Introduction
Most communities face an impossible choice: concentrate power in a few hands for efficiency, distribute it widely and sacrifice speed, or attempt complex voting systems that exhaust participants. Traditional DAOs often devolve into plutocracy where token wealth equals power. Corporate boards make quick decisions but exclude most stakeholders. Direct democracy sounds ideal but becomes unwieldy beyond small groups.
Eden+Fractal offers a different path. Originally proposed by Tadas on October 2nd, 2022, this consensus mechanism elegantly synthesizes two pioneering governance innovations: Eden elections (upvote elections from the Genesis Eden community) and the Respect Game (inspired by Fractally). After successfully operating for over 60 meetings during Eden Fractal's Epoch 1, we're now re-implementing this process with enhanced technical infrastructure on Base as part of our Epoch 2 vision.
This article provides everything you need to understand and participate in Eden+Fractal. You'll learn how the process works mechanically, why it resists the failures plaguing other governance systems, what it means to serve as a delegate, and how you can help shape Eden Fractal's future through this democratic process. Whether you're a governance researcher, potential delegate, or simply curious about democratic innovation, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to engage meaningfully with Eden+Fractal.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What is Fractal Democracy?
- How does Eden+Fractal Work?
- The Basic Process
- Detailed Process Flow
- Example Scenario
- Why Eden+Fractal Matters
- Benefits of Eden+Fractal
- Becoming a Delegate
- The Delegate Experience
- Why Become a Delegate?
- What Makes an Effective Delegate?
- How to Participate
- For Everyone
- Preparing to Be a Delegate
- Submitting Proposals
- Integration with Eden Fractal's Mission
- Historical Context
- Epoch 2 Renaissance
- Join Us in Making Decisions
What is Fractal Democracy?
Fractal democracy represents a fundamental reimagining of how humans make collective decisions. Unlike representative democracy where you vote once every few years, or direct democracy where everyone votes on everything, fractal democracy creates recursive structures of peer evaluation and delegation that maintain both efficiency and legitimacy at any scale.
The term "fractal" refers to the self-similar pattern at different scales: small groups evaluate contributions and elect delegates, these delegates form councils that make decisions, and multiple councils provide checks and balances. This structure mirrors natural systems that successfully balance local autonomy with global coordination.
Key principles of fractal democracy:
- Human-scale interaction: Decisions begin in small groups where everyone can meaningfully participate
- Peer recognition: Authority flows from those actively contributing, not from wealth or position
- Rolling participation: Regular rotation prevents entrenchment while maintaining continuity
- Multiple consensus layers: Decisions require agreement across different groups and time periods
- Scalable structure: System naturally expands without losing effectiveness
This differs fundamentally from:
- Representative democracy: No multi-year terms or professional political class
- Direct democracy: Maintains efficiency without requiring everyone to vote on everything
- Plutocracy: Contribution and participation determine influence, not token holdings
- Technocracy: Values diverse perspectives, not just technical expertise
Eden+Fractal is a fractal decision-making process with a history of success that can serve as a foundational pillar of a fractally democratic society. Read on to learn how the process works and how you can get involved.
How does Eden+Fractal Work?
The Basic Process
Eden+Fractal operates through a straightforward yet sophisticated process that occurs during our biweekly events:
- Respect Game Phase (17:00-18:00 UTC): Participants join randomized breakout rooms of 3-5 people, share their recent contributions to Eden Fractal's mission, and rank each other's contributions.
- Delegate Election (final 5-10 minutes): Each breakout room elects one delegate through consensus. This person will represent the room's perspective in governance decisions.
- Council Formation: All delegates elected in a single event form that week's council. With biweekly events, each council serves for 4 events (approximately 2 months).
- Rolling Structure: We maintain 4 councils simultaneously, with the oldest rotating out as a new one forms, ensuring both continuity and fresh perspectives.
- Eden Town Hall (18:00-19:00 UTC): Immediately following the Respect Game, councils review and vote on proposals during this dedicated governance session.
Detailed Process Flow
Proposal Submission
Any community member can submit a proposal at any time through the Eden Fractal Telegram group. Strong proposals include:
- Clear description of the proposed action
- Rationale for why it benefits Eden Fractal
- Resources required (if any)
- Success metrics or expected outcomes
- Timeline for implementation
Discussion Phase
During Eden Town Hall, proposals are presented and discussed openly. All community members can share perspectives, ask questions, and suggest modifications. Delegates listen to gather input before voting.
Voting Mechanics
Each council discusses internally and votes:
- A council approves a proposal if 2/3 of present delegates vote yes
- A proposal passes Eden Fractal if 3 out of 4 councils approve it
- Voting happens synchronously during Eden Town Hall
- Results are recorded on-chain through ORDAO
Implementation
Approved proposals move to ORDAO for execution, with specific community members taking responsibility for implementation based on the proposal's requirements.
Example Scenario
Let's walk through how Eden Fractal changed its meeting time in Epoch 1:
- Week 1: A member noticed scheduling conflicts and proposed moving meetings 1 hour earlier
- Eden Town Hall: The proposal was discussed, with members sharing timezone considerations
- Council Votes:
- Council A (from 2 weeks ago): 4 yes, 1 no - Approved
- Council B (from 4 weeks ago): 3 yes, 2 no - Approved
- Council C (from 6 weeks ago): 5 yes, 0 no - Approved
- Council D (from 8 weeks ago): 2 yes, 1 no, 2 absent - Approved
- Result: With all 4 councils approving, the time change passed and was implemented the following week
You can see the draft specifications for Eden+Fractal in this document. Proposals can only be approved during biweekly Eden Town Hall events, which occur immediately after Eden Fractal Respect Games. This creates a balanced system that is both democratic and efficient, allowing for quick decision-making while ensuring broad consensus.
Why Eden+Fractal Matters
In an era of institutional failure and democratic backsliding, Eden+Fractal demonstrates that better coordination is possible. Traditional institutions concentrate power in ways that create corruption and exclusion. Pure token-voting systems devolve into plutocracy. Direct democracy exhausts participants with constant decisions. Eden+Fractal navigates these failures by creating a system that is simultaneously democratic, efficient, and resistant to capture.
The process serves as the legislative branch in our tripartite governance structure. While the Respect Game (judicial) measures contributions and ORDAO (executive) implements decisions, Eden+Fractal is where we democratically decide what Eden Fractal should do. This separation of powers ensures that no single mechanism or group dominates our governance. You can learn more about this governance philosophy in this article on tripartite governance and the recent video discussion from EF 117.
Beyond Eden Fractal, this governance model provides a template that other communities can adopt and adapt. By proving that democratic governance can function effectively in digital communities, we're contributing to a broader movement reimagining human coordination for the 21st century.
Benefits of Eden+Fractal
Scalability Without Sacrifice
Unlike traditional voting systems that become unwieldy as they grow, Eden+Fractal naturally scales through its fractal structure. As more people join and more breakout rooms form, the number of delegates increases proportionally. A community of 20 might have 4-5 delegates per council, while a community of 200 would have 40-50, maintaining representation without sacrificing efficiency.
True Decentralization
Power distributes across approximately 16-20 active delegates at any time (4 councils × 4-5 delegates each), preventing capture by any single faction. The regular rotation ensures that over time, many community members serve as delegates, broadening the base of governance experience and preventing the formation of an entrenched governing class.
Continuity with Innovation
The four-council structure creates institutional memory - even as new councils form, three experienced councils remain. This allows for both stability in long-term planning and openness to new ideas. Past decisions can be revisited if community sentiment shifts, but require broad consensus to overturn.
Rapid Response Capability
Despite multiple layers of consensus, decisions can be made in a single Eden Town Hall session if councils agree. This enables Eden Fractal to respond quickly to opportunities or challenges without sacrificing democratic legitimacy. Emergency proposals can be submitted and approved within the same event if necessary.
Natural Accountability
Delegates are elected by peers who directly observed their contributions, creating accountability based on demonstrated value rather than promises. The public nature of voting and recorded outcomes ensures transparency, while the limited terms prevent any delegate from accumulating excessive influence.
Meritocratic Balance
By combining the Respect Game (which measures contributions) with democratic elections (which consider availability and judgment), Eden+Fractal balances recognition of merit with practical governance needs. The highest contributor might not always be the best delegate, and the system accounts for this nuance.
Becoming a Delegate
The Delegate Experience
Serving as a delegate means joining a small group of community leaders who shape Eden Fractal's direction for two months. You'll participate in substantive discussions about resource allocation, strategic partnerships, technical implementations, and community culture. During your term, you'll:
- Attend 4 Eden Fractal events (8 hours total over 2 months)
- Review proposals between events (1-2 hours per event)
- Participate in Telegram discussions about upcoming decisions
- Build relationships with fellow delegates across different councils
- Gain deep insight into Eden Fractal's operations and challenges
- Develop skills in consensus-building and strategic thinking
Why Become a Delegate?
Personal Growth
- Develop leadership skills in a supportive environment
- Learn practical governance without corporate politics
- Build confidence in public speaking and decision-making
- Gain experience valuable for career and other communities
Network Building
- Form deep connections with committed community members
- Access to strategic discussions and early information
- Recognition as a community leader
- Opportunities for collaboration beyond governance
Direct Impact
- Shape funding priorities for ecosystem development
- Guide technical implementations and tool adoption
- Influence partnership decisions and external relationships
- Protect community values while enabling innovation
Future Opportunities: As Eden Fractal develops funding mechanisms, delegates will likely play crucial roles in capital allocation. Early delegates are building expertise that will become increasingly valuable as the ecosystem grows.
What Makes an Effective Delegate?
The best delegates share certain qualities, though no one needs all of them:
Essential Traits
- Reliability: Showing up consistently for your 4-event term
- Open-mindedness: Considering perspectives beyond your own
- Communication: Articulating your reasoning clearly
- Integrity: Voting based on community benefit, not personal gain
Helpful Skills (but not required)
- Experience with group decision-making
- Understanding of Eden Fractal's mission and history
- Technical knowledge relevant to proposals
- Comfort with respectful disagreement
Support for New Delegates: First-time delegates aren't alone. Experienced delegates provide mentorship, the community offers context for complex decisions, and the process itself guides you through each step. Many successful delegates had no prior governance experience.
How to Participate
For Everyone
Join Eden Fractal events (Thursdays, 17:00 UTC) and participate in the Respect Game. During your breakout room's delegate election, you can:
- Nominate someone you think would represent well
- Volunteer yourself if you have capacity
- Share your perspective on what makes a good delegate
- Support the room's consensus choice
During Eden Town Hall, even non-delegates can:
- Present proposals you've submitted
- Share perspectives on active proposals
- Ask questions to help delegates make informed decisions
- Observe the governance process to learn
Preparing to Be a Delegate
If you're considering serving as a delegate:
- Attend a few events to understand the culture
- Read recent proposals in the Telegram group
- Watch recordings of recent Eden Town Hall sessions
- Consider your availability for the next 2 months
- Let your breakout room know you're willing to serve
Submitting Proposals
Anyone can submit proposals by posting in the Eden Fractal Telegram group with:
- Clear title indicating it's a proposal
- Specific action requested
- Reasoning and expected benefits
- Any resource requirements
- Timeline if relevant
Strong proposals often emerge from community discussion, so consider floating ideas informally before formal submission. You can learn more about becoming a delegate in this list of commonly asked questions and answers.
Integration with Eden Fractal's Mission
Eden+Fractal directly serves our mission of implementing fractal decision-making processes throughout society. By demonstrating that communities can make democratic decisions efficiently without sacrificing legitimacy, we're creating a model that others can adopt and adapt.
Every delegate elected, every proposal considered, and every decision made through Eden+Fractal is a step toward proving that better coordination is possible. We're not just talking about democratic governance - we're practicing it, refining it, and showing the world how it works.
Historical Context
The Eden+Fractal consensus process was originally proposed by Tadas on October 2nd, 2022, this process was approved by the Eden Fractal community in Meeting 18 and successfully operated for over a year during Epoch 1.
The Eden Fractal community successfully implemented the Eden+Fractal process from approximately Meeting 19 through Meeting 80, passing over 10 proposals including meeting time changes, moderator elections, and various community initiatives. You can view the historical record of all delegates and proposals in this spreadsheet, which provides valuable context for our current implementation.
The name "Eden+Fractal" reflects its historical origins, combining the upvote election process pioneered by Eden on EOS with the contribution measurement system the Respect Game (inspired by Fractally). While the original communities that inspired these names have evolved or concluded, the powerful synthesis of their innovations continues to provide value for fractal governance. The comprehensive article at EdenCreators.com/plus provides additional historical context and analysis of the benefits this process has demonstrated.
The process was originally featured in Creator Talk Episode 1, where Dan Singjoy interviewed Tadas about the design philosophy and potential of Eden+Fractal. This conversation, recorded shortly after the initial proposal, explores how the process emerged from months of community discussion and represents a synthesis of the best aspects of various consensus mechanisms. You can view the historical record of all delegates and proposals in this spreadsheet, which provides valuable context for our current implementation.
Epoch 2 Renaissance
After Meeting 80, Eden Fractal paused Eden+Fractal to focus on strategic planning and technical infrastructure. This wasn't a failure but a deliberate choice to ensure we had the right foundation for long-term success. During this period, we migrated from EOS to Base for better ecosystem integration, developed ORDAO for on-chain execution, refined our understanding of tripartite governance, and gathered lessons from other communities' governance experiments.
As we prepare for make the next strides towards achieving our mission in Eden Fractal Epoch 2, the Eden+Fractal consensus process stands ready for reactivation. Now we're re-implementing Eden+Fractal with enhanced technical infrastructure on Base, integration with ORDAO for transparent execution, refined specifications based on Epoch 1 lessons, clear documentation and onboarding processes, and stronger community understanding of the process. The core mechanism remains unchanged because it worked well. The improvements focus on implementation details and technical support.
More recently, during Eden Fractal Meeting 118, we discussed reintroducing Eden+Fractal as part of our Epoch 2 vision. This discussion highlighted how the process fits into our broader governance framework and explored various options for our legislative needs. In our 60th Eden Town Hall event, we formed consensus on using the Eden+Fractal consensus process. These videos are provided below for anyone who would like to watch more. You can join our events and watch our videos to stay up to date with the latest progress and get involved.
Join Us in Making Decisions
Eden+Fractal transforms governance from something done to communities into something done by communities. Whether you serve as a delegate, propose ideas, or simply participate in the discussion, you're part of pioneering a new form of democracy that could transform how humanity coordinates.
When you join us, you'll receive a warm welcome from community members and clear instructions for the Respect Game. You'll have the opportunity to share your contributions, participate in delegate election, and observe or participate in Eden Town Hall. Your voice matters whether you're proposing ideas, electing delegates, serving as one yourself, or simply joining the discussion.
Join us at our next biweekly Eden Fractal event on Thursdays at 17:00 UTC, followed by Eden Town Hall where Eden+Fractal decisions happen. Come ready to participate, learn, and potentially serve. Together, we're making governance fair, fast, and fun.
Learn More
- Eden+Fractal Implementation Plan - Technical details and specifications
- Creator Talk Episode 1 - Interview with Tadas about creating Eden+Fractal
- Historical Proposals and Delegates - See our track record from Epoch 1
- Eden Fractal Events - RSVP for upcoming events
- Telegram Group - Join the discussion