Definition ∞ Decentralized Science, or DeSci, applies blockchain technology to scientific research and its funding. This movement aims to improve transparency, accessibility, and reproducibility in scientific endeavors. DeSci protocols often utilize digital assets for funding research, incentivizing data sharing, and verifying scientific claims. It seeks to disintermediate traditional academic and publishing structures, allowing direct researcher-to-funder connections and community-governed research initiatives.
Context ∞ The key discussion surrounding Decentralized Science involves its potential to address inefficiencies and biases prevalent in conventional scientific funding and publishing models. Its situation is characterized by early-stage projects exploring various mechanisms for peer review, intellectual property management, and data storage on decentralized networks. A critical future development will be the establishment of robust, widely accepted frameworks for scientific credentialing and governance within DeSci ecosystems, ensuring quality and preventing misinformation.