OpCo - OAT Applications & Nominations

Applications for DAO programs
4

Applicant Information

  • Full Name: Paul Imseih
  • Contact: Telegram: @Pablo3442. Email upon request.
  • Occupation: Lawyer, Founder at Daimon Legal
  • Country / Time Zone: Australia and European Union (AEST/CET)

Qualifications and Experience

Domain: Capital Allocation & Risk Management

  • Co-founder of AVentures DAO (exited Dec 2023) - structured investments and fund entity, conducted due diligence, negotiated SAFT/SAFE terms, and developed comprehensive governance frameworks.
  • Current board member at DAI Foundation, responsible for managing financial and IP risks across all MakerDAO intellectual property assets. Conducted extensive IP audits and drafted critical governance documents, including MakerDAO contributor agreements and Sky Atlas updates.
  • 25+ years negotiating complex technology and IP licensing transactions. Extensive expertise in financial and risk modeling (e.g. analysis of NPV, financials and legal risk for major transactions).
  • Conducted detailed benchmarking and dispute resolution for large, complex transactions.
  • Drafted and negotiated deals and arrangements of all types including across employment, services, licensing, cloud services, corporate structuring, deal structuring, JVs, disputes etc

Blockchain & DAO Reputation

  • Member of LexDAO, Lex_Punk, and Lobster DAO since inception (2017-2020). Publicly active in crypto-legal forums and known for practical contributions rather than superficial engagement.
  • Governance contributor at Sushiswap, Pangolin DAO, MakerDAO, and Arbitrum DAO.
  • Original member of Arbitrum DAO Procurement Committee (ADPC) since February 2024, directly involved in operational initiatives with Arbitrum Foundation and DAO delegates daily.
  • Extensive Openlaw GitHub contributions, notably Whitehat Safe Harbor and SEC Commissioner Peirce’s Safe Harbor Proposal (see GitHub).

Advisory & Governance Roles

  • ADPC role:
    • With other members of the ADPC, facilitated ~$2M in security-related grants including development of industry-leading means-testing and evaluation criteria.
    • Designed and implemented all related procurement frameworks, including governance and operational processes (Security Framework, RPC Framework).
  • Daimon Legal:
    • Frequently advise GameFi, DeFi, and Web3 projects on corporate structuring, governance, compliance, and risk management.
    • Active contributor on DAO-adjacent entity formation including in relation to the OpCo for Arbitrum (see for example OpCo structure post).

Contributions to Arbitrum DAO

  • Deep involvement since inception, including in relation to risk analysis of foundational documents: Arbitrum DAO constitution, OpCo proposal, and numerous ADPC initiatives.
  • Developed industry-first procurement frameworks—setting benchmarks for security and RPC provider engagement in DeFi. These frameworks have been hugely successful and are slated for ongoing roll-outs.
  • Joint contributor to Arbitrum’s Service Provider Utilisation Framework, simplifying interactions with external providers and faciliating operations for the OpCo by way of Optimistic Governance.

Vision for OpCo

The OpCo should significantly reduce friction in capital allocation and streamline operational expenditures for Arbitrum DAO. Specifically, the OpCo should:

  • Accelerate the proposal-to-implementation process, minimizing current delays.
  • Protect DAO contributors legally by acting as a professional intermediary.
  • Function as a holding structure for strategic tech and operational initiatives, maximising knowledge retention and institutional memory.

Key success metrics over 3-5 years include:

  • Reduction in governance overhead measured by quicker execution and reduced admin bottlenecks.
  • Measurable ROI improvement on OpCo-managed initiatives, tracked against defined benchmarks.
  • Effective communication channels between DAO participants, contributors, and ecosystem stakeholders.
  • Defined strategic goals with clear accountability to the DAO community.
  • Broadened contributor and vendor networks, demonstrated through clear metrics such as participation numbers and vendor engagement surveys.

Additional Supporting Information

  • Currently drafting RFP documentation for Arbitrum DAO’s Events Budget initiative—will allow OpCo immediate operational effectiveness in a significant budget category.
  • Proven expertise in procurement frameworks beyond Arbitrum DAO, offering direct strategic support to OpCo’s market-facing interactions.
  • As a legal professional regulated under stringent ethical guidelines, I’ve maintained an unblemished record of integrity and accountability for over 30 years - qualities I believe are critical to OAT’s mandate.
  • Authored peer-reviewed publications on digital asset property rights and DAO-specific legal frameworks, actively shaping regulatory dialogue around Web3.
  • Experienced with regulatory and legal frameworks in the Cayman Islands, BVI and other Common Law jurisdictions, essential for interpreting and operationalizing the OpCo’s and Arbitrum Foundation’s corporate documents.

Disclosures

  • Conflicts of Interest: None known.
  • Active Roles/Funding: ADPC mandate concludes April 14; no ongoing funding from Arbitrum DAO thereafter.

Declaration

I have read, understood, and fully acknowledge all requirements including KYC/KYB and restrictions related to the OAT role. All disclosures and statements made herein are truthful and to the best of my knowledge as at the date of posting.

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