For centuries, science has been driven by centralized structures supported by universities, research institutions, and private funds. However, today there are serious criticisms about the financing of scientific research, publication processes, and accessibility.
The high costs of academic resources, limited access to research data, and the injustice that may arise in the distribution of funds cause scientific knowledge to be under the control of only certain circles. This can overshadow the main purpose of science, which is to make knowledge accessible and transparent to everyone. This is where decentralized science (DeSci) comes into play.
This new paradigm, which aims to make scientific processes more fair and accessible with the transparency and reliability provided by blockchain technology, allows researchers to find funding, share their data openly, and democratize the publication process. So, what is decentralized science, how does it work, and how can it transform the academic world? In this article, we will explore how DeSci can fundamentally change the scientific ecosystem.
What is DeSci?
Decentralized Science (DeSci) is an approach that decentralizes the financing, execution and publication processes of scientific research through blockchain and smart contracts. While funding and publication processes in the traditional system are under the control of certain institutions, DeSci allows scientists to receive direct support from communities and share their research in an open, transparent and accessible way.
In this process, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) play an important role. DAOs ensure democratic funding of research and make knowledge accessible to everyone. Thus, DeSci makes science more fair, transparent and inclusive.
Differences Between Traditional and Decentralized Science
While traditional science is a structure funded by central institutions and whose publication processes are under the control of certain authorities; decentralized science (DeSci) offers a more transparent, fair and accessible scientific ecosystem through blockchain and smart contracts. Here are the key differences between the two systems:
| Criteria | Traditional Science | Decentralized Science (DeSci) |
| Funding | Provided by government, private companies, and academic institutions. | Community-supported, DAOs, and blockchain-based funding are used. |
| Accessibility | Academic resources are often paid and have limited access can be. | It offers an open access and accessible structure for everyone. |
| Transparency | Publication processes and fund distribution are managed by central authorities. | Processes are transparent and traceable thanks to smart contracts. |
| Publication Process | The peer-review process is closed and long-term. | There is a community-focused, faster and more transparent evaluation process. |
| Decision Mechanism | Universities, states and publishers are decisive. | Through DAOs, scientists and communities have a say. |
What are DeSci Coins?
Considering the date of writing this article (March 11, 2025), the top 5 crypto assets by market value in the Decentralized Science (DeSci) field, created by www.coingecko.com, can be listed as follows.
- OriginTrail (TRAC): Created to ensure the origin, integrity and verifiability of information used by artificial intelligence (AI).
- Bio Protocol (BIO): Created to accelerate biotechnology by giving communities of patients, scientists, and biotechnology professionals the ability to collectively fund, build, and own tokenized biotechnology projects and intellectual property.
- AxonDAO Governance Token: Designed to create, support, and finance decentralized science projects using biometric AI.
- Hippocrat (HPO): A decentralized healthcare platform that supports the secure management of health data and a patient-centric data economy.
- Researchcoin (RSC): A blockchain-based reward system used to incentivize and accelerate academic research.
*It is important to remember that the market value of these assets may vary over time.
DeSci Use Cases
Decentralized science (DeSci) aims to make scientific processes more transparent and accessible in many areas, from research funding to data management. In this section, we will briefly take a look at the different usage areas of DeSci and the innovations it provides.
Transparency in Funding and Grant Processes
Traditional scientific research is funded by government agencies, private companies, and large academic institutions. However, since these funds are distributed in line with certain priorities and policies, some projects may be pushed to the background due to biases or may not find sufficient support. This makes it difficult for innovative or unconventional research to find funding.
Decentralized science (DeSci), on the other hand, allows scientists to receive funding directly from communities through DAO-based grant systems. In this blockchain-based system, funding processes are carried out transparently and decisions are made with the participation of the community rather than central authorities. This way, researchers can present their projects free from bias and increase their chances of gaining support.
Openness and Access in Scientific Publishing
The traditional academic publishing system can often publish research in paid sources, which makes scientific knowledge accessible only to a select few. While universities or research institutions can access these sources by paying high subscription fees, access to this information is quite limited for individual researchers and independent enthusiasts. These restrictions can slow down the progress of science and run counter to the principle of equal access to knowledge.
Decentralized science (DeSci) aims to make scientific articles open and accessible through blockchain-based publishing. Studies recorded on the blockchain are immutable and resistant to censorship, while researchers can increase access to knowledge on a global scale by sharing their data directly. This ensures that science is not under the control of certain authorities, but rather as a common heritage of all humanity.
Data Ownership and Reliability
In traditional scientific research, data is usually stored in central databases. However, in this system, there is always the possibility that the data will be manipulated, changed, or its reliability will be damaged by unauthorized access. Changes made in line with commercial or political interests in particular can jeopardize the transparency and accuracy of scientific processes.
Decentralized science (DeSci) aims to eliminate these risks by storing data on the blockchain. Thanks to blockchain technology, scientific data becomes unchangeable, traceable, and verifiable by everyone. This increases the reliability of research and allows scientists to share their work without the threat of censorship or manipulation. Thus, scientific knowledge is protected securely and transparently, independent of the control of central authorities.
What are the Basic Components of DeSci?
Let’s briefly take a look at the basic components that make DeSci possible and their impact on the scientific world.
Blockchain and Smart Contracts
Blockchain and smart contracts are one of the basic building blocks of decentralized science (DeSci). Smart contracts ensure that research funds are distributed automatically and fairly according to specified criteria. In this way, the influence of intermediaries in funding processes is reduced and scientists can finance their projects transparently with community support.
In addition, scientific publication processes can be managed on the blockchain with on-chain votes. This system makes the evaluation process of research more transparent and impartial, enabling scientific knowledge to be verified by the community instead of central authorities. Thus, the scientific publishing process becomes more democratic, reliable, and accessible.
DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations)
DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) enable scientific communities to decentralize their fund management and decision-making processes. While in the traditional structure, funds allocated to research projects are usually controlled by specific institutions, thanks to DAOs, this process can be managed more transparently and fairly with the participation of community members. This way, researchers can be directly involved in funding and project management processes.
NFT and Tokenization
NFT and tokenization are important components that enable decentralized science (DeSci) to offer scientists new financing models. Tokenization of academic articles as NFTs allows researchers to directly own their work and raise funds. In this way, scientists can receive funding from communities or individual investors to support their discoveries without relying on intermediary institutions.
In addition, scientific research can be made more sustainable with the token economy. For example, scientists, supporters, or evaluators who contribute to a specific research project can be rewarded with tokens produced within the scope of the project. In this way, scientific progress is encouraged and research is conducted in a more transparent and participatory manner.
Real-Life Examples of Decentralized Science
Today, there are various projects that bring this vision to life. Projects called VitaDAO and Molecule can be given as examples of environments where decentralized science is conducted. These projects can be briefly described as follows.
- VitaDAO: Focusing on aging and longevity research, this DAO allows scientists to find funding and carry out their projects with community support. Thanks to its blockchain-based governance model, the areas where research will be directed are determined by community votes. This model enables science to become more open, collaborative and sustainable.
- Molecule: A platform that aims to decentralize the financing processes of scientific research. Researchers can tokenize their projects as NFTs and collect funds directly from the community. This system offers an important solution, especially for scientists who have limited access to traditional funding sources.
The Future of DeSci and the Challenges It May Face
It is necessary to consider what the future of decentralized finance may be and the challenges that may be encountered in this field in the future.
What is the Future Potential?
Decentralized science (DeSci) can be positioned as an alternative or complementary model to traditional academic systems in the future. With blockchain technology, funding, execution, and publication of research will become more transparent, while scientists can continue their work independent of central authorities.
In addition, DeSci’s public data sharing, fair funding distribution, and global collaboration opportunities can accelerate scientific progress. This system can eliminate boundaries between researchers and enable more effective implementation of interdisciplinary projects. If adoption is successful, the decentralized science ecosystem could create an innovative and sustainable structure that encourages the free sharing of knowledge.
What Could Be the Challenges and Obstacles?
- Regulations: It is not yet clear how governments will approach DeSci projects.
- Resistance from Traditional Academic Systems: Universities and large publishers may resist decentralized science models.
- Technical Challenges: Integrating blockchain and DeFi applications into academic processes can be complex.
