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Creating a DAO

This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) using CreateDAO. By the end, you’ll have deployed a fully functional DAO with governance capabilities, a token, treasury, and staking mechanism.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A Web3 wallet (like MetaMask) installed and set up
  • Some cryptocurrency (ETH, MATIC, etc.) in your wallet for gas fees
  • Basic understanding of blockchain concepts

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Step 1: Connect Your Wallet

  1. Go to CreateDAO.org
  2. Click on the “Create DAO” button in the navigation bar
  3. Click “Connect Wallet” in the top-right corner
  4. Select your wallet provider (MetaMask, WalletConnect, etc.)
  5. Approve the connection request in your wallet

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Step 2: Select a Network

  1. Choose the blockchain network where you want to deploy your DAO
  2. If you’re not already connected to that network, your wallet will prompt you to switch
  3. Confirm the network switch in your wallet

For testing purposes, we recommend using a testnet like Goerli (Ethereum) or Mumbai (Polygon) first to avoid spending real cryptocurrency.

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Step 3: Enter DAO Details

Fill in the following information for your DAO:

  1. DAO Name: Enter a name for your organization (e.g., “GreenEarth DAO”)
  2. Token Name: Enter a name for your governance token (e.g., “GreenEarth Token”)
  3. Token Symbol: Enter a short symbol for your token (max 6 characters, e.g., “GET”)
  4. Total Supply: Enter the total number of tokens to create (e.g., “1000000”)

The total supply represents the maximum number of tokens that will ever exist. You’ll receive 1 token in your wallet, and the rest will be stored in the DAO’s treasury.

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Step 4: Review and Deploy

  1. Review all the information you’ve entered
  2. Click the “Create DAO” button
  3. Your wallet will prompt you to confirm the transaction
  4. Review the gas fee and confirm the transaction

Creating a DAO requires deploying multiple smart contracts, which can be gas-intensive. Make sure you have enough cryptocurrency in your wallet to cover the gas fees.

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Step 5: Wait for Deployment

  1. The deployment process will begin, and you’ll see a progress indicator
  2. This process typically takes 1-3 minutes, depending on network congestion
  3. Do not close the browser window during deployment

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Step 6: Save Your DAO Information

Once deployment is complete, you’ll see a success message with important information:

  1. DAO Address: The address of your main DAO contract
  2. Token Address: The address of your governance token
  3. Treasury Address: The address of your DAO’s treasury
  4. Staking Address: The address of your staking contract

Save this information immediately! These addresses are crucial for managing your DAO. Click the “Copy All Details” button and store them in a secure location.

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Step 7: Verify Your DAO

  1. Your wallet should now have 1 token from your newly created DAO
  2. The remaining tokens are stored in the DAO’s treasury
  3. You can verify this by checking your wallet balance and the treasury contract on a block explorer

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Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve successfully created a DAO using CreateDAO. Here’s what you can do next:

  1. Manage Your DAO: Visit dao.cafe to manage your DAO, create proposals, and vote
  2. Stake Tokens: Stake your tokens to gain voting power
  3. Create a Proposal: Propose actions like transferring funds or upgrading contracts
  4. Invite Members: Share your DAO address with others to grow your community

For more detailed information on managing your DAO, check out the Managing a DAO tutorial.

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Troubleshooting

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Transaction Failed

If your transaction fails during deployment:

  1. Check that you have enough cryptocurrency for gas fees
  2. Ensure you’re connected to the correct network
  3. Try again with a higher gas limit
  4. If problems persist, check the network status for congestion issues

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DAO Not Appearing

If your DAO doesn’t appear after successful deployment:

  1. Verify the transaction on the block explorer
  2. Check that you’re connected to the correct network
  3. Try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache
  4. Visit dao.cafe and connect your wallet to see if your DAO appears there

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Need Help?

If you encounter any issues not covered here, join our Discord community for support.