Community Ownership

Definition ∞ Community Ownership signifies a governance and operational model where control and benefits of a project or platform are distributed among its users or stakeholders. This contrasts with traditional centralized ownership structures, granting participants a direct say in decision-making processes and often a share in the value generated. In the context of digital assets, this typically involves token holders who possess voting rights and may receive protocol revenue or other economic incentives.
Context ∞ The discussion around Community Ownership is particularly relevant in the evolution of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and Web3 projects. Key debates revolve around the efficacy of token-based governance mechanisms, the distribution of initial token allocations, and the long-term sustainability of decentralized management models. Future developments to monitor include the refinement of DAO tooling for more robust and equitable decision-making, and the legal recognition of decentralized collective ownership structures.