The rise of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) has contested conventional concepts of state sovereignty and political legitimacy based on the Westphalian order. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) function on blockchain networks, facilitating self-governance, collaborative decision-making, and resource distribution devoid of centralized control. This article examines the potential for DAOs to be acknowledged as politically legitimate sovereign organizations by comparing their governance frameworks to traditional state structures. This analysis utilizes international law, political philosophy, and blockchain governance literature to assess the ramifications of virtual nations on legal recognition, legitimacy, and the prospects of decentralized government.
Jubaer Shah (2026) studied this question.