Quorum (DAO)

In a DAO, quorum is the minimum amount of voting participation needed before a proposal’s result counts. It is usually measured as a percentage of total voting power, total token supply, delegated votes, or eligible members. For example, a DAO might require at least 10% of all governance tokens to vote on a proposal before the outcome is valid, even if most voters support it. If quorum is not reached, the proposal fails or is ignored according to the DAO’s rules.

Quorum matters because it helps prevent important decisions from being made by a very small group during low-turnout votes. It is used alongside approval thresholds, such as a simple majority or two-thirds support, to balance participation and decisiveness. A low quorum can make governance faster but easier to capture, while a high quorum can improve legitimacy but make it hard to pass routine changes. In practice, quorum settings are often adjusted as a DAO grows and voter behavior becomes clearer.