DeSci Craze: Can the on-chain "Elixir of Life" Become the Next New Trend in Encryption?

Recently, the concept of DeSci( decentralized science) has sparked a wave in the encryption market. As a way to build public infrastructure using Web3 technology to achieve the open funding, storage, and dissemination of scientific knowledge, DeSci aims to encourage researchers to openly share their results and gain recognition, while also allowing anyone to easily access and contribute to research outcomes.

The origin of this wave of DeSci craze can be traced back to early November. At that time, a trading platform announced an investment in BIO Protocol, and subsequently, the founder of that platform attended a DeSci-related event alongside Ethereum founder Vitalik, attracting market attention. Driven by this, some DeSci-related tokens such as RIF and URO saw astonishing increases, with some even experiencing returns in the thousands.

The core value of DeSci lies in opening up new funding channels for scientific research that requires long-term investment. By combining the seemingly unrelated fields of encryption and scientific research, DeSci gives more practical significance to tokenization, and thus it is viewed by the market as one of the cases of MEME practical application.

However, there is a clear contradiction between the long-term nature of scientific research and the short-term speculative nature of the MEME field. Scientific research typically involves high investment and high risk, requiring long-term sustainable investment. In contrast, the encryption market focuses more on short-term trends. Currently, the hype surrounding the DeSci concept seems to outweigh its actual utility.

From a historical perspective, DeSci is not a completely new concept. As early as July 2021, Vitalik initiated the VitaDAO project, which is one of the earliest and most representative DeSci projects. VitaDAO is dedicated to funding early longevity research, but its development has not been as spectacular as the concept suggests. Although VitaDAO has invested in multiple projects and collaborated with renowned universities, the actual results remain limited.

Another challenge faced by DeSci is the confidentiality in the field of scientific research. In traditional research systems, most teams maintain a high level of confidentiality regarding the research process and data to prevent the theft of results. However, the decentralization emphasized by DeSci may struggle to ensure data security.

In this wave of enthusiasm, many DeSci projects focus on the longevity issue that humans collectively care about, humorously referred to by the market as "on-chain elixir of immortality." However, immortality is ultimately just a beautiful wish, and the market's interest in DeSci is more about the liquidity behind it.

Compared to other MEME concepts, DeSci indeed has some advantages. It has a stronger narrative and is supported by actual research projects, possessing certain fundamentals. The biomedical field has a strong demand for funding and is also more likely to integrate with the encryption field. In addition, DeSci has the potential for a breakout effect and may attract celebrities and institutions from traditional medicine and research fields in the future.

From a more macro perspective, MEME has become the main carrier of current market funds. Unlike before, Bitcoin has surged strongly in this bull market, while altcoins have generally underperformed. This reflects a change in the flow of funds, where institutional entry and project saturation have led to new liquidity mainly flowing into the Bitcoin ecosystem, while other sectors have also been siphoned off, with only the fast in and out, wealth effect concentrated MEME standing out.

The rise of the MEME market position reflects a structural transformation in the market. With a new generation of investors entering the scene and the rapid development of new technologies, the encryption market is undergoing profound changes in narrative logic, communication patterns, and operational methods. The market seems to favor projects that are fair, autonomous, and close to the core of tokens, rather than the traditional long-term scheme of harvesting profits.

However, successful MEME projects are still rare. Data shows that only a few MEME tokens can achieve a high market value. For individual investors, the primary goal is to survive in this ever-changing market and avoid losing everything.

In the long run, finding a balance between attention economy and long-term value will be key to the development of MEME. As an innovative attempt that combines scientific research and encryption, whether DeSci can truly become the next crypto trend remains to be seen.