Introducing the Decentralization Research Center Blog

Welcome to the blog of the Decentralization Research Center — and thank you for reading our first post.

The Decentralization Research Center (DRC) is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization dedicated to one of the defining issues of our time: how power is distributed in the digital age. We study and support decentralized approaches to governance, ownership, and infrastructure in emerging technologies, with the belief that a more inclusive, democratic, and accountable future is both necessary and possible.

Decentralization touches nearly every aspect of our lives, whether or not we recognize it. From debates over who owns our data, to the ways blockchain, AI, and other technologies are shaping (and are shaped by) our economic and political systems, we tackle the issues that define the landscape of our online — and offline — lives.

The DRC sees decentralization as a lens that can help us think more clearly about the incentives, institutions, and infrastructures that shape the technologies we rely on. We work at the intersection of research and public interest advocacy, producing original analysis, supporting policy development, and convening conversations across academia, civil society, the tech industry, and within the halls of policymaking and regulation themselves.

This blog is an extension of that mission, and we hope it can be a one-stop-shop for a first look at the topics we work on, and how and why they affect policy, technology, and you.

Here, we’ll be sharing insights and reflections on the themes that animate our work: how decentralized technologies are governed; what equitable data ownership might look like; how we can align technological progress with public values (and challenge it when it doesn’t); and where theory comes into contact with real-world implementation. You can expect posts that range from explainers and field notes to conversations, case studies, and commentary on new developments. Many of our posts will be written by our fellows, affiliates, and friends, and we would like to extend a huge thanks to them in advance for their work. If you are interested in contributing, we welcome you to reach out to samuel@thedrcenter.org.

Many people talk about the issues we tackle without even knowing the word “decentralization.” Some think decentralization is a niche or technical topic. We see it as a chance to talk about the big questions — who holds power, who benefits, and how we can build technologies and systems that are more accountable to the people they serve.

In the coming months, we’ll be publishing a series of posts to kick off this new phase of our work. We hope you’ll follow along, engage with what we share, and help us shape a conversation that becomes ever more critical.

You can subscribe to our newsletter here, follow us on social media, or simply bookmark this blog.

Thanks for joining us.

– The DRC Team