In recent years, decentralized sciences (DeSci) have appeared on the scientific scene with the aim of democratizing research and development. Unlike the traditional model, where the State or large investors control the funding and direction of science, DeSci seek to involve the whole of society in this process.
How does it work? Blockchain technology, along with the Web3 concept, enables the development of decentralized platforms where the scientific community can actively participate. Through Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), scientists can propose projects, raise funds, share data and collaborate on research in an open and transparent manner.
Benefits of Decentralized Science (DeSci)
The advantages of this new model are numerous. First, it democratizes access to funding, opening the door to researchers from all over the world, especially from regions with limited resources such as Latin America.
Secondly, it facilitates collaboration and the exchange of information among scientists, which can accelerate the pace of research. It also increases transparency and accountability in the use of funds.
In this regard, Alexia Celeste, Web3 philosopher and co-founder of CriptoCuriosas, explains that decentralized sciences (DeSci) give us "the opportunity to search for the truth and build a future where knowledge is free".
The specialist also points out that "DeSci is the place where decentralization not only transforms information, but also redefines our connection with health and the world".
Case studies: the impact of decentralized sciences
This movement is already revolutionizing various areas such as medicine, ecology and even art. One example is Mushroom Protocol, a Latin American Web3 platform that unites the blockchain world with biotechnology, and whose objective is to democratize access to research and the development of new applications in this field.
According to Esteban Arenillas, co-founder of the platform, DeSci are a "new model of scientific development that does not depend on traditional institutions".
Furthermore, he adds, "people actively participate in the advancement of science through DAOs, which strengthens the region, since many of the problems affecting development are linked to limited access to funding and the centralization of opportunities."
Another high-impact project is VitaDAO, which seeks to support longevity-related research, which received funding from Pfizer in 2023. At the time, Michael Baran, CEO and Partner at Pfizer Ventures, shared his commitment to exploring this novel model for advancing early-stage science.
"Decentralized science caught our attention as an emerging area to address the valley of death challenge. The handoff from academic science to the biotech space is often referred to as the valley of death, as many projects do not find sufficient funding to move forward," the executive noted.
On the publishing side, deScier offers a decentralized scientific journal - The DeSci Journal. By using blockchain, the copyright belongs 100% to the researchers. Maria Goreti Freitas, leader of deScier, details that "it is up to us to build a solution and offer an alternative for authors to publish their works in a fair way: keeping 100% of their copyrights and considering their work as digital assets in a win-win shared economy."
Tokenization and Decentralized Science
DeSci represent a radical shift in the paradigm of scientific research that fosters a more open, collaborative and democratic science. Largely thanks to blockchain technology and tokenization.
Simply put, tokenization refers to the process of representing an asset - in this case scientific assets - on a blockchain network. By issuing tokens that represent, for example, an intellectual property or a paper, scientists and startups can raise funds without the need to give up control of their research.
James Murillo, Community Advocate of Chainlink, the decentralized oracle project, comments that the digital layer provided by blockchain, despite its regulatory, economic and technological challenges given its incipient stage, adds value in operational and strategic aspects and allows connecting sources of capital on a global scale.
"DeSci-related projects can enjoy this innovation and opportunities that tokenization provides. In the future, we will see the increase in the amount of financing using blockchain," says Murillo.
In turn, he adds that at DeSci, the use of technology in intellectual property management allows for leverage in a capital-intensive sector and in the time horizons required by investors to see optimal research results. "Blockchain also ensures the immutability of data, adding a layer of validation to the research process," he points out.
In this way, blockchain technology and decentralized sciences (DeSci) are paving the way for a new era of citizen participation and a fairer development vision.