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Protocol Licensing

Definition

Protocol licensing refers to the rules governing how a blockchain or cryptocurrency protocol’s underlying code and intellectual property may be used. These legal frameworks dictate the terms under which other developers or entities can build upon, modify, or distribute the protocol’s components. Licensing structures range from permissive open-source models, which promote broad adoption and collaborative development, to more restrictive proprietary arrangements. The chosen license significantly impacts a protocol’s ecosystem growth, its capacity for permissionless innovation, and its long-term decentralization trajectory.