Vanta DAO x Decent: How Vanta Uses Decent's Tailored DAO Solutions for a New Era in Investment Syndicates
(Second header option) Building the Future of Decentralized Investment Syndicates
Vanta DAO is a highly curated Web3-native community of investors, founders, and tastemakers, united by a mission to decentralize access to top-tier early-stage investment opportunities in crypto. Built on years of experience as a venture syndicate, Vanta sought to transition their conventional angel syndicate into a fully functional DAO. Their goal was to create a governance system that maintained the collaborative spirit of their original syndicate while giving members greater autonomy and flexibility.
This transition required a thoughtful and well-designed approach to avoid the common pitfalls of DAO creation. To make their vision a reality, Vanta turned to Decent for a custom solution that balanced decentralization with operational efficiency, ensuring a seamless transition into their next chapter.
Why Vanta Chose Decent
Vanta DAO was created by Contango, a crypto-native venture fund with a mission to further the decentralization of important systems. Contango pursued this goal through its angel syndicate, intending to make top-tier crypto investment opportunities more accessible to more people. After years of operating as an angel syndicate, the team wanted to take their commitment to decentralization a step further by reorganizing into a DAO. They recognized, however, that many DAOs suffer from inefficiencies, disengagement, and overly complex governance structures that alienate members.
Decent stood out as the ideal partner because of its pragmatic approach to decentralization and their focus on building custom solutions. Instead of a one-size-fits-all framework, Decent offers Vanta a governance system tailored to their specific needs, ensuring they could keep the spirit of their syndicate alive while making meaningful progress toward decentralization.
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Decent’s Highly Composable Platform Means a Bespoke Solution for Vanta’s Specific Needs
Decent collaborated closely with Vanta to design a DAO framework that prioritized simplicity, functionality, and community engagement. By integrating NFT-based memberships, Decent ensured that Vanta members could participate in ways that aligned with their individual investment preferences. This allowed members to opt into specific deals without being forced into decisions that didn’t match their goals—preserving their autonomy while fostering long-term engagement.
Decent’s platform also introduced permissioned roles to streamline responsibilities and avoid governance bottlenecks. By focusing on intentional design and avoiding unnecessary complexity, Decent created a solution that empowered Vanta’s members without overcomplicating the process.
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Decent Offers Expert Guidance Informed by Years of Onchain Experience
Beyond technology, Decent brought strategic insight and years of experience to the table. By sharing lessons learned from other DAO projects, Decent helped Vanta avoid common pitfalls like overly complex governance or disengaged members. Their ability to translate Vanta’s goals into practical, actionable solutions was a key factor in the project’s success.
Decent’s Background
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Decent Roles Supports Vanta’s Unique DAO Structure
As an existing angel syndicate, the Vanta team had a very clear sense of what they wanted out of DAO governance and what they wanted to avoid. They wanted to embrace decentralization without compromising the effectiveness and focus of a dedicated team.
To do this, Decent collaborated with Vanta to design a governance system centered on three essential roles: Lead Researcher, Deal Scout, and Vanta Council. These roles are structured to balance responsibility, accountability, and operational efficiency.
- Lead Researcher: A full-time role responsible for researching and supporting investments. Elected every six months, the position includes automated stablecoin compensation managed through Decent’s platform.
- Deal Scouts: Tasked with sourcing quality investment opportunities, Scouts earn performance-based fees. Their contributions are also re-evaluated every six months to ensure consistently high standards.
- Vanta Council: A group of five thought leaders overseeing strategic decision-making. Council members serve six-month terms and remain accountable to the community through transparent proposals and governance.
This streamlined role system ensures that all contributors are empowered while maintaining clarity and accountability across the DAO.
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Decent’s Modular Structure is Designed to Evolve
As Vanta continues to grow, the team recognizes that scaling a DAO brings unique challenges. Needs evolve, structures shift, and priorities adjust. Decent’s modular governance system was designed with these realities in mind, offering flexibility without compromising functionality.
By empowering Vanta to pivot as needed while retaining a strong foundation, Decent has helped establish a governance model that not only works for today but also anticipates the needs of tomorrow. This adaptability ensures that Vanta DAO is well-positioned to navigate the complexities of decentralized operations and continue delivering value to its members.
Bringing DAO Visions to Life
Decent’s experience in the DAO space, combined with thoughtful feedback and technical insight, supported Vanta in creating a governance structure that balances flexibility and functionality. This approach allowed Vanta to transition smoothly into their hybrid syndicate/DAO model while staying aligned with their mission.
Whether you’re starting fresh or refining an existing DAO, Decent offers tools and expertise to support your journey. Curious about how Decent could work for your DAO?
About Decent DAO
We’re Decent.
We are committed to proving that DAOs are the most effective vehicles for maximizing stakeholder alignment and envision a future where DAOs govern our most vital institutions.
We play long-term games with long-term people. Decent is built with partners like Safe, OpenZeppelin, Hats Protocol, and Sablier. Decent is audited by Halborn and backed by some of the most prolific investors in web3.
To learn more, visit our DAO on the Decent app and follow us on X, Warpcast, and Mirror.
