Samuel Mens Wins BRB Hackathon Bounty with Aragon OSx and Hats Protocol

Aragon is shifting onchain governance from constant proposal voting to rule-based automation. Their new approach addresses a core inefficiency: DAOs shouldn't need human approval for routine tasks like payroll or treasury rebalancing every month. **Key developments:** - Launching the **Token Ownership Index** to verify which tokens grant actual control rights versus speculative assets - Introducing governance automation that executes recurring decisions based on predefined rules - Distinguishing "ownership tokens" (like Aave, Lido, Curve) from memecoins through verifiable onchain rights The timing aligns with maturing capital flows and regulators favoring transparent, rule-based systems over discretionary control. Vitalik Buterin's 2026 forecast similarly emphasized automated governance design. Aragon argues proposal-based governance doesn't scale when communities vote on the same actions repeatedly. Their solution: define rules once, automate execution, and reserve human discretion for decisions that truly require it. Read the full framework: [Beyond Proposals Part I](https://blog.aragon.org/beyond-proposals-pt-i-automation-and-the-art-of-not-governing/)

Aragon OSx has introduced **policy plugins** that enable DAOs to automate routine operations without requiring constant voting. The plugins are designed with four key characteristics: - **Deterministic**: Predictable outcomes based on set rules - **Rule-bound**: Operate within defined parameters - **Permissionless to trigger**: Anyone can initiate when conditions are met - **Governed in scope, not execution**: Governance sets boundaries, not individual actions This approach allows organizations to automate treasury operations like payouts, token buybacks, burns, and fund flows while maintaining governance oversight. The system builds on Aragon's previous work with Optimistic Dual Governance, which combines efficient team operations with stakeholder veto rights. [Learn more about Aragon OSx](https://www.aragon.org/osx)

The fourth and final pre-deposit vault on Status L2 has launched, developed by Aragon in partnership with Generic Money. **Key Features:** - Early liquidity access for users - Onchain yield opportunities - Pre-mainnet asset staking The vault allows users to contribute liquidity and earn Karma tokens before Status L2's mainnet launch. Status L2 is positioning itself as Ethereum's first gasless Layer 2 with a shared-yield model. Aragon is offering similar liquidity bootstrapping solutions for other pre-mainnet protocols and networks.

Vitalik Buterin addressed a critical challenge facing decentralized autonomous organizations: the unsustainable model of requiring human votes for every decision. While Buterin originally conceived DAOs in 2013 as organizations governed by code and community voting without central authority, he now highlights the need for evolution beyond constant manual governance. **Key implications:** - Current DAO models create voter fatigue - Need for more automated decision-making systems - Balance required between decentralization and efficiency The statement suggests a shift toward DAOs that leverage smart automation while maintaining decentralized principles, reducing the burden on participants to vote on routine matters.

Aragon has announced a partnership with Generic Money to enable networks to generate onchain yield for ecosystem development. **Key Points:** - Generic Money's neutral stablecoin infrastructure integrates with Aragon's value accrual primitives - The collaboration aims to help web3 projects capture and distribute more value - Partnership builds on Aragon's existing multi-chain presence across Ethereum, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, zkSync, BNB Chain, and Peaq The integration allows organizations using Aragon's governance and tokenomics tools to direct generated yield toward ecosystem growth initiatives.