The founder of decentralized finance platform Curve Finance, Dr. Michael Egorov, argues that internal disagreements are a sign of a healthy decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). He cites governance disputes within the Curve DAO and the Aave DAO as examples of vital engagement, contrasting them with voter apathy. Egorov also notes that legal recognition for DAOs could help mitigate common governance issues surrounding intellectual property and real-world interactions.
Disagreements within a decentralized autonomous organization signal a healthy DAO, according to Curve Finance founder Dr. Michael Egorov. He stated that governance apathy, where people do not vote at all, is a greater concern.
Egorov referenced a 2024 Curve DAO proposal for a grant valued at about $6.3 million to developer Swiss Stake AG. That initial proposal drew significant pushback from DAO members before being revised.
The redrafted proposal in December 2025 ultimately received over 80% turnout from members. Egorov said long-term token locking by Curve holders encourages this sustained governance engagement.
A separate governance dispute erupted at the Aave DAO in December 2025 over fees from an integration with CoW Swap. DAO members were critical of fees going to a wallet controlled by Aave Labs, sparking a debate over intellectual property control.
A subsequent proposal to bring Aave brand assets under DAO control ultimately failed to pass. Egorov noted DAO control over intellectual property is a common governance issue.
He said DAOs cannot interact with the real world without regulated legal structures like business entities. Egorov added that if DAOs could be legally recognized, owning entities and bank accounts, it could mitigate such governance disputes.
