Decentralised Science (DeSci) applies blockchain technology to transform scientific research funding, publication, and collaboration – addressing fundamental problems in traditional science: centralised grant gatekeeping (a small number of funding bodies determine what research gets funded), publication bias (negative results rarely published), IP capture (universities own most researcher-generated IP), and slow peer review. DeSci models: IP-NFTs (researchers mint NFTs representing ownership of their research IP, allowing decentralised funding and royalty sharing); DAOs funding research (VitaDAO funds longevity research; PsyDAO funds psychedelic research; AthenaDAO funds women health research); Decentralised peer review (researchers stake tokens to vouch for papers); Open access on IPFS (research permanently and freely accessible). VitaDAO has funded over 60 longevity research projects by raising funds through token sales to community members who believe in life extension research. DeSci challenges academic gatekeeping by creating direct researcher-to-funder relationships without institutional intermediaries. The field is nascent but growing, with institutional science increasingly engaging with DeSci DAOs as complementary funding channels.
Example: Example: VitaDAO funded research into the senolytic drug rapamycin for longevity extension by selling governance tokens to community members. Holders voted to fund the research, own a share of any resulting IP, and receive royalties if commercialised. Traditional funding for longevity research is extremely limited – DeSci opened a new funding channel for researchers studying potentially transformative interventions.
Learn more: VitaDAO – DeSci Pioneer
