Gate News message, April 21 — Helius CEO mert posted on X that decentralization is fundamentally “coordination without central authority.” If coordination costs approach zero, the system is actually centralized; conversely, if coordination costs are infinitely high, the system cannot function and cannot be considered decentralized.
mert illustrated this concept through a thought experiment: imagine an extremely decentralized blockchain with hundreds of thousands of home-run nodes, distributed mining power, and token supply. Then assume that if North Korea could transfer funds from wallet A to wallet B within time T, it would be equivalent to the chain triggering nuclear weapons simultaneously across most countries globally. Finally, suppose the blockchain successfully freezes wallet A’s funds through a fork without causing mass casualties—would this blockchain still qualify as decentralized?
mert concluded that while humans can achieve coordination through the shared incentive of “not dying,” this does not mean the chain is “disorganized.” Decentralization fundamentally remains “coordination without central authority.”
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