PUBLISHED: Fri, Dec 5, 2025, 5:57 PM UTC | UPDATED: Fri, Dec 5, 2025, 6:20 PM UTC
5 mis mins read
Photo: INO: Internet Native Organization
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Wyoming's DUNA framework became effective July 1, 2024, requiring 100+ members to form a legally recognized DAO
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DUNAs provide limited liability protection, enabling DAOs to sign contracts, open bank accounts, and appear in court without exposing members to personal risk
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Despite 'nonprofit' designation, DUNAs can engage in for-profit activities like operating DEXs—they just can't distribute dividends but can pay reasonable compensation
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Tax flexibility allows DUNAs to elect corporate taxation (protecting member privacy) or pursue 501(c)(3/4/6) nonprofit exemption for charitable purposes
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Real adoption underway: Uniswap launched DUNI in September 2025, while WYDE uses DUNA structure for charitable token governance
Decentralized autonomous organizations face a basic problem: they exist online but the legal system was built for the offline world. Without a legal structure, DAOs cannot sign contracts, open bank accounts, or protect their members from personal liability. Wyoming's Decentralized Unincorporated Nonprofit Association (DUNA) framework, signed into law in March 2024 and effective July 1, 2024, solves this problem.
A DUNA is a legal entity type designed specifically for decentralized organizations with at least 100 members. It gives DAOs the ability to exist in the legal system while preserving their decentralized governance. In this guide, you'll learn how DUNAs work, their tax structure options, and what they mean for the future of blockchain governance.
Table of Contents
The Problem: Why DAOs Needed Legal Recognition
How a DUNA Works: Step-by-Step
Key Components and Mechanisms
DUNA Tax Structure: Corporate vs. Nonprofit
DUNA vs. Other Legal Structures
Risks and Limitations
Regulatory and Legal Landscape
Real-World Use Cases
How WYDE Interacts With DUNAs
The Problem: Why DAOs Needed Legal Recognition
Before DUNAs, DAOs operated in a legal gray zone. When a group of people work together without forming a legal entity, the law often treats them as a "general partnership." This means every member can be held personally liable for the group's debts and legal obligations. That's a serious problem when your DAO has thousands or millions of members.
This scenario played out in real cases. The CFTC brought enforcement action against Ooki DAO, and the court determined that the DAO was a general partnership. Class action lawsuits targeted Compound DAO, Lido DAO, and others under similar theories. If courts broadly apply general partnership law to DAOs, members could face unlimited personal liability for governance decisions they supported.
DAOs also faced practical barriers. Without legal existence, they couldn't sign leases, hire employees, or open bank accounts. Any contracts had to be signed by individuals who then bore personal risk. This created friction that slowed ecosystem growth and discouraged participation in governance.
Wyoming's DUNA addresses all of these problems by creating a legal entity form designed specifically for decentralized organizations.
How a DUNA Works: Step-by-Step
Forming a DUNA
To become a DUNA, an organization must meet several requirements:
Minimum 100 members who join through mutual consent
Consent can happen through a written agreement or through conduct (such as purchasing a token that confers membership)
The organization must elect to be formed under Wyoming's DUNA Act
Cannot be organized under any other law in a different jurisdiction
The organization's "governing principles" define how it operates. These principles can be contained in traditional documents, smart contracts on a blockchain, or both. Wyoming's law explicitly recognizes that smart contracts can serve as the binding agreement between members.
How Governance Functions
DUNAs operate without mandatory centralized management. Unlike corporations with boards of directors, DUNAs rely on their members to govern all affairs. The law allows for "administrators" who handle specific operational tasks, but these administrators only have the authority that members grant them through governance proposals.
Major decisions require majority approval of membership interests:
Selecting or dismissing administrators
Amending governing principles
Dissolving the organization
Voting power is proportional to membership interest, which typically means proportional to token holdings.
Interacting With the Real World
Once formed, a DUNA can:
Enter contracts
Hold property
Open bank accounts
Appear in court
Hire service providers
Pay taxes
Settle legal disputes
Sign partnership agreements
The DUNA structure also includes a mechanism for service of process, meaning someone can deliver legal documents to the DUNA through a registered agent in Wyoming. This gives the legal system a way to bring the DUNA into court proceedings if necessary.
Key Components and Mechanisms
Membership and Token Integration
DUNA membership can be conferred automatically when someone "becomes a member in accordance with the governing principles." In practice, this means token purchases can grant membership. When you buy a governance token for a DUNA-structured protocol, you may automatically become a member with voting rights.
Membership interests are freely transferable unless the governing principles say otherwise. This means secondary markets for governance tokens can continue operating normally. Selling your tokens transfers your membership to the buyer.
Nonprofit Status and For-Profit Activities
The word "nonprofit" in DUNA causes confusion. Under Wyoming law, DUNAs are nonprofit associations, but they can engage in for-profit activities. This includes operating decentralized exchanges, social media protocols, or any other revenue-generating service.
What DUNAs cannot do is distribute profits directly to members as dividends. However, they can:
Pay "reasonable compensation" for services rendered
Reimburse expenses
Confer benefits consistent with nonprofit purposes
According to a16z crypto's analysis, this allows DUNAs to compensate members for governance participation, development work, and other contributions without extracting value like traditional corporations.
Limited Liability Protection
Individual DUNA members are not personally liable for the organization's obligations or for actions of other members. A judgment against the DUNA cannot be enforced against individual members. The DUNA can also indemnify members and administrators for liabilities incurred while acting on its behalf.
This protection is critical for encouraging participation. Without it, governance voting could expose token holders to personal legal risk.
DUNA Tax Structure: Corporate vs. Nonprofit
One of the most important and least understood aspects of DUNAs is their tax flexibility. DUNAs can choose how they want to be taxed based on their activities and goals.
Option 1: Corporate Taxation
DUNAs can elect to be taxed as corporations. This means:
The DUNA pays taxes on its income at the corporate rate
Members don't report DUNA income on personal returns (no pass-through)
Privacy preserved: Individual member identities are not disclosed to the IRS through the DUNA's tax filings
Simplicity: Avoids the complexity of pass-through taxation that would require tracking thousands or millions of members
Corporate taxation works well for DUNAs with significant revenue from protocol fees, trading activity, or other income-generating activities. It provides a clear, predictable tax obligation that the organization handles directly.
Option 2: Nonprofit Taxation
DUNAs may also pursue tax-exempt status as nonprofits if they meet the requirements:
501(c)(3) status is available for DUNAs with exclusively charitable purposes
501(c)(4) status is available for social welfare organizations
501(c)(6) status may apply to business leagues or similar organizations
To qualify for tax exemption, a DUNA must:
Operate exclusively for exempt purposes
Not distribute profits to members (reasonable compensation is still allowed)
File appropriate applications with the IRS
Maintain compliance with nonprofit requirements
Why This Flexibility Matters
According to a16z crypto, "structured correctly, the DUNA can be tax efficient, so concerns about taxes shouldn't be a barrier to onshoring."
DUNAs can choose between corporate taxation or nonprofit tax-exempt status
💚 NONPROFIT TAX-EXEMPT501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6)
DUNA pays taxes at corporate rateNo pass-through to individual membersMember privacy preserved from IRSClear, predictable tax obligation
No federal income tax on exempt activitiesDonations may be tax-deductible (501c3)Mission-aligned with charitable purposesReasonable compensation still allowed
BEST FOR:DeFi protocols with revenue from trading fees, lending interest, or protocol operationsExample: DUNI (Uniswap)
BEST FOR:Charitable organizations, social welfare projects, and mission-driven impact platformsExample: WYDE / $EAT
Important Tax Considerations
"Nonprofit" does not mean "tax exempt": The word "nonprofit" in DUNA refers to the organizational structure, not tax status
Treaty benefits: U.S. tax treaties with many countries provide clarity for international members
Compliance reduces risk: Paying taxes somewhere, and having that somewhere be the United States, removes uncertainty around global operations
DUNA vs. Other Legal Structures
Comparing legal frameworks available for decentralized organizations
Structure
Liability Protection
For-Profit Activities
Tax Options
DAO Designed
General Partnership
✗ No
✓ Yes
Pass-through
✗ No
DAO LLC (Wyoming)
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Flexible
⚠ Partial
Offshore Foundation
⚠ Varies
⚠ Limited
Tax-neutral
✗ No
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
✓ Yes
⚠ Limited
Tax-exempt
✗ No
DUNA
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Corporate or Nonprofit
✓ Yes
Legend: ✓ Yes ✗ No ⚠ Partial/Varies
Source: Wyoming DUNA Act (SF0050), a16z crypto analysis
DUNA vs. Wyoming DAO LLC
Wyoming previously created a "DAO LLC" structure in 2021. This allowed DAOs to form as limited liability companies. However, the DAO LLC required fitting decentralized governance into a structure designed for traditional businesses. The DUNA was purpose-built for decentralized organizations and does not require the same corporate formalities.
DUNA vs. Offshore Foundations
Many crypto projects use offshore foundations in places like the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, or Panama. These structures offer tax benefits and regulatory flexibility but create complexity. Projects must maintain strict independence between the foundation and any development company, often requiring offshore employees and operations.
According to a16z crypto, many founders would "gladly give up the tax efficiencies they gained through offshoring to eliminate the overhead those structures create." DUNAs offer a domestic alternative.
Risks and Limitations
Untested in Courts
The DUNA framework became effective in July 2024. No Wyoming court has yet interpreted the statute in a contested case. While the law appears clear, its practical application remains uncertain until courts address real disputes.
Federal Regulatory Questions
Wyoming's law provides state-level recognition, but federal regulators have their own authority. The SEC could still argue that certain DUNA governance tokens are securities. The CFTC could assert jurisdiction over DUNA-operated derivatives. Federal clarity has not fully arrived.
100-Member Minimum
DUNAs require at least 100 members. Early-stage projects with small communities cannot use this structure. Wyoming's existing Unincorporated Nonprofit Association (UNA) can serve smaller groups, with the option to convert to a DUNA when membership grows.
Reasonable Compensation Questions
DUNAs can pay "reasonable" compensation to members, but Wyoming courts will ultimately determine what counts as reasonable. Projects extracting excessive value from users could face challenges to their compensation structures.
Regulatory and Legal Landscape
United States
Wyoming leads, but other states are watching. According to Cowrie's analysis, California, Texas, and other states are considering adoption of the Model DUNAA. If DUNAs prove successful, expect similar frameworks to spread.
At the federal level, proposed market structure legislation could provide additional clarity. A16z crypto notes that control-based frameworks in proposed legislation could legitimize both DUNAs and narrow-scope foundations.
Securities Law Implications
DUNAs may strengthen arguments against securities law application. The structure has no management function by default, which undercuts claims that token holders rely on the "managerial efforts of others" under the Howey test. However, the SEC's theories remain fluid, and adoption of a DUNA is not a guaranteed safe harbor.
International Recognition
Wyoming law governs DUNAs, but international recognition remains unclear. Projects with global membership may face questions about how their DUNA status translates across jurisdictions.
This section provides general information only. It does not constitute legal or tax advice. Consult qualified professionals for your specific situation and jurisdiction.
Real-World Use Cases
DeFi Protocol Governance
Uniswap's DUNI demonstrates how DeFi protocols can use DUNAs. The structure enables the DAO to contract with service providers, settle tax obligations, and potentially activate protocol fees. Other major protocols are watching DUNI's implementation closely.
Creator Communities
Syndicate Network Collective uses DUNA to support tokenized creator communities. The structure provides legal clarity for membership, governance, and operations without the complexity of traditional corporate forms.
Charitable Applications
Projects like WYDE use DUNAs to govern charitable impact. Token holders vote on which nonprofits receive funding, creating a new model for democratic philanthropy.
How WYDE Interacts With DUNAs
WYDE operates under the DUNA framework to enable token-based governance of charitable missions. This application shows how DUNAs extend beyond traditional DeFi use cases.
The WYDE Model
WYDE's Impact Exchange generates fees from trading activity. A portion of these fees flows to cause-specific treasuries governed by token holders. The DUNA structure provides the legal wrapper for this governance, enabling the organization to:
Contract with verified 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners
Distribute funds according to governance votes
Protect token holders from personal liability
Maintain transparent, on-chain operations
Example: The $EAT Token
WYDE's $EAT token launches December 10, 2025 to fund hunger relief. When users trade $EAT, 25% of trading fees go to the hunger relief treasury. Token holders will vote (starting Q2 2026) on which nonprofits receive funding.
Target partners include:
Feeding America (largest U.S. charity by donations)
No Kid Hungry
Feed the Children
Regional food banks
The DUNA structure makes this governance legally binding and protects participants. As the whitepaper states, "$EAT operates under the WYDE Wyoming Decentralized Unincorporated Nonprofit Association (DUNA) structure."
Tax Treatment for Impact DUNAs
WYDE's charitable focus makes it a candidate for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. If granted, donations to cause treasuries could be tax-deductible for U.S. donors, and the organization would not pay federal income tax on funds used for charitable purposes.
This demonstrates the tax flexibility of the DUNA structure: the same legal framework can support taxable DeFi protocols and tax-exempt charitable organizations.
Getting Started With DUNAs
For projects considering DUNA adoption:
Assess eligibility: Do you have or expect 100+ members?
Determine tax strategy: Corporate taxation or nonprofit exemption?
Define governing principles: What rules will govern your organization?
Consult qualified counsel: DUNA formation involves legal and tax complexity
Consider administrators: Who will handle compliance, taxes, and operations?
Engage the community: Major governance changes require member buy-in
Disclaimer: This guide provides educational information about DUNAs. It does not constitute legal or tax advice. DUNA formation and operation involve complex legal, tax, and regulatory considerations. Always consult qualified professionals for your specific situation. Nothing described herein is currently available to purchase. Do your own research. The Tech Buzz is not affiliated with WYDE and receives no compensation for this coverage.
