increase the net worth of the DAO, he should vote yes. If not, he should vote no. But that’s not what we’re lik…

I suppose the statements agree if all the voter is interested in is profit.

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#12

>“In general what you really want in any kind of a voting-governed structure like the DAO is you want the voters to vote their true preferences. You want them voting in line with what they want to see happen,” says Sirer. In other words, if a token-holder thinks that the proposal will yeild[sic] profits and increase the net worth of the DAO, he should vote yes. If not, he should vote no. But that’s not what we’re lik…

[deleted]

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#13

Discussion around the issues outlined in the report have already begun (before the report was published) in the DAO forums. It's not unexpected that there will be problems. This has never been done before. But the fact that this report exists, the problems are being discussed, and there are already talks of proposals for resolving some of the issues is a good sign that the DAO is working as intended... The community…

The "investors" risk losing all their money, and the curators and contractors risk going to prison because they are conducting an illegal securities offering with no valid exemption.

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#14
post #9

I love the idea of a corporation ran completely by rules and regulations. But the blockchain sours it for me. I just do not believe that operates in any way like a currency must.

In this case, the blockchain isn't acting like a currency, it's acting like a impartial applyer of decisions made by people..

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#15

Discussion around the issues outlined in the report have already begun (before the report was published) in the DAO forums. It's not unexpected that there will be problems. This has never been done before. But the fact that this report exists, the problems are being discussed, and there are already talks of proposals for resolving some of the issues is a good sign that the DAO is working as intended... The community…

Did anyone discuss "even minor bug fixes that would be trivial in centralised code are near-infeasible in a DAO"?

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#16

Discussion around the issues outlined in the report have already begun (before the report was published) in the DAO forums. It's not unexpected that there will be problems. This has never been done before. But the fact that this report exists, the problems are being discussed, and there are already talks of proposals for resolving some of the issues is a good sign that the DAO is working as intended... The community…

The "investors" risk losing all their money, and the curators and contractors risk going to prison because they are conducting an illegal securities offering with no valid exemption.

Curators may face legal risk, but contractors are just contracting. Nothing illegal about that.

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#17

Discussion around the issues outlined in the report have already begun (before the report was published) in the DAO forums. It's not unexpected that there will be problems. This has never been done before. But the fact that this report exists, the problems are being discussed, and there are already talks of proposals for resolving some of the issues is a good sign that the DAO is working as intended... The community…

The "investors" risk losing all their money, and the curators and contractors risk going to prison because they are conducting an illegal securities offering with no valid exemption.

In a way, this is like Uber or Airbnb, you can't ask permission or you'd be out of business before you managed to change the laws. Asking forgiveness is not only easier than asking permission, sometimes it's the only viable route.

They may lose money, they may make some. But it's a grand experiment of a kind that's never been tried before and I'm curious to see the results.

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "investors" risk losing all their money, and the curators and contractors risk going to prison because they are conducting an illegal securities offering with no valid exemption.

Curators may face legal risk, but contractors are just contracting. Nothing illegal about that.

In many cases, like slock.it, they appear to be the same groups on all sides (curators, contractors, token-holders), but do not necessarily disclose the relationships or voting power.

Re: Ethereum’s $150M DAO Opens as Researchers Call for a Halt

#20
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "investors" risk losing all their money, and the curators and contractors risk going to prison because they are conducting an illegal securities offering with no valid exemption.

In a way, this is like Uber or Airbnb, you can't ask permission or you'd be out of business before you managed to change the laws. Asking forgiveness is not only easier than asking permission, sometimes it's the only viable route. They may lose money, they may make some. But it's a grand experiment of a kind that's never been tried before and I'm curious to see the results.

Uber runs up against municipal taxi regulators. The DAO runs up against the SEC, DOJ, and state securities regulators, just to focus on the US cops. These people are a bit more serious than the City of Austin transit authority. As we've already seen in multiple cases, e.g., SatoshiDice, US regulators are aware of efforts to use profit-sharing contracts to raise funds, and view this (correctly) as a securities offering that should be registered unless there's a valid exemption. I was on a train some months ago and saw Preet Bharara reading the WSJ. At least I'm pretty sure it was him. How long do you think before a failed DAO crowdfunding ends up on the WSJ front page? If investors lose $100mm you can bet it will get that kind of publicity. Then it's just a matter of identifying the ideal defendant for symbolic punishment. If I were involved in slock.it, I would be careful not to travel through the US.
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