GST DAO is a community governed not-for-profit foundation. The land and other assets it holds are owned by nature and must be treated as such. This DAO held land backs the value of our currency, the Green Standard Token (GST), which is Earth’s first currency backed by protected land. 

The concept of nature owning land is not a new one and has been applied in different ways across the world in recent years. Our system allows for nature to own land across different jurisdictions without the need for government action or legislation. 

One should consider GST DAO a system or ecosystem centered around restoring and protecting nature, with all the components and actors necessary to form a self-sustaining, ecologically sustainable economy. 

• Currency: GST.
• Governance: GST holders.
• Rules: GST DAO Constitution.
• Land: Owned by nature and held in the not-for-profit foundation.
• Economy: Land Stewards operate land-based conservation businesses. 
• Administration: Different legal entities that operate DAO off-chain activities. 

*More throughout this document 

Why a currency? 

Historically, whatever humans have defined as money, society has sought to make as much of that thing as possible. If we collectively decide that tokenised protected land can be a form of money with real world utility, then society will create as much of that money as possible. 

The result of this natural human instinct will be to reverse the destruction of nature, fight global warming caused by carbon emissions from exploitative land use and reduce climate poverty. 

Imagine a world where decisions on land use were taken by nature – this is the world we seek to create.