Original Title: Decentralized Science (DeSci) - Why and How?
Introduction
In the lifecycle of scientific research, there are often many obstacles. For example, the long and expensive process of bringing a new drug to market - it is filled with failures: 95% of drugs that enter human trials fail, the average R&D cost exceeds $2 billion, and it takes over 13 years! Additionally, the funding model for academic research often favors senior researchers, while innovative and non-traditional projects often lack funding. Combined with the pressure to publish papers or research results, which can lead to over-interpretation, irreproducibility, and systemic unfairness, the research needs of minority groups are often not adequately addressed. These systemic issues indicate that we need innovative ways to equalize access to research funding, promote collaboration, and maintain the integrity of scientific research. This article will focus on two questions: (1) Why do we need DeSci, and (2) How can it solve the problems.
What is DeSci?
Decentralized Science (DeSci) is an emerging movement that uses blockchain technology to address core challenges in the scientific domain, such as lack of funding, lack of transparency, and lack of collaboration. Through the use of tokens, NFTs, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), DeSci aims to build a more open, community-driven, and incentivized model for scientific research. It seeks to remove traditional "gatekeepers" to drive transparent research funding, peer review processes, and data sharing. DeSci projects like VitaDAO, Molecule, and AminoChain are demonstrating how decentralized platforms can reshape the way scientific research is funded, conducted, and published, bridging the gap between basic research and clinical application while ensuring ownership and transparency in data management.
Problem Statement
1. Inefficient Research Funding
The current research funding system is highly inefficient, with researchers spending nearly 80% of their time applying for funding and only 20% on actual research. Imagine if software developers spent most of their time fundraising instead of coding - technological progress would undoubtedly slow, which is the impact of the outdated processes that plague scientific innovation today.
The challenges are particularly acute for early-career researchers, as senior scientists often receive the majority of funding and resources. This tendency stifles novel and non-traditional ideas and limits research opportunities in underdeveloped regions. Furthermore, the centralized, competitive, and relatively conservative funding system tends to favor clichés and ordinary topics rather than truly impactful directions.
2. Outdated Research Infrastructure and Fragmented Data Management Systems
The main challenges facing the scientific research ecosystem are outdated infrastructure and fragmented data management systems. Platforms like GitHub (for code) and Dropbox (for data) often create their own "data silos", limiting collaboration; many databases also fail to meet the "Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable" (FAIR) principles, leading to up to 80% of data being lost within 20 years due to broken links. Additionally, intellectual property (IP) is often controlled by institutions rather than the researchers themselves, causing scientists to lose control of their research outputs when changing jobs, and early data and informal collaborations lack protection. Combined with many incompatible systems and outdated tools like fax machines, these barriers hinder scientific collaboration, impede AI-driven research progress, and slow down scientific innovation.
3. Lack of Incentives and Compensation for Replication and Peer Review
Replication is crucial for verifying scientific discoveries, but is often overlooked because journals tend to prioritize novel findings. This has led to the so-called "replication crisis", with an estimated 70% of published research unable to be replicated. Additionally, scientists receive no compensation for peer review, and the value of their time invested is estimated at $1.5 billion per year, while the review process itself often lacks transparency and fairness. Solving the incentive compatibility problem is key to improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of scientific research.
4. Oligopolistic Academic Publishing
Globally, academic publishing is dominated by five major publishers, who control nearly 50% of the market and generate $19 billion in revenue annually, with profit margins as high as 40%. This oligopolistic structure has made publishers the "gatekeepers", often prioritizing profits over academic value. The high article processing charges - typically between $2,000 and $12,000 per paper - deter resource-constrained researchers, especially in developing countries.
From the access perspective, the price of individual articles can be as high as $35 to $50, further limiting access to critical knowledge. These high costs and restrictive policies perpetuate inequalities in knowledge sharing, exacerbating the advantages of wealthy institutions and regions, while excluding underfunded scientists and communities.
5. The "Valley of Death"
The traditional drug development process is both time-consuming and extremely expensive, often taking 10 to 13 years and costing over $2 billion to bring a new drug to market, with companies typically working in silos rather than collaborating in a globally connected market, leading to duplicative investments and missed opportunities for synergistic innovation, such as in tackling diseases like cancer.
A critical obstacle in this process is the "valley of death", the stage between basic research and commercialization. Many promising projects require significant funding to scale up at this stage, but experience a sharp drop-off in financing. With a 95% failure rate for drugs in human trials, this funding gap remains a major barrier, preventing many transformative innovations from reaching the market and depriving people of their benefits.
6. Lack of Patient-Centric Approaches and Data Privacy in Biomedical Research
Thousands of people donate biological samples for medical research each year, but the current system often "disconnects" them from the subsequent use of their samples. Donors typically just sign a consent form and then have no further insight into how their samples are used, undermining trust and reducing participation; at some large institutions, the consent rate is as low as 25%. Centralized systems exacerbate the problem, unable to track the specific uses of samples or properly manage donor consent. Furthermore, centralized systems pose data breach risks, threatening sensitive information. Lack of transparency and security not only limits the availability of high-quality data, but also slows the research process and hinders the development of life-saving therapies.
Solutions
Decentralized Science (DeSci) aims to provide solutions to the major challenges facing the traditional scientific research ecosystem through blockchain technology, decentralized networks, and novel incentive mechanisms. These solutions seek to enhance the accessibility, transparency, funding mechanisms, and collaborative nature of science. Here is an overview of how DeSci can help the research community address key issues:
1. DAOs: Empowering Collaborative Governance in Science
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) provide a decentralized, community-driven framework for funding and decision-making in scientific research. By democratizing resource allocation, DAOs allow scientists, investors, and other stakeholders to propose and vote on projects, creating a collaborative and transparent research environment.
Real-World Cases
As a decentralized platform, BIO Protocol helps the community provide funding for scientific research and accelerate research progress. Through blockchain technology, BIO supports the creation and funding of decentralized scientific organizations called BioDaos. These DAOs focus on specific medical challenges, pooling resources and expertise to drive innovation.
Significant Success Cases
- HairDAO: Developed the consumer product Follicool for hair loss issues and owns the DAO-owned patents.
- CerebrumDAO: Raised $1.5 million to advance brain health research, collaborating with Fission Pharma to address neurodegenerative diseases.
- ValleyDAO: Focused on synthetic biology, raised $2 million, and partnered with Imperial College London.
- AthenaDAO: Focused on women's health research, funded $500,000 for projects, and currently has 14 intellectual property transactions in progress.
- CryoDAO: Raised $3 million to advance cryobiology research, collaborating with the Oxford Cryogenics team.
- Quantum Biology DAO: Led by an MIT PhD, exploring quantum microscopes, opening new possibilities for scientific research.
- Long COVID Labs: Led by a Stanford neuroscientist, accelerating Long COVID research, a condition affecting millions globally.
2. Decentralized, Persistent, and Accessible Research Data
DeSci platforms provide researchers with a secure and decentralized way to store data, manuscripts, and research materials. Leveraging blockchain technology, these platforms can ensure the long-term accessibility of research data, avoiding the "link rot" problem. For example, platforms like DeSci Nodes offer decentralized storage, ensuring research outputs can be accessed permanently and immutably.
Furthermore, DeSci platforms are often based on the FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). This means each dataset includes detailed metadata explaining how the data was generated, enabling other researchers to quickly locate and reuse it. Incorporating FAIR principles into DeSci not only enhances the accessibility of scientific data but also promotes collaboration and reduces duplicative research.
3. Incentivizing Replication and Peer Review: Solving the Replication Crisis
One major challenge facing the scientific community today is the "replication crisis," where many studies cannot be verified. DeSci addresses this by providing rewards to scientists who replicate experiments or conduct peer reviews. For example, the ResearchHub platform, supported by Coinbase co-founder Brian Armstrong, uses tokens to reward scientists for verifying research findings, providing feedback, and participating in peer review.
This mechanism motivates researchers to repeatedly validate existing conclusions and ensures published research is more reliable. By encouraging collaboration and transparency, DeSci helps solve this long-standing issue within the traditional scientific system.
4. Open Access and Programmatic Publishing
DeSci platforms eliminate the paywall restrictions of traditional publishers by providing open access options for scientists. For instance, DeSci Publish allows researchers to upload and disseminate their research for free, without having to pay high publication fees, ensuring wider dissemination and impact of their work. Additionally, programmatic publishing accelerates the research-to-publication process and reduces the administrative burden on researchers by automating manuscript submission, formatting, peer review coordination, metadata creation, revision tracking, and paper distribution.
Real-World Case
Etica Protocol is a decentralized science (DeSci) initiative that revolutionizes medical research by eliminating intellectual property (IP) restrictions and encouraging open-source collaboration. Launched in April 2022, the protocol is built on blockchain technology, allowing researchers to freely share their findings and receive economic rewards throughout the research process. By circumventing the traditional patent system and restrictive licensing, Etica establishes a fair and efficient framework that not only accelerates innovation but also ensures the affordability of medical treatments and equitable access to medical advancements.
Key Features
- Decentralized Proposals: Researchers submit proposals related to specific diseases, which are then evaluated by the community through blockchain-based voting.
- Staking and Voting: Token holders stake Etica tokens (ETI) to vote, with correct votes rewarded and incorrect votes penalized, ensuring accountability.
- Dynamic Approval Thresholds: The proposal approval threshold is adjusted based on voting patterns, balancing fairness and rigor.
- Privacy and Transparency: A two-step voting process maintains privacy during voting, with results made public afterward.
Disease Examples in the Etica Protocol
Etica Protocol is actively driving open-source medical research on major health challenges, particularly focusing on diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes, which impact millions globally. The platform's collaborative efforts are bringing innovative solutions to Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), while also addressing important global issues such as malaria and silicosis (a lung disease related to work environments). Additionally, Etica supports research on cystic fibrosis (also known as mucoviscidosis) and various addiction problems, as well as broader areas like longevity and fundamental science. The scope of these efforts highlights Etica's real-world impact and encourages active participation in driving equitable and accessible healthcare solutions.
5. IP-NFTs: Empowering and Securing Ownership for Researchers
Decentralized science (DeSci) is revolutionizing scientific research by establishing a transparent and efficient framework for funding, management, and innovation ownership, much like how blockchain has disrupted traditional finance. Leveraging IP-NFTs (Intellectual Property Non-Fungible Tokens) and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), DeSci aims to solve the "valley of death" problem - the critical funding gap between basic research and commercialization, where many promising projects fail due to lack of resources. Through DAOs, researchers can directly connect with global funders, bypassing traditional barriers and ensuring early-stage projects receive the necessary resources for expansion. This decentralized approach not only accelerates innovation but also democratizes access to funding, fosters global collaboration, and drives scientific progress.
The core of IP-NFTs is a decentralized framework built on Ethereum, which stores legal contracts, smart contracts, and encrypted private data on platforms like Arweave, Filecoin, and others. By tokenizing research projects, IP-NFTs enable efficient fundraising, transparent governance, and collective ownership, empowering researchers and ensuring fair access to scientific outcomes. The following case illustrates this.
Key Advantages of IP-NFTs:
- Profitability: Researchers can directly sell their IP-NFTs to raise research funds and obtain substantial economic returns.
- Open Access and Control: IP-NFTs can be combined with open access models, ensuring research outputs are publicly available while maintaining ownership.
Real-World Case
Molecule is a platform that uses IP-NFTs to reform scientific funding. By tokenizing intellectual property, Molecule enables researchers to directly receive funding from a global pool of investors, patients, and enthusiasts.
- The Molecule ecosystem has raised over $30 million to support decentralized scientific research.
- 29 research projects have received funding, covering niche areas such as rare diseases and quantum biology.
- The community has over 15,700 members, including scientists, investors, and supporters.
- $1.95 million in direct funding has been provided for cutting-edge research projects, driving significant progress in some underfunded areas.
VitaDAO has also demonstrated the transformative potential of IP-NFTs in scientific research, using blockchain technology to enable decentralized funding and governance. VitaDAO has invested over $4.2 million, funding 24 research projects, and has evaluated more than 200 projects, while promoting collaboration and transparency in driving major longevity research. The organization has $6 million in liquid funds, proving the efficiency of decentralized mechanisms in supporting innovative research and advancing critical scientific fields.
Examples of Research Projects Funded Through IP-NFTs
- Discovery of new autophagy activators
- Lab: Korolchuk Lab, Newcastle University
- Focus: Identifying compounds that can restore autophagy function in senescent cells to address cell recycling mechanisms associated with aging and disease.
- Funding: $285,000
- Matrix Bio: Longevity Biotechnology Inspired by Naked Mole Rats
- Lab: Gorbunova Lab
- Focus: Developing therapies based on high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, leveraging its anti-cancer and longevity-promoting properties.
- Funding: $300,000
- The Longevity Molecule
- Lab: Scheibye-Knudsen Lab
- Focus: Using machine learning to analyze 1.04 billion prescriptions to identify drugs that can extend human lifespan.
- Funding: $537,000
- ApoptoSENS: CAR-NK Cells for Senescent Cell Clearance
- Focus: Using CAR-NK cells to clear senescent cells, thereby combating age-related diseases.
- Funding: $253,000
- Novel Mitophagy Activator for Alzheimer's Disease
- Lab: Fang Lab
- Focus: Using AI to screen for candidate drugs that can restore mitophagy function, with the potential to address Alzheimer's disease and other age-related diseases.
- Funding: $300,000
- Reversing Periodontal Disease Through Aging Science
- Lab: An Lab
- Focus: Testing anti-inflammatory compounds to treat age-related periodontitis and enhance human healthspan.
- Funding: $330,000
- ARTAN Bio: Codon-Specific Suppression of Aging and Longevity
- Company: ARTAN Bio
- Focus: Intervening on nonsense mutations that cause age-related diseases and cancer.
- Funding: $91,300
6. Decentralized Biomedical Solutions
Decentralized Science (DeSci) has fundamentally transformed the landscape of traditional medical research, making patients and donors the true core. Through blockchain technology, DeSci allows donors to retain control over their biological samples, understand their actual use, and even share in the benefits when the samples are commercialized. This model can enhance trust and increase participation. Additionally, decentralized systems can provide higher security for sensitive data, with access only granted upon proper authorization, thereby better protecting privacy. By replacing centralized repositories with blockchain's transparency and immutability, DeSci can both safeguard data security and accelerate the progress of biomedical research.
AminoChain: Revolutionizing Biomedical Research Through Decentralized Science
AminoChain is building a decentralized platform that connects healthcare institutions with patients and has raised $7 million in funding (including a $5 million seed round led by a16z crypto and Cercano). It aims to create a transparent and efficient system for managing biological samples and medical data.
The core of AminoChain is the Amino Node, a software package that can integrate with existing healthcare systems (such as EMRs and inventory management tools) to standardize data into a unified format, while ensuring the data remains securely stored on the healthcare institutions' servers. By unifying data across the network, AminoChain enables developers to build patient-centric applications and facilitate collaboration between healthcare institutions.
One of the key applications is the Specimen Center, a peer-to-peer biological sample marketplace platform. Researchers can search and apply for sample inventories from various biobanks, enabling compliant and traceable management. What would traditionally take weeks can be significantly streamlined, accelerating research progress. Notably, donors can track their samples, understand the research outcomes, and receive economic rewards when the samples are commercialized, thereby enhancing trust and increasing participation.
The strength of AminoChain lies in its core design, which embeds bioethics, allowing patients to gain transparent information and benefit-sharing, while also providing the biomedical community with a more seamless research and collaboration mechanism.
The Bright Future of DeSci: A Revolution in Research Funding
Since 2023, the Decentralized Science (DeSci) movement has been rapidly transforming the way research is funded and operated, opening up new possibilities for innovation and collaboration. Over 7 specialized DAOs have emerged, collectively evaluating more than 2,000 projects and investing over $70 million on-chain, covering areas such as psychedelics research, hair loss therapies, cryobiology, neuroscience, and frontier quantum biology.
While only 0.5% of the evaluated projects have received funding, the impact is significant. Over 3,000 ETH have been deployed, driving the development of 5 to 6 new drug candidates. The first physical product to reach the market - a high-dose spermidine supplement - was driven by VitaDAO and has already received Thai FDA approval, demonstrating the tangible outcomes of this new funding model.
The Next Wave of DeSci Innovation
Some exciting new projects are on the horizon:
- Curetopia aims to unite patient communities and the public to address over 10,000 rare genetic diseases, placing patients at the center of research and reshaping the rare disease treatment paradigm.
- Quantum Biology DAO is dedicated to accelerating quantum biology research, fostering community building, open governance, and innovative experimentation, with the goal of understanding and leveraging quantum-level biological processes to open new frontiers in scientific research.
DeSci Gains the Support of "Big Players"
The significance of DeSci has gained the attention of major forces in the blockchain space. Binance Labs has made a substantial investment in BIO Protocol, a pioneering decentralized platform that enables scientists, patients, and investors to collaboratively fund and co-own cutting-edge biomedical research globally. BIO Protocol focuses on key areas such as rare diseases, longevity, and mental health, while incubating multiple BioDAs to accelerate patient-centric innovation.
Industry leaders like Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Binance CEO CZ have also attended DeSci events held in Bangkok, further demonstrating the immense potential of DeSci to revolutionize research funding and mechanisms on a global scale.
CZ is moving towards multi-chain deployment, no longer limited to Ethereum. For example, PumpDotScience based on Solana is constantly expanding the boundaries of decentralized science. With the support of the Solana Foundation, PumpDotScience allows users to watch research experiments in real-time and tokenize longevity compounds. This innovative model has driven its rapid development after DevCon: the market capitalization of $RIF token reached $106 million, and $URO soared to $39 million.
Currently, the decentralized science market is growing rapidly, with a trading volume exceeding $25 million and a market capitalization of $1.2 billion. DeSci tokens such as $RSC, $VITA, and $HAIR launched by ResearchHub, supported by Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong, are also thriving. These data reflect investors' strong confidence in the potential of DeSci to reshape the scientific field.
A New Era of Science: The DeSci Revolution
Decentralized Science (DeSci) is bringing about a revolutionary change in the way science is funded, conducted, and shared. With the support of industry giants like Binance and pioneers like Vitalik Buterin, DeSci is not just a technological innovation, but a movement to democratize science and tackle humanity's major challenges.
The potential demonstrated by projects such as BIO Protocol, Curetopia, and Quantum Biology DAO proves that DeSci can bring about real breakthroughs, and cross-chain collaboration has expanded the DeSci landscape from Ethereum to platforms like Solana. This is not just about blockchain speculation, but about curing diseases, accelerating scientific discoveries, and making innovation accessible to all.
DeSci represents a proactive embrace of the future: science will be more open, collaborative, and inclusive. It is not a passing fad, but a significant transformation with profound implications for humanity's future. As this movement gains momentum, we have reason to believe that humanity is standing on the threshold of a true revolution, and this will have a profound impact on our future.
