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Part 1: The Future of Research Opened Up by Decentralized Science (DeSci) — Why Is Japan Lagging Behind?

2025年11月26日 05:36

“DeSci (Decentralized Science)” is poised to significantly transform the way scientific research is conducted globally. This new mechanism, which leverages blockchain and DAOs to directly connect researchers with society, is spreading rapidly, particularly in the West. However, it is almost unknown in Japan. Why is it not progressing in Japan? And where does the breakthrough lie?
We spoke with Mr. Sudo (Campus Create Co., Ltd.), who has long supported university-originated startups and industry-academia collaboration, and has been at the forefront of intellectual property management at a TLO (Technology Licensing Organization), about the potential of DeSci and the current situation in Japan.

The person we interviewed this time

Mr. Makoto Sudo
Managing Director, Campus Create Co., Ltd. He has worked for many years at a Technology Licensing Organization (TLO) that bridges university research results with society, engaging in practical work related to intellectual property management and industry-academia collaboration. He is an intellectual property expert who has handled numerous projects, including license agreements, promotion of joint research, and support for university-originated startups. In recent years, he has focused on “Decentralized Science (DeSci)” and is exploring how to implement it in society in Japan. He also engages in writing activities, actively disseminating information on DeSci and how to implement it.

What is DeSci?

“DeSci” is a new mechanism for advancing scientific research using blockchain and DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) technology. Research to date has relied on limited funding sources such as governments, universities, and corporations. Even if a researcher has an idea, they cannot start without research funding. Many research seeds have disappeared without ever seeing the light of day.

DeSci is attempting to fundamentally change that mechanism. Researchers join a community called a DAO and present their research plans. People who resonate with them support them with tokens (cryptocurrency). Supporters can track the progress of the research in real-time and receive returns or proof of participation based on the research results. It is a form that can truly be called “crowdfunding for research.”

Mr. Sudo explains it this way.

“Conventional research funding has had limited sources of income, such as government competitive funds and corporate joint research funds. DeSci has the potential to go beyond that and directly connect researchers with people all over the world. It is not just researchers who participate in DAOs, but diverse players such as students, companies, and investors. This is where the potential for a new scientific ecosystem lies.”

It is already starting to advance overseas

In the West, projects such as “Molecule” and “VitaDAO” have emerged. Molecule turns biotech research into NFTs to raise funds, and VitaDAO is a DAO specialized in longevity research. Both are new venues for fundraising for researchers, and experimental grounds for investors where they can expect both social impact and economic returns simultaneously.

Mr. Sudo points out:

“Overseas startups raise funds on the scale of tens to hundreds of billions of yen, but in Japan, it is at most a few billion yen. The scale of funding is different. That difference is directly linked to the speed of social implementation of research results. DeSci has the potential to fundamentally change the mechanism of fundraising.”

Why is Japan lagging behind?

On the other hand, the awareness of DeSci in Japan is extremely low, and there are almost no actual examples. One of the reasons for this is the “barrier of regulations.”

Mr. Sudo says this:

“When you try to do DeSci in Japan, you first run into the problem of securities. If you issue tokens to raise funds and lead people to expect returns, it may violate the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Furthermore, universities have national and internal regulations, and individual researchers cannot act on their own. There are too many institutional constraints.”

In other words, in Japan, even if researchers or universities are interested in DeSci, the environment makes it difficult to take the first step.

The potential that is still spreading

However, there are many situations in Japan where DeSci can be useful. For universities with insufficient research funding or early-stage research where exit strategies are difficult to see, recruiting supporters through a DAO is effective. In particular, startup funding for university-originated startups and pre-clinical stage research are considered to be highly compatible with DeSci.

Mr. Sudo emphasizes:

“As evidenced by the many Nobel Prizes won, including this year, Japanese research is by no means inferior. The bottleneck is the weakness of the mechanisms for social implementation. DeSci can become a ‘new bridge’ connecting research and society. That is precisely why we need to discuss and experiment with it now.”

Next Episode Preview

In Part 2, we will focus on what Mr. Sudo calls the “biggest challenges”: “securities regulations” and “university understanding.” Why do these act as barriers? And what paths exist to circumvent them? We will delve into the reality of DeSci implementation in Japan.

If you are interested in the “co-creation” promoted by Hakuhodo Open Incubation, please feel free to contact us. Let’s discuss the future of business that we can pioneer together with Hakuhodo.

contact: Inquiries
Author: Yoji Ibushi (Open Incubation Division)