Live from Breakpoint: Conversation w/ Rune Christensen (MakerDAO)

This podcast episode focuses on the challenges and solutions in building resilient decentralized organizations (Dows) with nested architectures, using Maker as a case study. The speaker discusses the significance of engagement and security in governance and introduces the concept of subdows, which enable parallel and decentralized decision-making. The episode explores yield farming and gamification in the context of an upgraded stablecoin model, highlighting the difficulties of striking a balance between community-building and incentivizing work contribution in Dows. The role of tools and AI solutions in streamlining processes is emphasized. The episode also delves into Maker's approach to participation and governance, emphasizing microgovernance and the integration of signals to drive autonomous mechanisms. Additionally, the proposed new underlying architecture for Maker is discussed, with the consideration of utilizing Salana as a backend blockchain. The importance of having a standalone backend in certain applications is explored, and the advancements in L1 solutions in the blockchain field are mentioned with excitement. Takeaways • The challenges in scaling decentralized organizations (Dows) and the importance of building resilient and reliable systems. • The introduction of subdows as a solution to parallelize and decentralize decision-making in Dows, increasing engagement and accountability. • The concept of yield farming and gamification in the context of an upgraded stable coin model, aiming to make personal finance more fun and engaging. • The challenges in incentivizing work contribution in Dows and the role of tools and AI solutions in streamlining processes and making them more enjoyable and efficient. • Maker's approach to participation and governance, focusing on microgovernance and integrating user signals for autonomous mechanisms. • The exploration of using Salana as a backend blockchain for Maker's underlying architecture, while still remaining on Ethereum. • The importance of having a standalone backend in certain applications and the potential of alternative blockchains like Salana to extend the functionalities of existing chains. • The excitement for the advancements in L1 solutions and the future of the blockchain space.