SimpDAOs, or tokenized fan clubs

Crypto has given rise to a strange yet telling phenomenon known as SimpDAOs — “fan DAOs” where people rally around an influencer or media personality

The most famous example is IreneDAO. In 2022, Singaporean model and crypto influencer Irene Zhao launched a collection of NFT memes. Buying one granted access to a DAO where fans could interact with her, vote on ideas, and get “exclusive” perks. The hype attracted even big names like Logan Paul, and NFT prices soared

In essence, it was the tokenization of affection: the more you “simped” for the influencer, the more you invested in the DAO. But the risks were obvious. Once public attention faded, so did interest in the DAO and its tokens. And the structure itself was rarely truly decentralized. Power almost always sat with the influencer or their inner circle

On the flip side, SimpDAOs revealed something important: the DAO concept can work not just for protocols or investments, but also for cultural and media communities (even if they don’t always live up to the full ideals of decentralization)