<p>This paper explores the impact of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) on relationship marketing compared to traditional investor-owned businesses (IOBs) and member-owned cooperatives. Through a relationship marketing lens, we investigate the influence of DAOs on loyalty, drawing on concepts of psychological ownership, customer empowerment, and commitment. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes a quantitative online experiment with 300 respondents and an exploratory qualitative study involving 14 participants, our findings suggest that DAOs foster stronger psychological ownership, empowerment, and commitment compared to traditional companies, albeit to a lesser extent than cooperatives. The qualitative analysis highlights two key factors contributing to this phenomenon: direct participation and influence, as well as company values. This research contributes to the literature by elucidating the transformative potential of DAOs in relationship marketing and the challenges and opportunities they present for businesses.</p>