Why do we need DeSci? How can it make scientific research more open and efficient?

Author: Anthony Chan, Shubham Kumar Source: Velocity Translation: Shan Ouba, Golden Finance

Introduction

There are many stumbling blocks that hinder innovation in the life cycle of scientific research. Take the development of new drugs as an example. The process is long and costly. On average, it takes more than US$2 billion and takes 13 years, but in the end 95% of drugs fail in the human trial stage. In addition, the funding model for academic research is overly biased towards senior researchers, resulting in insufficient funding for innovative and non-traditional projects. At the same time, the pressure of "publish or perish" has spawned over-speculation and unreplicable research results, exacerbating systemic inequality and marginalizing minorities.

These systemic problems suggest that innovative solutions are needed to democratize access to research funding, foster collaboration, and maintain the integrity of scientific discovery. This article focuses on two core questions:

1. Why is DeSci needed?

2. How can DeSci solve existing problems?

What is DeSci?

Decentralized Science (DeSci) is an emerging movement that uses blockchain technology to solve core challenges in science. These challenges include lack of funding, lack of transparency, and lack of collaboration. DeSci uses technologies such as tokens, NFTs, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) to create a more open, community-driven, incentivized scientific research ecosystem.

DeSci supports transparent funding models, peer review processes, and data sharing without the intervention of traditional middlemen. For example, projects like VitaDAO, Molecule, and AminoChain demonstrate how decentralized platforms can reinvent the way scientific research is funded, conducted, and disseminated, while bridging the gap between basic research and clinical applications and ensuring ownership and transparency in data management.

Problem Statement

1. Inefficiency of the Scientific Funding System

The current scientific funding system is so inefficient that researchers have to spend 80% of their time applying for funding, leaving only 20% for actual research. If software developers also need to spend most of their time looking for funding, technological progress will be significantly slowed down. This outdated funding process also hinders scientific innovation.

Young researchers face particularly prominent obstacles, with most resources flowing to senior scientists. This preference limits the promotion of new and unconventional ideas, especially in underfunded areas. In addition, the current centralized and conservative funding model tends to support outdated research directions rather than truly impactful innovative projects.

2. Outdated research infrastructure and fragmented data management

The existing scientific research ecosystem is constrained by outdated infrastructure and fragmented data management platforms. For example, code management uses GitHub and data storage uses Dropbox, and this siloed storage limits collaboration. In addition, many repositories fail to meet FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) standards, resulting in severe data loss. For example, due to broken links, data loss rates can be as high as 80% in 20 years.

Intellectual property (IP) is often controlled by institutions rather than researchers themselves. This causes scientists to lose control of their research work when they change institutions, leaving early data and informal collaborations unprotected. These issues, coupled with system incompatibility and outdated tools (such as fax machines), hinder collaboration and slow down AI-driven research and scientific innovation.

3. Insufficient incentives for replication research and unpaid peer review

Replication research is essential for verifying scientific discoveries, but it is given low priority in journals. Studies have shown that about 70% of published research cannot be replicated, which has exacerbated the "replication crisis". In addition, scientists spend up to $1.5 billion on unpaid peer review work each year, but the process often lacks transparency and fairness. Solving the problem of incentive mechanisms will help improve overall scientific research efficiency and effectiveness.

4. Oligarchy in academic publishing

The global academic publishing market is dominated by five major publishers, which account for about 50% of the market share, with annual revenues of up to $19 billion and profit margins of up to 40%. This monopoly has enabled publishers to become gatekeepers of knowledge, prioritizing profits over scientific merit.

High publishing fees ($2,000-12,000 per article) create a significant barrier for underfunded researchers, especially scientists in developing countries. Meanwhile, the cost of individual access to articles is $35-50 per article, further limiting access to critical knowledge. These high costs and restrictive policies exacerbate inequalities in knowledge sharing, prioritizing wealthy institutions and regions while neglecting underfunded scientists and communities.

5. The “Valley of Death” in Scientific Research

The traditional drug development process is time-consuming and expensive, typically taking 10-13 years from R&D to market and costing more than $2 billion. Companies operate in silos and lack global collaboration, resulting in duplication of effort and missed opportunities to jointly address diseases such as cancer.

The key obstacle in this process is the "valley of death" - the stage between basic research and commercialization. During this period, many promising projects require a lot of funds to scale up, but face the dilemma of insufficient funds. Since 95% of drugs fail in human trials, this funding gap has become a major obstacle, preventing transformative innovations from entering the market and benefiting society.

6. Lack of patient-centered model and data privacy protection in biomedical research

Thousands of people donate biological samples to promote medical research every year, but the current system excludes them from the life cycle of their contributions. Donors usually only sign a consent form, but have no way to understand how the samples are used, resulting in a decline in trust and low participation rates. At major institutions, the donation consent rate is as low as 25%.

Centralized systems exacerbate this problem, unable to track the use of samples or properly manage donor consent. Furthermore, these systems are vulnerable to data breaches, compromising the security of sensitive information. This lack of transparency and security limits access to high-quality data, slows scientific progress, and hinders the development of life-saving treatments.

Solution

Decentralized Science (DeSci) addresses major challenges in the traditional scientific research system through blockchain technology, decentralized networks, and new incentive mechanisms. DeSci aims to improve the accessibility, transparency, funding mechanisms, and collaboration models of the scientific field. Here is an overview of how DeSci addresses key issues in the scientific community:

1. DAO: Enabling Collaborative Governance for Scientific Research

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) provide a decentralized, community-driven funding and decision-making framework for scientific research. By democratizing resource allocation, DAOs enable scientists, investors, and other stakeholders to propose and vote on projects, creating a collaborative and transparent research environment.

Real World Examples:

• BIO Protocol is a decentralized platform that helps communities fund and accelerate scientific research. Through blockchain technology, BIO supports the establishment and funding of BioDAOs that focus on specific medical challenges. These DAOs pool resources and expertise to drive innovation.

Success Stories:

• HairDAO: Developed Follicool, a consumer product for treating hair loss, backed by patents owned by the DAO.

• CerebrumDAO: raised $1.5 million for brain health research, partnering with Fission Pharma to tackle neurodegenerative diseases.

• ValleyDAO: focused on synthetic biology, raised $2 million and partnered with Imperial College London.

• AthenaDAO: funding women’s health research, invested $500,000 and facilitated 14 IP transactions.

• CryoDAO: raised $3 million to advance cryogenics research, partnered with Oxford Cryogenics.

• Quantum Biology DAO: led by an MIT PhD, developing a quantum microscope to open up entirely new research possibilities.

• Long COVID Labs: Led by Stanford neuroscientists, accelerating research on Long COVID to address the plight of millions of patients worldwide.

2. Decentralized, durable and accessible research data

The DeSci platform provides researchers with a secure, decentralized way to store data, manuscripts, and research materials. Through blockchain technology, these platforms ensure that research results are accessible in the long term, avoiding problems such as "link failure". For example, DeSci Nodes provide decentralized storage, guaranteeing permanent and tamper-proof access to research data.

In addition, the DeSci platform adheres to the FAIR data principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable). This means that each dataset is accompanied by metadata that describes in detail how the data was generated, making it easy for other researchers to find and reuse it. The integration of the FAIR principles not only improves the accessibility of data, but also encourages collaboration and avoids duplication and waste of research resources.

3. Incentive mechanism for replication research and peer review

Current scientific research is facing a serious "replication crisis", and many studies cannot be replicated. DeSci solves this problem by providing rewards for replicating experiments or review work. For example, the ResearchHub platform, supported by Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong, uses tokens to reward scientists for verifying research, providing feedback, and participating in peer review.

This mechanism provides researchers with economic incentives to verify research results and ensure that published research is more reliable. By encouraging collaboration and transparency, DeSci is solving this problem that has long plagued traditional science.

4. Open Access and Programmatic Publishing

The DeSci platform eliminates traditional publishing barriers by providing open access options, allowing scientists to share their research for free. For example, the DeSci Publish platform allows researchers to upload and disseminate research results without paying high publishing fees, thereby increasing the reach and impact of scientific discoveries.

In addition, programmatic publishing accelerates the process from research to publication and reduces the burden of manual submission. Automated tasks include: manuscript submission, formatting, peer review coordination, metadata generation, revision tracking, and distribution. This allows researchers to focus on research rather than complex administrative work.

Real World Examples:

• Etica Protocol is a decentralized science (DeSci) initiative that removes intellectual property (IP) restrictions and promotes open collaboration. Launched in April 2022, the protocol is based on blockchain technology and allows researchers to freely share discoveries and receive financial rewards throughout the research process. By bypassing the traditional patent system and restrictive licensing, Etica creates a fair and efficient framework that accelerates innovation, ensures affordable treatments, and promotes equitable access to medical advances.

Key Features:

• Decentralized Proposals: Researchers submit proposals related to specific diseases, which are evaluated by the community through voting on the blockchain.

• Staking & Voting: Token holders stake Etica tokens (ETI) to vote, and those who vote correctly are rewarded, while those who vote incorrectly are punished to ensure accountability.

• Dynamic Approval Threshold: The proposal approval threshold is adjusted based on the voting pattern, balancing fairness and strictness.

• Privacy & Transparency: The two-step voting system ensures privacy during voting and transparency after the voting results.

Etica Protocol has made significant progress in promoting open source medical research, with a particular focus on disease areas that affect millions of people worldwide:

• Cancer, Alzheimer's, Diabetes: Accelerating the development of solutions to these major health issues.

• Parkinson’s & ALS: Supporting innovative research into neurodegenerative diseases.

• Malaria & Silicosis: Addressing global health challenges, particularly occupational lung disease.

• Cystic Fibrosis & Addiction: Expanding into areas of unmet medical need.

• Longevity & Basic Research: Exploring possibilities for extending lifespan and addressing basic science questions.

These examples showcase Etica’s real-world impact and encourage more engagement to advance equitable and affordable healthcare solutions.

5. IP-NFTs: Empowering Researchers and Protecting Ownership

Decentralized Science (DeSci) is disrupting the traditional model of scientific research by introducing a transparent and efficient framework for innovative funding, management, and ownership, just as blockchain is revolutionizing the financial system. Through IP-NFTs (Intellectual Property Non-Fungible Tokens) and DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), DeSci solves the "Valley of Death" problem in scientific research - the funding gap between basic research and commercialization, where many promising projects are stranded due to lack of funds. DAOs give researchers direct access to global funding networks, bypassing traditional barriers and providing early-stage projects with the resources they need to scale. This decentralized approach not only accelerates innovation, but also democratizes funding, promoting global collaboration and scientific progress.

IP-NFTs are at the heart of this change. Built on Ethereum, they integrate legal contracts, smart contracts, and encrypted private data stored on decentralized platforms such as Arweave and Filecoin. By tokenizing research projects, IP-NFTs provide efficient funding, transparent governance, and collective ownership, empowering researchers and ensuring equitable access to scientific progress.

Key Advantages of IP-NFTs

• Monetization Ability: Researchers can sell IP-NFTs directly to raise research funds while potentially receiving significant financial returns.

• Open Access and Control: IP-NFTs can be combined with an open access model to ensure that research is open to the public while maintaining ownership.

Real Cases

Molecule is a leading platform leveraging IP-NFTs to revolutionize scientific research funding. By tokenizing intellectual property, Molecule enables researchers to raise funds directly from a global community of investors, patients, and enthusiasts.

• Funds Raised: Over $30 million raised through the Molecule ecosystem to support decentralized scientific research.

• Projects Funded: 29 research projects covering areas such as rare diseases, quantum biology, and more.

• Community Size: 15,700+ members, including scientists, investors, and advocates.

• Direct Investments: $1.95 million in cutting-edge research projects, driving significant progress in underfunded fields.

VitaDAO exemplifies the transformative potential of IP-NFTs in scientific research, decentralizing funding and governance through blockchain technology. VitaDAO has deployed over $4.2 million, funded 24 research projects, and evaluated over 200 projects, driving collaboration and transparency while making progress in groundbreaking longevity science. Its $6 million liquidity reserve demonstrates how decentralized mechanisms can efficiently support innovative research and drive progress in key scientific fields.

Examples of projects funded through IP-NFTs

1. Discovery of novel autophagy activators

• Laboratory: Korolchuk Lab, Newcastle University

• Focus: Identification of compounds that can restore autophagic function in senescent cells, addressing the cellular recycling mechanism associated with aging and disease.

• Grant amount: $285,000

2.Matrix Bio: Longevity biotechnology inspired by naked mole rats

• Laboratory: Gorbunova Lab

• Focus: Developing therapeutics based on high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, utilizing its anti-cancer and pro-longevity properties.

• Funding amount: $300,000

3.The Longevity Molecule

• Laboratory: Scheibye-Knudsen Lab

• Focus: Using machine learning to analyze 1.04 billion prescriptions to find drugs that can extend human life.

• Funding amount: $537,000

4.ApoptoSENS: Anti-aging CAR-NK cells

• Focus: Develop CAR-NK cells to eliminate senescent cells and fight age-related diseases.

• Grant Amount: $253,000

5. Novel Mitophagy Activators for Alzheimer’s Disease

• Laboratory: Fang Lab

• Focus: Using AI to identify drug candidates that restore mitophagy, potentially addressing Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related diseases.

• Grant Amount: $300,000

6. Using Geroscience to Reverse Periodontal Disease

Laboratory: An Lab

Focus: Testing compounds that target inflammation to treat age-related periodontitis and improve human health.

Funding: $330,000

7. ARTAN Bio: Mutation-specific codon suppression for aging and longevity

Company: ARTAN Bio

Focus: Developing interventions targeting nonsense mutations that drive age-related diseases and cancer.

Funding: $91,300

6. Decentralized Solutions in Biomedicine

DeSci provides revolutionary solutions in biomedical research, putting patients and donors at the center. Through blockchain technology, DeSci ensures that donors retain control of their biospecimens, gain visibility into how their contributions are used, and even receive financial benefits when their samples are commercialized. This approach enhances trust and encourages participation. At the same time, the decentralized system provides greater security for sensitive data, ensuring that it is securely stored and only accessible with the proper permissions. By replacing centralized repositories with the transparency and immutability of blockchain, DeSci protects privacy and accelerates progress in biomedical research.

AminoChain: Transforming Biomedical Research with DeSci

AminoChain is transforming biomedical research by creating a decentralized platform that connects healthcare institutions and empowers patients. AminoChain has received $7 million in funding, including $5 million in seed round investment from a16z crypto and Cercano.

The core product is Amino Node, a software package that integrates with existing healthcare systems such as EMRs and inventory management tools. Amino Node standardizes data into a common format while ensuring that data is securely stored on the institution's servers. By coordinating data across the network, AminoChain facilitates the development of patient-centric applications and drives collaboration across healthcare institutions.

A key application is Specimen Center, a peer-to-peer marketplace for biospecimens. Researchers can search and request samples from biobanks while maintaining compliance and tracking the source of samples. Donors can not only track their samples, but also access the research results generated by their contributions and receive financial rewards when samples are commercialized, thereby enhancing trust and participation.

AminoChain highlights the deep embedding of bioethics into core operations, prioritizing transparency and patient benefit sharing, while optimizing research and collaboration in the biomedical community.

The Future of Decentralized Science: A Revolution in Science Funding

Since 2023, more than 7 specialized DAOs have been established, evaluating more than 2,000 projects and distributing more than $70 million in funding through on-chain channels. These DAOs cover a variety of fields, including psychedelic research, hair loss treatments, cryogenics, neuroscience, and the cutting-edge quantum biology.

Even if only 0.5% of projects are currently funded, the impact is already significant. For example, more than 3,000 ETH has been deployed to support the development of five to six new drugs. The first real-world product, a high-dose spermidine supplement launched by VitaDAO and approved by the Thai FDA, shows the concrete results of this revolutionary funding model.

Promising New DeSci Projects

The potential of DeSci is further demonstrated through some exciting new projects:

• Curetopia

Aiming to address over 10,000 rare genetic diseases, Curetopia brings patients directly to the heart of research by uniting patient communities and populations. By putting patients at the center of research, Curetopia is redefining how rare diseases are treated.

• Quantum Biology DAO

By accelerating research in quantum biology, the Quantum Biology DAO fosters community building, open governance, and innovative experimentation. Its goal is to understand and manipulate biology at the quantum level, opening the door to new scientific breakthroughs.

Major Players Supporting DeSci

The importance of DeSci has attracted the attention of major players in the blockchain space. Binance Labs has made a significant investment in BIO Protocol, a collaborative platform for scientists, patients, and investors around the world to co-fund and co-own breakthrough biomedical research. BIO Protocol focuses on key areas such as rare diseases, longevity, and mental health, while incubating multiple BioDAOs to accelerate patient-centric innovation.

Industry leaders such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) have also expressed their support and participated in the DeSci event in Bangkok. Their participation highlights the transformative potential of DeSci to revolutionize scientific funding and research around the world.

DeSci is also pushing the boundaries of the Ethereum ecosystem. PumpDotScience, based on Solana, is pushing the boundaries of decentralized science. Backed by the Solana Foundation, PumpDotScience allows users to watch live research experiments and tokenize long-lived compounds. This innovative approach has driven its rapid success. After DevCon, its token prices have exploded: $RIF reached a market cap of $106 million, while $URO rose to $39 million.

The decentralized science market is growing rapidly, with more than $25 million in trading volume and a total market cap of $1.2 billion. For example, $RSC, backed by Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong’s ResearchHub, and DeSci tokens such as $VITA and $HAIR have all shown impressive growth. These numbers reflect investor confidence and interest in DeSci’s potential to reshape the scientific landscape.

A New Era of Science: The DeSci Revolution

Decentralized Science (DeSci) is bringing a groundbreaking shift in how science is funded, conducted, and shared. Backed by industry giants like Binance and visionaries like Vitalik Buterin, DeSci is more than just a technological innovation — it’s a movement to democratize science and solve humanity’s critical challenges.

BIO Protocol, Curetopia, and Quantum Biology DAO are demonstrating the potential for real breakthroughs, while cross-chain collaborations are extending DeSci’s influence beyond Ethereum to platforms like Solana. This isn’t just about blockchain speculation; it’s about curing disease, accelerating discovery, and making innovation accessible to everyone.

DeSci is driving science toward an open, collaborative, and inclusive future. This is not a passing trend, but the beginning of a profound change in the way we achieve progress. This movement is gathering momentum and marks the beginning of a truly momentous transformation in human development.