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The New Hampshire DAO Registry Design Sprint

Date: 
Saturday, April 18, 2026 - 8:00am to Sunday, April 19, 2026 - 5:00pm

Architecting America’s First Blockchain-Native State Registry

Defining the Standard for RSA 301-B Compliance

Status: The NH DAO Act (HB 645) is now law, granting legal recognition to DAOs in New Hampshire.

However, the technical link between legal statute and blockchain code remains undefined, and the state needs a clear blueprint.

Who We Are

  • The UNH-IOL is a neutral and independent lab that tests networking and data communications products for businesses across the globe.
  • We started in 1988 on the University of New Hampshire Durham, NH campus.
  • We are a non-profit organization and 100% funded by commercial industry membership in IOL test services.

The Design Sprint

Our goal is to produce the Registry Architecture White Paper, which will serve as the Official Blueprint for the State.

Day 1: Convene and Architect

  • Consensus on RSA 301-B interpretation.
  • Bringing together Lawmakers, SoS Staff, and Industry Leaders.
  • Sharing ideas on how to build the registry
  • Begin reaching consensus on the new framework

Day 2: Deliver

  • Confirm Working Group Participation
  • Codify the plan
  • Finalize the Blueprint.

 

Registration Required

While this event is open for all, there is a limit to how much space we have, and how much food can be provided. Please register below to confirm you are coming! 

Event Schedule

Saturday: Kickoff & Collaborative Design  
Time Milestone Phase Description Room
8:30 AM Kick-off Presentations & Briefing

Set Foundations:

  • Discussion of RSA 301-B and the SOS RFP 2024-1
  • Establishing the "North Star" goals and event flow.
 Training Room
9:15 AM The Unconference Marketplace

Launch Discussions:

  • Participants identify RFP shortfalls and pitch specific design tracks.
  • Establish Primary Working Groups 
  • Vote on working group topics as a whole
 Training Room
10:00 AM Unconference Block A

Beginning Design:

  • Initial breakouts begin based on top-voted topics from the Marketplace. 
  • Getting to know participants
  • Establish inter-working group roles
  • Set working group goal for weekend
 Conference Rooms Dispersed
12:00 PM Working Lunch   E-Center
1:00 PM Unconference Block B

Iterative Prototyping:

  • Deep dives into working group technicalities
 Conference Rooms Dispersed
3:00 PM State Advisory Pulse Check Secretary of State and staff "browse" sessions to provide real-world context and verify administrative feasibility. Training Room
4:00 PM Unconference Block C

Group Swap:

  • Continue iterating on ideas
  • Move between disciplines and focus areas
 Conference Rooms Dispersed
5:30 PM The Saturday Wrap-Up Daily Synthesis: Groups share major wins and blockers.  Training Room
6:30 PM

End of Day 01 Activities

Local Social Hour: Hop + Grind

  
Sunday: Strategic Synthesis & Hand-off  
Time Milestone Phase Description  
8:30 AM Event Opens

Prepare for the day:

  • Grab a coffee and some breakfast, wake up, etc.
 Training Room
9:00 AM Saturday Summary Reestablish context and achievements from previous day Training Room
9:30 AM Unconference Block D

Unify Ideas:

  • Continuing yesterdays ideas and,
  • Identifying and resolving logic conflicts across working groups.
 Conference Rooms Dispersed
12:00 PM Working Lunch & Final Review Final internal peer-review and dress rehearsal for the Ideathon Briefing. E-Center

1:00 PM

 Briefing Preparation & Final Docs

Consolidating the Ideas:

  • Combine track outputs into a cohesive system architecture. 
  • Finalizing the Technical Specification and executive summaries of each working group.
 Training Room
2:00 PM The Ideathon Briefing:
What Happens Next?		 The Hand-off: Presentation of discussion output and the updated roadmap to Lawmakers and State Officials. Training Room
4:00 PM Ideathon Adjournment  

Stakeholder Roles

State Officials Technical Architects Legal Experts DAO and Community Members
Secretary of State & Staff: Domain experts verifying administrative feasibility and identifying practical operational requirements. Developers: Mapping the blockchain-to-state infrastructure bridge and ensuring adherence to FOSS standards. Lawmakers & Lawyers: Ensuring logic flows maintain the statutory intent of RSA 301-B and managing liability guardrails. Advocates and practitioners representing end-user experience; ensuring the registry remains accessible, permissionless, and efficient.

Recommended Lodging

Durham (Walking Distance)

  • Holiday Inn Express Durham - UNH (0.3 miles) – 2 Main Street, Durham. Most convenient for the IOL.
  • Three Chimneys Inn (0.5 miles) – 17 Newmarket Road, Durham. Historic boutique inn.

Portsmouth (15 Minute Drive)

  • AC Hotel Portsmouth Downtown – 299 Vaughan Street, Portsmouth. Modern waterfront with rooftop bar.
  • Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside – 250 Market Street, Portsmouth. Heart of the historic district.

Register for the DAO Registry Design Sprint