Setting Up a Real-Time Treasury Dashboard for the Community

A DAO treasury dashboard is a critical tool for community transparency and governance. It aggregates and visualizes on-chain financial data, allowing members to monitor assets across multiple chains, track protocol revenue, and understand spending proposals. Without a dashboard, treasury management becomes opaque, relying on manual, infrequent reports. Real-time dashboards, like those used by Uniswap or Compound, provide a single source of truth for the community's financial position, fostering trust and enabling informed voting on capital allocation.

The foundation of any dashboard is data sourcing. You'll need to pull data from several key areas: wallet balances (native tokens, ERC-20s, NFTs), DeFi positions (liquidity provider tokens, staked assets, collateral), and revenue streams (protocol fees, yield). Tools like The Graph for querying indexed blockchain data, Covalent's Unified API, and Chainscore's Treasury API are essential for aggregating this information without running your own nodes. For example, to fetch a wallet's ETH and ERC-20 balances, you would query the relevant subgraph or use an API endpoint like GET /v1/{chain_id}/address/{address}/balances/.

Once data is sourced, the next step is processing and standardization. Values locked in different DeFi protocols or on various Layer 2s must be converted into a common unit of account, typically USD. This requires integrating price oracles like Chainlink or CoinGecko's API. You must also calculate unrealized gains/losses on LP positions and account for vesting schedules on team tokens. A robust backend service, often built with Node.js or Python, periodically fetches, processes, and stores this normalized data in a database (e.g., PostgreSQL) to serve to the frontend efficiently.

For the frontend visualization, frameworks like React or Vue.js paired with charting libraries such as D3.js or Recharts are common choices. The dashboard should clearly display: Total Treasury Value, Asset Allocation (pie/bar charts), Historical Value Trend, Top Holdings, and Recent Transactions. Interactive elements, like filtering by chain or asset type, improve usability. Many DAOs, like BanklessDAO, open-source their dashboard code, providing excellent reference implementations. Ensure the design is clean and mobile-responsive, as community members will access it from various devices.

Finally, deployment and maintenance are ongoing responsibilities. Host the application on services like Vercel, Fleek, or a decentralized option like IPFS. Implement automated data pipelines (using cron jobs or serverless functions) to refresh on-chain data every few minutes. Security is paramount: use read-only API keys, avoid exposing private keys in frontend code, and consider multi-signature controls for any administrative functions. Regularly update the dashboard to support new chains (e.g., zkSync Era, Base) and asset types as the DAO's treasury strategy evolves.

A modern development environment is the foundation. You will need Node.js (v18 or later) and a package manager like npm or yarn. For managing dependencies and scripts, we recommend initializing a new project. Use a framework such as Next.js or Vite for the frontend, as they provide excellent tooling for data fetching and state management. A code editor like VS Code with relevant extensions for JavaScript/TypeScript and Solidity will streamline development.

The dashboard's core logic depends on several key libraries. Use viem and wagmi for type-safe Ethereum interactions, as they are the modern successors to ethers.js and web3-react. For fetching and caching on-chain data, The Graph is essential for querying indexed protocol data, while Alchemy or Infura provide reliable RPC endpoints. To handle real-time updates, consider Socket.io or Supabase Realtime for pushing new transactions and price changes to the client.

You must also secure access to financial data sources. For real-time token prices, use an oracle API like CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, or Chainlink Data Feeds. To track treasury addresses, you'll need the public wallet addresses for the DAO or protocol's multi-sig and hot/cold wallets. Services like Tenderly or OpenZeppelin Defender can be used to monitor for specific events or transaction failures, adding a layer of operational security to your monitoring setup.

Finally, consider the deployment and hosting strategy. You can deploy the frontend to Vercel or Netlify for seamless CI/CD. For a backend API to aggregate data or handle authentication, services like Railway or a managed PostgreSQL database from Supabase are robust options. Ensure all API keys and sensitive configuration are stored in environment variables, never hardcoded, using a .env.local file during development.

A treasury dashboard tracks the assets held in a project's on-chain wallets. To build one, you must first identify the relevant wallet addresses. These are typically the project's multisig wallets or DAO treasuries (e.g., a Gnosis Safe or a DAO's governance module). You can find these addresses in a project's documentation, governance forum posts, or by using a service like DeepDAO. For this guide, we'll use the example of the Uniswap DAO treasury, which is managed by a Gnosis Safe on Ethereum Mainnet.

Once you have the wallet addresses, you need to query their token balances and transaction history. While you could run a node and parse raw blockchain data, using a block explorer API is far more practical for a dashboard. Services like Etherscan, Arbiscan, and Polygonscan provide free-tier APIs for this purpose. You'll need to sign up for an API key, which typically allows for 1-5 requests per second. The key endpoints you'll use are account/tokenlist to get a list of ERC-20 tokens and account/balance for native ETH/MATIC balances.

Here is a basic Python example using the requests library to fetch token holdings for an address from the Etherscan API. This script structures the raw API response into a clean list of assets with their balances.

pythonCopy
import requests

API_KEY = 'YOUR_ETHERSCAN_API_KEY'
ADDRESS = '0x1a9C8182C09F50C8318d769245beA52c32BE35BC'  # Example: Uniswap DAO Treasury
BASE_URL = 'https://api.etherscan.io/api'

def get_token_balances(address):
    params = {
        'module': 'account',
        'action': 'tokenlist',
        'address': address,
        'apikey': API_KEY
    }
    response = requests.get(BASE_URL, params=params)
    data = response.json()
    
    if data['status'] == '1':
        tokens = []
        for token in data['result']:
            # Convert balance from smallest unit (wei) to human-readable
            decimals = int(token.get('tokenDecimal', '18'))
            raw_balance = int(token.get('balance', 0))
            real_balance = raw_balance / (10 ** decimals)
            
            tokens.append({
                'name': token.get('tokenName'),
                'symbol': token.get('tokenSymbol'),
                'balance': real_balance,
                'contract': token.get('contractAddress')
            })
        return tokens
    else:
        print('Error:', data['message'])
        return []

# Fetch and print token list
holdings = get_token_balances(ADDRESS)
for token in holdings[:5]:  # Print first 5 tokens
    print(f"{token['symbol']}: {token['balance']}")

For production use, you must handle several critical considerations. Rate limiting is enforced by all explorer APIs; implement caching and request queuing to avoid hitting limits. Data freshness is also key; you'll need to poll the API at regular intervals (e.g., every 5-10 minutes) and potentially listen for new transaction events via WebSockets for real-time updates. Furthermore, the free API tier may not suffice for high-traffic dashboards, requiring a paid plan. Always check the specific explorer's API documentation for the latest endpoints and limits.

The raw balance data you retrieve is just the starting point. To calculate the treasury's total USD value, you must source real-time token prices. This requires integrating with a price oracle or a decentralized exchange's pricing data, which we will cover in the next step. For now, focus on building a robust service that reliably fetches and stores the on-chain balance snapshot for all identified treasury addresses across your supported chains.

Flipside Crypto provides a powerful, web-based SQL editor that connects directly to indexed blockchain data. For this dashboard, you'll primarily query the ethereum.core.fact_transactions and ethereum.core.ez_dex_swaps tables. The first step is to define the specific wallet addresses you want to monitor. This includes the DAO's main treasury multisig, any vesting or grant distributor contracts, and known protocol-owned liquidity pools. You can store these addresses as a CTE (Common Table Expression) at the beginning of your query for easy reuse, for example: WITH treasury_addresses AS (SELECT LOWER('0x123...') AS address UNION ALL SELECT LOWER('0x456...')).

The core of your dashboard will be built from a few key queries. You need to track inflows and outflows by querying fact_transactions for ETH and ERC-20 transfers to and from your treasury addresses. A second critical query calculates the current portfolio balance, which involves summing the latest token holdings from transfer events or using Flipside's balances tables. For DEX activity, query ez_dex_swaps to track liquidity provision fees earned or token swaps executed by the treasury. Each query should output clear, time-series compatible data with columns like block_timestamp, asset, amount, and usd_value.

Optimize your queries for performance and clarity. Use WHERE block_timestamp >= DATEADD('day', -30, CURRENT_DATE()) to limit historical data for real-time views. Aggregate data into daily or hourly summaries using DATE_TRUNC. Crucially, calculate the USD value of every transaction at the time it occurred by joining with price data from ethereum.core.fact_hourly_token_prices. This ensures your dashboard reflects true economic impact, not just token counts. Test each query component separately before combining them into a final view.

Once your individual queries are validated, you can combine them into a comprehensive VIEW. This SQL VIEW will serve as the single data source for your dashboard visualization tool. For example, create a view named treasury_dashboard_view that unions your inflow, outflow, balance, and fee data with a metric_type column to distinguish them. Document your query logic with comments, as this will be essential for community verification and future maintenance. Finally, use Flipside's 'Share' feature to generate a persistent API endpoint for your view, which you'll connect to your front-end in the next step.

With your API endpoints serving live data, you can now build the frontend dashboard. We recommend using React with TypeScript for type safety and a framework like Next.js for server-side rendering and efficient routing. The core libraries you'll integrate are Wagmi and viem for blockchain interactions (like wallet connection and token balances) and TanStack Query (React Query) for managing asynchronous state, caching API calls, and handling background data refetching. This setup ensures your UI remains responsive and displays the most current treasury information.

Structure your dashboard into clear, modular components. Key visual sections include: a wallet connection widget using Wagmi's useConnect and useAccount hooks, an overview metrics panel displaying total value locked (TVL), runway, and asset allocation, a detailed asset table listing tokens with balances, values, and price charts, and a transaction history feed showing recent inflows and outflows. Use a charting library like Recharts or Chart.js to create visualizations for treasury composition and historical value trends.

Data fetching is critical for a real-time feel. Use TanStack Query's useQuery hook to call your backend endpoints. Configure staleTime and refetchInterval to balance freshness with performance. For example, you might set a 30-second refetch for price data and a 2-minute refetch for on-chain balances. Implement optimistic updates for any user-initiated actions (like simulating a transaction) to provide instant UI feedback. Always handle loading, error, and empty states gracefully in each component to maintain a professional user experience.

For the final polish, focus on responsive design using CSS Flexbox/Grid or a utility-first framework like Tailwind CSS to ensure the dashboard works on all devices. Implement dark/light mode theming, which is a standard expectation. Add interactive elements like tooltips for metric explanations, filtering and sorting on the asset table, and export buttons for CSV reports. Thoroughly test the application by connecting different wallets (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet) and simulating various network states to ensure robustness before deploying to Vercel or a similar platform for community access.

Once your treasury dashboard is configured, the next step is to embed it directly into your community's digital hubs. This integration ensures stakeholders—from core contributors to token holders—have immediate, frictionless access to financial data without leaving their primary communication channels. The most common targets for embedding are Discord servers and Discourse forums, as these platforms are central to DAO governance and discussion. Embedding transforms static links into live, interactive windows, making treasury transparency a seamless part of the daily community experience.

For Discord, you will use webhook integrations or specialized bots that can render interactive messages. The process typically involves generating an embed URL or API endpoint from your dashboard provider (like Llama, DeBank, or a custom solution) and configuring a bot to post this data into a dedicated channel. You can set up scheduled updates for daily snapshots or trigger real-time alerts for significant transactions (e.g., large withdrawals or deposits). This keeps the community informed and can spark timely discussions about treasury management and proposal funding.

Embedding into a Discourse forum or a community wiki page often uses iframe or HTML widget elements. You will need administrative access to the platform to insert custom code. The embed code snippet, usually provided by your dashboard tool, is placed within a dedicated post or a sidebar widget. This creates a persistent, always-on display. Ensure the embedded view is mobile-responsive and displays key metrics clearly at a glance, such as total assets, asset allocation, and recent transaction history. This method is ideal for creating a permanent, transparent record alongside governance proposals.

Consider the user experience when choosing what data to display. An effective community dashboard should highlight: - Total Treasury Value in USD and ETH, - Top Asset Holdings by percentage, - Incoming/Outgoing Flows over the last 7-30 days, and - Active Proposal Budgets. Avoid information overload; focus on the 5-7 metrics most critical for community decision-making. Tools like Chainscore or Llama offer pre-built widgets optimized for this purpose, which can be customized before embedding.

Security is paramount when embedding third-party content. Always verify that the dashboard provider uses HTTPS endpoints and has a reputable security audit history. For sensitive data displays, consider implementing view-only access keys instead of admin keys in your embed code. Furthermore, educate your community on how to interpret the data—what constitutes a normal transaction versus a potential risk. This turns the dashboard from a mere display into an educational tool for collective financial oversight.

Finally, establish a maintenance routine. Update embed codes when the dashboard provider releases new versions or changes its API. Solicit feedback from the community on which metrics are most useful and adjust the display accordingly. A well-embedded treasury dashboard acts as a single source of truth, fostering trust through transparency and enabling more informed, data-driven governance discussions across your entire community.

A community treasury dashboard provides a public view of a DAO or protocol's financial health, including token balances, revenue streams, and expenditure. The primary security challenge is ensuring the data displayed is immutable and verifiable. This means directly sourcing data from the blockchain—using a node provider like Alchemy or Infura—rather than relying on a centralized database. For Ethereum-based treasuries, you would use the eth_getBalance RPC call and query event logs from the treasury's smart contract to track inflows and outflows. This creates a single source of truth that any community member can independently audit.

Data integrity must be maintained from source to display. Implement a cryptographic verification layer by storing the block number and transaction hash for every data point fetched. Your backend service should periodically re-fetch and compare this data, alerting administrators to any discrepancies. For multi-chain treasuries, use a canonical data aggregator like Chainlink Data Feeds for asset prices or a cross-chain messaging protocol like Axelar or LayerZero to verify state across networks. Avoid using unverified third-party APIs for critical financial data, as they represent a central point of failure and potential manipulation.

Access control for the dashboard's administrative functions is critical. While the data is public, the mechanisms that update display parameters or trigger alerts should be secured. Implement a multi-signature (multisig) requirement, using a smart contract like Safe, for any configuration changes. The frontend should interact with these administrative functions through a wallet connection (e.g., using WalletConnect or Ethers.js), ensuring only authorized signers can execute transactions. Role-based access can be managed on-chain using systems like OpenZeppelin's AccessControl to distinguish between viewers, data updaters, and administrators.

To build the dashboard, start by defining your data schema: wallet addresses, token contracts, and relevant smart contracts. Use a backend service (in Node.js or Python) to run scheduled jobs via cron that fetch this data. A simple architecture involves: a fetcher that calls RPC endpoints, a verifier that checks data against previous states, and a database (like PostgreSQL) to store timestamped records. The frontend (using React or Vue) then queries your secure API. Publish all code as open-source on GitHub to allow community review, which enhances the system's trustlessness.

Finally, consider resilience and monitoring. Your dashboard should remain functional even if primary data sources fail. Implement fallback RPC providers and circuit breakers in your fetching logic. Use monitoring tools like Prometheus or dedicated services to track API health, data freshness, and error rates. By combining verifiable on-chain data sourcing, secure administrative controls, and a transparent, open-source stack, you create a treasury dashboard that truly serves as a trust-minimized pillar for your community.

Your dashboard provides a transparent, automated view of community funds. Key features include real-time balance tracking from on-chain and off-chain sources, automated transaction categorization, and visualizations for asset allocation and cash flow. The system you've built using tools like The Graph for on-chain queries, Covalent for multi-chain data, and Dune Analytics for custom SQL can serve as a production-ready foundation. Remember to implement robust error handling for API calls and consider adding data validation checks.

To enhance your dashboard, consider these next steps. First, integrate alerting mechanisms (e.g., via Discord webhooks or Telegram bots) for large transactions or when balances fall below a threshold. Second, add historical analysis by storing snapshots of your data to track performance over time and generate trend reports. Third, explore governance integration by connecting to Snapshot or Tally to correlate treasury activity with proposal outcomes. Finally, implement access controls to manage viewing permissions for different community roles.

For ongoing maintenance, establish a routine to audit your data sources and update API endpoints as protocols evolve. Monitor the cost of your indexer queries and hosted services. Engage with your community to gather feedback on desired metrics—common requests include fiat-denominated valuations, grant disbursement tracking, and protocol-owned liquidity metrics. The dashboard is a living tool; its value grows with the community's needs. Continue iterating based on usage and the evolving DeFi landscape to maintain its relevance and utility.