Decentralized science (DeSci) is where scientific research meets blockchain technology. With blockchain's transparency, decentralization, and open access, this movement aims to change how science is funded, conducted, and shared by removing traditional barriers to scientific endeavors.
Ten years after its first conception (Gridcoin white paper, PDF), DeSci is still a rather tiny element of the crypto ecosystem. While sectors like DeFi and AI have attracted significant investment and attention, DeSci's market presence only accounts for barely 0.035% of the total market valuation as of December 2024.
Recent significant private fundraising rounds, including Binance Labs' strategic investment in BIO Protocol in November 2024, highlight the increasing interest in the DeSci sector—particularly biotech-oriented initiatives. Notably, five of the top ten DeSci projects launched in 2024 indicate the possibility for new competitors to attract investor interest.
While the most well-funded DeSci projects primarily focus on funding scientific research—mainly through DAOs—or the distributed coordination and monetization of scientific knowledge (OriginTrail and ResearchHub, respectively), I'd like to discuss a few crypto projects here that develop their own products to directly improve human longevity and quality of life.
Beyond just various distributed funding models, the DeSci sector has expanded dramatically, from blockchain-powered biobanks to DNA-based digital avatars, opening unprecedented opportunities for personalized healthcare and genetic research, while other projects seek to reimagine scientific collaboration.
Holiverse: Science-Backed Holistic Approach
Holiverse aims to transform wellness and biohacking by integrating DNA analysis and digital avatar technology into the metaverse's capabilities, resulting in a truly holistic platform for health data storage, sharing, and earning—within the waste ecosystem of other original products. The Holiverse Health team, led by Dr. Dmitry Chebanov, an expert in bioinformatics and drug discovery, has drawn a lot of interest from early investors.
Despite technical challenges that required a complete platform overhaul, Holiverse has turned these challenges into opportunities by attracting new talent, strengthening the team, and expanding its vision.
Through its extensive interconnected ecosystem, Holiverse creates multi-layered network effects that benefit all participants:
- Scientific research powers personalized wellness insights.
- User data enhances health prediction models.
- Healthcare providers access comprehensive patient analytics.
- Users earn rewards for anonymous health data sharing.
- Community input drives platform evolution.
By incorporating these elements into its own metaverse, Holiverse aims to provide premium-quality tools for real-life well-being and eliminate the guesswork from biohacking approaches.
While we have yet to see a fully rebuilt Holiverse with its new vision, its original holistic approach to optimizing well-being represents an essential evolution in decentralized health management—a development not to be overlooked.
AminoChain
AminoChain is a Layer-2 (L2) solution that interconnects medical facilities with user-controlled healthcare applications.
Amino Node, the cornerstone element of the network, integrates with present systems such as electronic medical records and inventory control. This direct integration ensures data standardization while respecting institutional autonomy and patient privacy.
Such an infrastructure enables the next generation of user-controlled healthcare applications while ensuring enterprise-level security and compliance.
The first application, Specimen Center, simplifies biobanking through a peer-to-peer biosample marketplace that allows researchers to find and request samples, track their usage, and streamline licensing. Donors, in turn, benefit from data control and transparency and control while getting paid when samples are commercialized.
Amino Chain's main focus right now is on biobanks, but as it evolves, it wants to expand into other healthcare areas as well. In Q3 2024, Amino Chain raised $5 million in a seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
At the same time, AminoChain is currently facing major headwinds from a legal battle with GenoBank.io over BioNFT intellectual property rights. The legal dispute has divided the DeSci community and is noticeably hindering the platform's market expansion.
GenoBank.io is the DeSci platform with secure genomic data storage and DNA testing capabilities that focuses on "bio-digital decolonization" for underserved communities. GenoBank's software enables users to self-manage their genomic data while adhering to the best privacy practices and guidelines.
Genomes.io
Genomes.io allows users to convert their personal DNA data into scientific insights and financial benefits, all while retaining control over their genomic information. It examines the impact of genetics on longevity and gene therapy's potential to extend life.
Users can upload DNA test results from services like 23andMe or get genome sequencing from Genomes.io. By granting researchers permission-based access to their data, users earn $GENOME tokens while allowing researchers to investigate genetics.
The Genomes.io Integration with top-notch DNA testing services ensures data accessibility, advances science, and supports a new framework for data ownership and research financing.
Genomes.io evaluates genetic health risks for disorders such as Ulcerative Colitis and Parkinson's disease using GWAS technology. They also collaborate with Bittensor to develop AI models predicting medication responses using synthetic generic profiles.
In the ambitious Billion Genomes Project, which starts in 2025, Genomes.io seeks to collect one billion genomes in five years while compensating donors with $GENOME tokens.
Genomes.io offers a safe mobile app for its genomic services. The app simplifies genetic data management while adhering to strict privacy protocols.
Rejuve.AI
Rejuve.AI combines blockchain and machine learning to enhance longevity research through data-driven insights while using a token system to incentivize data exchange among consumers, researchers, and healthcare providers.
The combination of advanced machine learning algorithms, secure data aggregation, smart contract automation, and decentralized storage systems facilitates transparent research funding, democratized health insights, wider healthcare accessibility, and data-driven scientific advancements.
December 2024 Rejuve.AI partnered with ImagineHealth Thailand, which enables $RJV token healthcare payments starting in 2025.
Cudis
Cudis, with AI-powered smart rings as its core product, operates at the intersection of Web3 and DeSci. The devices monitor main body metrics, including heart rate, sleep patterns, and stress levels, while an AI coach powered by GPT-4 provides personalized wellness recommendations.
With its responsive AI coaching system that adapts to the user's wellness path, Cudis aims to challenge Oura's 62% dominance in the smart rings market. The system analyzes users' health data to provide ever more sophisticated recommendations, including personalized supplement suggestions.
Though not primarily a cryptocurrency project, Cudis supports the DeSci movement by democratizing health data ownership and creating novel models for wellness research and health data analysis.
The platform securely stores anonymized users' data on the Solana blockchain, providing individuals full control over their personal data. Users can earn points for various healthy activities; these points can then be exchanged for cryptocurrencies.
Since its launch, Cudis has shown clear market validation. The Genesis ring, with pricing starting at $349, connects to the iOS, Android, and Solana Mobile ecosystems, enabling decentralized health data management to a wide range of people.
Conclusion
DeSci is still a nascent field, with half of the major initiatives launched in the past year, yet it has the potential to make a huge impact. The DeSci movement is gaining traction as DAOs start to integrate into traditional science, new funding mechanisms emerge, and established firms like Binance Labs invest in it.
Blockchain-based DeSci projects connect patients, researchers, and healthcare providers by turning heavy passive health data into secure tradable assets, fostering personalized medicine and wellness, and accelerating scientific advancement toward a more accessible and transparent healthcare system.
