Migrate Wizards DAO to the Nouns Builder Protocol

Summary

This proposal recommends migrating Wizards DAO’s auction and governance infrastructure from the current ETH mainnet plus Snapshot setup to the Nouns Builder protocol. Nouns Builder provides fully onchain auctions, governance, treasury execution, and extensible tooling that has been battle tested across dozens of DAOs.

The goal is to modernize Wizards DAO’s core infrastructure, reduce operational fragility, and reenergize the project with a cleaner, more credible onchain foundation that aligns with where the broader Nouns ecosystem has matured.

The requested compensation for completing this work is 2 Nouns. As context, I previously executed the DAO’s directive to acquire 5 Nouns using 12 ETH and successfully acquired approximately 10 Nouns with that allocation, improving the DAO’s position through disciplined execution.

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Current State and Challenges

Wizards DAO today operates with a split architecture:

• Auctions on ETH mainnet
• Governance offchain via Snapshot
• A custom website that is not actively maintained

This setup introduces several issues:

• Governance decisions are not natively enforceable onchain
• Treasury actions require manual or trusted execution
• The website and infra feel outdated and fragile
• Reduced visibility and momentum compared to other Nouns aligned DAOs

In short, the system works, but it does not scale well, inspire confidence, or reflect best practices in 2026.

What Is the Nouns Builder Protocol

The Nouns Builder protocol is an open source framework originally developed by Zora and now stewarded by Builder DAO. It allows any community to launch and operate a Nouns style DAO with:

• Fully onchain auctions
• Onchain proposal creation and voting
• Native treasury execution
• Modular governance parameters
• A clean, maintained frontend and subgraph
• Compatibility with extensions and future protocol upgrades
• Custom website template and tooling

Nouns Builder powers dozens of active DAOs and has been iterated on heavily since 2022.

Why This Is a Good Move for Wizards DAO

1. Fully Onchain Governance and Execution

Migrating to Builder removes the disconnect between signaling and execution. Proposals that pass can execute directly onchain without trusted intermediaries or manual steps. This improves legitimacy and reduces governance risk.

2. Simplified and Maintainable Infrastructure

Builder replaces custom infra and Snapshot with a single coherent system. This lowers maintenance overhead and makes future changes easier and safer.

3. Better User and Contributor Experience

Builder DAOs benefit from a consistent and familiar interface that users already understand. This lowers the barrier to participation and makes Wizards feel current again.

4. Alignment With the Broader Nouns Ecosystem

Many Nouns adjacent projects have already migrated or launched on Builder. Moving Wizards onto the same stack improves composability, shared tooling, and long term alignment.

5. Renewed Attention and Momentum

A migration is an opportunity to reintroduce Wizards DAO to the ecosystem, communicate a clear technical upgrade, and create a clean slate for renewed experimentation and governance activity.

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Scope of Work

If approved, I will:

• Setup the DAO configuration for Wizards
• Migrate auction mechanics to the Nouns Builder protocol
• Set up onchain governance and treasury execution
• Setup and deploy the migration airdrop
• Support the DAO through launch and initial stabilization

This work leverages my direct experience operating DAOs built on Builder.

Migration Considerations

• Ethereum mainnet continuity - Wizards DAO would remain deployed on Ethereum mainnet. No L2 migration or asset bridging is required.
• Treasury assets and custody options - The DAO currently holds a range of NFTs and assets. These can be handled flexibly based on DAO preference, based on the following options. This decision can be finalized post approval without blocking the migration.
  • Remain in the existing multisig
  • Be consolidated into a refreshed 2 of 3 multisig for ongoing discretionary use
  • Be deposited into the new onchain Builder treasury once deployed
• Token artwork - Existing Wizards NFTs remain unchanged and fully intact. The new Builder based tokens would not be identical replicas, but would represent a new issuance tied to the upgraded governance and auction system utilizing the same art assets. Original Wizards holders retain their historical assets and provenance, preserving cultural and collector value while allowing the DAO to move forward with modern infrastructure.
• Current website and auctions - The current auctions will be paused by the DAO, preventing users from settling and buying Wizards NFTs from the deprecated smart contract. I will coordinate with Wiz to have the website replaced with a landing page or redirect to the new DAO page.

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Compensation

• Noun 957 and Noun 991

Since the prior proposal where 12 ETH allocated for 5 Nouns ended up securing 10 Nouns, this proposal is presented with the same emphasis on long term value and responsible stewardship of the DAO.

Conclusion

Wizards DAO has strong cultural roots and brand recognition, but the underlying infrastructure is holding it back. Migrating to the Nouns Builder protocol modernizes the DAO, reduces risk, and positions Wizards for its next chapter with credible, fully onchain foundations.

I believe this is the right technical and strategic move, and I am confident in executing it cleanly and transparently for the DAO.