What Happened

1. Jupiter, the top DEX aggregator on Solana, has halted all governance (DAO) voting until the end of 2025, planning to reintroduce a revamped model in 2026
2. This includes a freeze on new DAO-funded workgroups and locking most of its treasury through the pause.

Why the Pause

1. According to Jupiter COO Kash Dhanda, the DAO structure was no longer working it was mired in a ”perpetual FUD cycle”, undermining trust and cohesion between the team, token holders, and the DAO.
2. Frequent proposals became polarizing, slowing down execution, and eroding both trust and efficiency.

What Continues

1. Active staking rewards (50 million JUP quarterly) remain unaffected, offering consistent returns to token stakers
2. Ongoing governance-funded workgroups will continue their operations—just no new groups will be added.
3. Jupiter’s core trading and liquidity functions remain fully operational.

Wider Context

1. This is not an isolated case—Yuga Labs recently dismantled its ApeCoin DAO for similar reasons, pointing to broader governance friction in DeFi.
2. Many DAOs struggle with balancing decentralization, inclusivity, decision-making speed, and clarity in leadership roles.

What’s Next

1. Over the next year, Jupiter aims to listen, consult, and redesign its governance structure to avoid future division.
2. A refreshed DAO framework, focused on unity and effective decision-making, is expected in early 2026.

Final Take

Jupiter’s pause is a bold, introspective move, not a collapse. It reflects the growing pains of decentralized governance. By pausing now to rebuild, Jupiter hopes to emerge stronger, clearer in its mission, more cohesive, and more efficient in its community-driven development. Its success could serve as a case study for the next generation of DAOs facing similar challenges.

Credit sources include: Coindesk, Cointelegraph (June 2025)".