Registration Process#

Registering a Marshall Islands DAO LLC — for-profit or non-profit — is a guided, step-by-step process. MIDAO provides a digital onboarding portal with every task and document, and our team is available throughout on Telegram and email. Most DAO LLCs complete the whole process and receive their charter in about 30 days.

If you haven't yet decided which type of entity fits your DAO, start with Non-Profit vs. For-Profit — the choice shapes your Operating Agreement, Certificate of Formation, and taxes.

Step 1 — Engage MIDAO#

Request a service agreement from MIDAO. It contains the terms of your relationship with MIDAO as your registered agent. Sign the agreement and pay your registration fee to get started.

Payment can be made by bank wire, credit card, or USDC/USDT on major networks — see Payment Methods for the full list, including wallet addresses.

Step 2 — Your Onboarding Portal#

After payment, MIDAO sends you an invitation to your onboarding portal, which contains all the tasks and documents for the registration process. Here is a short walkthrough of the portal:

To get in touch at any point, connect with the MIDAO team directly on Telegram (opens in new tab) or email us.

Step 3 — Operating Agreement#

MIDAO provides a template Operating Agreement matched to your DAO LLC's profile: for-profit or non-profit, membership tracked on paper or on the blockchain, one-member-one-vote or one-token-one-vote, and governance managed by a smart contract or elsewhere. See DAO LLC Operating Agreements & Amendments for the template itself and the questions to consider as you adapt it.

Step 4 — KYC/KYB and the Beneficial Owner Information Report (BOIR)#

Using the BOIR, the DAO LLC identifies the people (or companies) who must complete identity verification — KYC ("Know Your Customer") for individuals, KYB ("Know Your Business") for entities. Who exactly must complete it, the documents required, and how the process works with our verification provider are all covered on KYC/KYB and Beneficial Ownership Reporting.

Step 5 — Formation Documents#

While KYC/KYB is underway, the DAO LLC can complete and sign the remaining formation documents. MIDAO provides each of these in the onboarding portal with instructions:

• Foreign Investment Business License (FIBL) application — DAO LLC members are usually not Marshall Islands citizens, so the DAO LLC applies for an FIBL, the standard license for RMI companies with foreign owners.
• Certificate of Formation — the document that formally creates the DAO LLC, in a for-profit or non-profit version.
• Representative Agent Form (Form 1) — the consent of the DAO LLC's Representative Agent, required by the 2024 DAO Regulations.

Sample copies for reference:

Step 6 — Review, Submission, and Your Charter#

MIDAO reviews your completed documents and submits them to the Registrar. The Marshall Islands government then reviews the filing and completes background checks on the individuals who performed KYC, using law enforcement and financial crime databases.

Once approved, you receive your DAO LLC charter — your company is formed.

After Registration#

• Keep your filed information current and complete annual filings every January.
• Anyone can verify your DAO LLC on the public registry, and you can order certified documents such as a Certificate of Good Standing when banks or counterparties ask for them.