DAOs and prediction markets: Vitalik Buterin's proposal to reform creator tokens

Vitalik Buterin has proposed a model based on DAOs and prediction markets to transform creator tokens and focus value on content quality. 

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed an alternative to the current creator token model, a sector he considers dominated by speculation and fame rather than merit. His proposal introduces a new architecture that It combines decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) with prediction markets, with the aim of encouraging the curation of quality content and redefining the relationship between creators, their communities and the real value of their work.

Buterin seeks to redefine the role of incentives within the digital ecosystem, prioritizing innovation and collaboration over popularity-driven dynamics. His approach aims to establish a fairer environment where recognition stems from genuine contribution rather than media impact.

Vitalik Buterin questions the current model of creator tokens

In their most recent analysis, shared In X, Buterin argued that creator token platforms have failed in their attempt to support genuine talent. 

According to the co-founder of Ethereum, these types of projects end up rewarding those who generate the most noise and mass content, relegating quality and intellectual work to a secondary position. At the same time, he warns that the increase in AI-generated content makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish original from automated material.

To understand the debate, it's helpful to remember how the idea of ​​creator tokens came about. These digital assets were conceived as a tool for fans to participate more closely in the economy of their favorite artists, writers, or streamers, with benefits such as access to exclusive content, potential royalties, or private community spaces. 

Over time, however, creator token platforms and protocols ended up functioning more as speculative markets, where media attention and social status displaced true creative value. 

Based on this situation, Buterin points out a fundamental problem: ranking and reward systems tend to focus on established figures with large audiences, while emerging creators are left out of the spotlight and excluded from key opportunities. In contrast to this model, he cites Substack as a more favorable alternative, as it allows writers without significant initial exposure to gradually build their own communities through a more curated and controlled process for their first posts.

Curated DAOs: Buterin's vision for transforming the creative economy

Buterin's alternative proposal envisions a new way to create digital communities where creators can unite and collaborate through curated DAOs, moving beyond models driven by pure speculation. In this format, each group could organize its own DAO focused on specific areas such as short videos, writing, or music, and elect its members through internal voting.

Furthermore, access to these communities would include a partial token burning mechanism, reducing their circulation and linking the asset's value to each member's reputation and participation. In this way, Buterin believes a balance between exclusivity and collective self-governance can be fostered.

The Ethereum co-founder also believes that DAOs should remain small, with fewer than 200 participants, to ensure more consensual decision-making and efficient management. He also mentions that their identity as a group could help them negotiate collaborations or revenue agreements, strengthening the creators' position against large digital platforms.

On the other hand, prediction markets would also play a significant role within this system, according to Buterin. These tools would allow users to anticipate which creators might be accepted into each DAO, while users could participate by sharing their projections and earning rewards based on the accuracy of their predictions. 

From Buterin's point of view, this could be a fairer model, where the value of creators depends on community recognition and not solely on fame or media visibility.

A step towards the maturity of the Creator Coins ecosystem

Buterin's proposal doesn't seek to replace existing creator tokens, but rather to redefine their purpose. He proposes shifting the validation of the so-called “social noise” towards a community space, where the value of each creator is determined by the opinion of their peers and the quality of their work. This introduces a more human layer of governance within the decentralized ecosystem, moving away from the model that measures influence solely through metrics of attention or social capital.

In a digital world increasingly saturated with automatically generated content, Buterin's proposal focuses on recovering the human value behind creation. His vision goes beyond technology: he seeks to have decentralized tools function as cultural filters capable of highlighting authenticity and talent, rather than amplifying popularity.

Furthermore, he argues that combining decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) with prediction markets could usher in a new era for creator tokens, where the attention economy evolves into a quality-based economy. Far from being a theoretical concept, Buterin sees in this model a potential evolution of digital identity, creative value, and the very structure of Web3 communities.