A Guide to DeSci, the Latest Web3 Movement - a16z crypto

An example of a DeSci system that conforms to these ideals might begin by replacing the primary currency of research scientists – published articles – with NFTs. These NFTs can be minted and owned by the authors, with the actual manuscript and associated code and datasets hosted on IPFS (or another decentralised storage such as Arweave or Filecoin)... See more

On the crypto side, we should watch to see whether new initiatives:-Are able to generate and distribute funding for science work;-Produce research that is recognized by the wider science community;-Generate uncapped rewards (financially or otherwise) for participating scientists

But decentralizing the internet has been hard to do. When contrasted against the well-established efficiency and stability of centralized systems, decentralized systems have struggled to keep pace. Now, however, the emerging technology of crypto and web3 — specifically, programmable blockchains, composable smart contracts, and digital assets — make... See more

It also makes intuitive sense that we’d have digital money that’s programmable. We'‘re programming everything now; mRNA is basically running a program on the cellular level. Many of the current problems in the digital economy -- lack of trust, misaligned incentives, controlling gatekeepers, treating audiences as a resource to be exploited -- arise ... See more

Crypto takes this one step further with the development of new primitives for public goods. They are concerned that traditional philanthropic strategies will repeat the mistakes of legacy institutions, and therefore look to develop new ways of rewarding scientists and helping them share in uncapped upside, which, if successful, could do for science... See more