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Aragon is a Zug, Switzerland-based blockchain infrastructure organization that develops open-source software and smart contracts for creating and managing decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) on the Ethereum network. The project initially gained traction by raising $25 million in a 2017 initial coin offering in roughly fifteen minutes, eventually accumulating a cryptocurrency treasury that held over $150 million in digital assets. Its governance protocols and modular Aragon OSx architecture have been utilized to deploy thousands of DAOs for prominent Web3 communities, including major platforms like Lido and Decentraland. Following a highly publicized governance dispute with activist investors, the organization announced its formal dissolution in late 2023 to allow ANT token holders to redeem their assets for Ethereum. Aragon was originally founded in 2016 by Luis Cuende and Jorge Izquierdo, with early financial backing from venture capitalist Tim Draper.
Aragon has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Aragon.
Aragon was founded in 2017 by Jorge Izquierdo (Co-Founder, Member of the Board of Directors) and Luis Cuende (Cofounder & core contributor).
Aragon has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Aragon was founded in 2017 by Jorge Izquierdo (Co-Founder, Member of the Board of Directors) and Luis Cuende (Cofounder & core contributor).
Aragon has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Aragon's investors include Draper Associates.
Aragon has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Seed in February 2020.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2022 | Zenjob | $51.0M Series D | Aragon | Acton Capital Partners, AXA Strategic Ventures, Cherry Ventures, DN Capital, FJ Labs, HV Capital, HV Holtzbrinck Ventures, Piton Capital, Resurge Growth Partners, Atlantic Labs, AXA Venture Partners, Forestay Capital |
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2020 | $1M Seed | — | Draper Associates | Announced |
Aragon is an open-source platform built on the Ethereum blockchain that enables developers, communities, and organizations to create, govern, and manage decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) without traditional intermediaries.[1][3][4][5] It provides a full-stack suite of tools, including a no-code DAO launcher (Aragon App), modular governance framework (Aragon OSx), and custom services for onchain organizations, serving projects from small clubs to major protocols like Lido and Curve DAO that secure billions in assets.[4][6] Aragon solves the problem of centralized hierarchies by offering censorship-resistant, secure infrastructure for decentralized governance, token management, voting, and dispute resolution, with its native ANT token used for governing the Aragon Network DAO itself.[1][3][5] Growth momentum remains strong, with battle-tested smart contracts securing billions over seven years, support for Ethereum and Polygon, and adoption by over 1,700 organizations managing substantial market cap value.[4][5][6]
Aragon was founded in 2016 as the first DAO framework in web3, born out of a belief that humanity's future hinges on technological innovation at the frontier of governance.[4][7] The project emerged from a necessity to enable experimentation with onchain organizations "at the speed of software," deploying tools that helped thousands of projects secure and govern billions in value.[4] Key milestones include the 2020 launches of Aragon Client (a UI for aragonOS), Aragon Court (a decentralized dispute resolution system), and Aragon Nest (a grants program funding ecosystem projects like Snapshot).[4] In 2021, Aragon Association acquired Vocdoni (now part of Dvote Labs) to enhance private, scalable voting tech.[4] Today, Aragon itself operates as a DAO governed by ANT holders, with its treasury progressively transferring to community control despite governance challenges.[3][4]
Aragon stands out in the DAO space through its focus on security, modularity, and accessibility:
Aragon rides the explosive growth of DAOs and onchain governance, a trend accelerating post-Ethereum's Proof-of-Stake upgrade, enabling scalable, borderless organizations in DeFi, NFTs, and beyond.[1][3][6] Timing is ideal amid rising demand for decentralized alternatives to traditional structures—market forces like regulatory scrutiny on centralized entities and Web3 adoption favor its censorship-resistant tools.[2][4][7] By powering major protocols and fostering ecosystem grants, Aragon influences the broader landscape, democratizing governance for 1,700+ orgs and billions in secured value, while advancing innovations like private voting and digital jurisdictions.[4][5][6][7]
Aragon is poised to dominate as the infrastructure layer for maturing onchain organizations, with expansions in custom services and multi-chain support driving adoption amid DAO proliferation.[6] Trends like AI-enhanced governance, regulatory clarity for DAOs, and Ethereum layer-2 scaling will shape its path, potentially evolving it into a full "decentralized jurisdiction" as envisioned.[1][7] Its influence could expand by securing even larger TVLs and onboarding enterprise users, solidifying its role as the battle-tested home for Web3's organizational future—empowering borderless coordination from day one.[4][6]
