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Decentralization is on the clock.
The decentralization research center cuts a new policy framework through noise: decentralization must be judged by control. As scroll hit is the major milestones like rollups, the question is whether the real trust is actually happening, or if it is just the theater.
A new decentralization blueprint
Forget the vague platitude. There is no endless debate about the “degree” of decentralization. A New report Today’s argument from decentralization research center is that decentralization must be judged by only one thing: control.
Can a person or group control a unilateral network? If yes, it is centralized. If not, it is decentralized. Easy. Actionable.
This framing matters because, as DRC states, the next two years will shape whether Blockchain Tech fulfills its original promise, or simply rebuilds closed gardens of Silicon Valley. The default path will be centralized, without apparent regulator incest for real decentralization: cheap, easy, but more extracts.
The report suggests seven “control principles” to lock in decentralization through law: the network must be open-source, permission, autonomous, reliable neutral, non-related, economically and broadly distributed. The report can serve as a blueprint regulator, actually use – without crushing.
But the smartest move of DRC can be what it does not demand: purity at all costs. It clearly makes a place for practical realities such as “security councils” that can step into emergency situations.
For example, take arbitom. After the initial rule of the network went wrong, Dao has mixed results. One thing is to provide for a well -selected selected to a large and transparent manner that is well done Security – Council With 12 members. This structure does not break decentralization, the DRC argues, if it is properly forced, revealed and accountable.
It matters carving-out because it indicates that severe decentralization is not about eliminating all forms of human intervention, but only limiting uncontrolled control. Autonomy plus flexibility, not code worship.
Rollups are growing up
Last week, the scroll became the latest ethereum layer-2 rollup-and the first zk/validity evidence-to achieve the status “Stage 1” L2Beat,
Scroll Euclid upgrade Sequencer includes two new mechanisms for accountability:
- Applied transaction inclusion
- Permissionless batch submission
These are the two main liveters and sensorship resistance protection that fill the pie slices to reach stage 1. In recent steps, add to the 9 -12 Security Council of Multicing (Scroll Foundation and community) of interested intermediaries, and Scroll has clearly invested in minimalization.
But it can be short -lived. Both scroll and OP Mennet are at risk of downgrade in 90 days until the atherium mannet is guaranteed around a exhaust window.
Per L2Beat: “To compromise with% 75% of the Security Council. A L2 → L1 message should be the only way to roll up indefinitely (in addition to bugs) or an invalid L2 → L1 message should be pushed.”
The exit window of L2BEAT users wants to see functional and reliably uncontrolled (ie, not overloadable by a core team with an immediate upgrade authority). Arbitrum ensures a 10-day exhaust period, so remains qualified.
The work of DRC is related to the actual policy pace, including the elements of the last year’s FIT21 Act and the ongoing SEC safe harbor discussions. If more widely adopted, the DRC framework can deal with one of the largest regulatory bottlenecks of the crypto: separating the actual decentralized infrastructure projects from those who slap the “Dao” label on those who slap them on centralized technical stacks. This gives both builders and policy makers a shared language – a control dynamics, not vibes.
If Crypto is going to survive more than wall street with a dark mode, serious decentralization should be fought for tests – not only in the code, but in law.
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