UDF and DeSci: Powering Scientific Collaboration

Science has always been humanity’s most powerful tool for progress, but the systems that underpin it are overdue for an upgrade. Enter DeSci (Decentralised Science) — An emerging field that applies blockchain technology to revolutionise how research is funded, shared, and validated. Crypto rails are unlocking new ways for scientists to coordinate and for non-scientists to support research they’re aligned with, accelerating the pace of scientific discovery.

As interest in DeSci gains momentum, it’s clear that scientific progress needs a robust infrastructure for these new methods of working together. Entangle is enabling these collaborations with tools to simplify data management (UDF), asset tokenization (UTS), and the crosschain deployment of smart contracts (UIP). Today we look at the Universal Data Feeds (UDF) that fuel cooperation in science by connecting researchers globally with data from virtually any source, providing the foundation for a truly decentralised and interconnected scientific ecosystem.

Universal Data Feeds (UDF): A Game-Changer for Science

Access to reliable, real-time data is a cornerstone of modern research. Entangle’s Universal Data Feeds (UDF) allow researchers to securely add data streams from almost any onchain or offchain source.

• Reproducibility Made Simple: Modern science is plagued with studies failing to be validated because their results couldn’t be recreated by others. With Blockchain technology data is verifiable and tamper-proof, enabling experiments to be reproduced with confidence. UDF provides real-time, authenticated data streams that can be relied on when researchers are validating eachother’s work.
  • SciNet and Sci2Sci provide platforms to further collaboration on research and the sharing of data. UDF can empower deeper cooperation and real time data sharing providing greater trust and transparency across the field. 
• Interdisciplinary Research: Scientific progress often slows due to silos across disciplines and geographies. Web3, with its decentralised origins, encourages a more holistic approach by breaking down barriers, allowing researchers to share knowledge and data freely. Data sharing through UDF fosters greater collaboration across emerging trends in DeSci.
  • HairDAO focuses on opensource R&D, bringing patients and researchers together to develop and trial new treatments for hair loss. UDF powers the coordination across a globally distributed project.
• Custom Agents for Privacy: Private companies are often hesitant to share data due to concerns over intellectual property. Blockchain allows the selective sharing of insights without compromising trade secrets. By using UDF with customised Agents to control what data is shared, private research organisations such as large pharmaceutical companies could contribute to collaborative research efforts, while still preserving trade secrets.
  • When Covid19 hit, scientists rushed to sequence the DNA to enable global collaboration to find a cure. With UDF, research laboratories globally would have been able to receive the sequencing files as they were being generated, and empowering faster solutions when timing is critical. 
• Open Data Repositories: A key feature of science is record-keeping, ensuring your research is accessible to those who come after you. Blockchains create permanent, open stores of information that can never be changed, ensuring data is always available for follow-up studies. Thanks to its decentralised nature, UDF will continue to supply secure, long-lasting access to these datasets for as long as there are blocks on the chain.
  • Ocean Protocol prioritises and rewards the sharing of research and data to further advancements in climate science. With UDF, Ocean Protocol can coordinate both the data sharing and the monetization of data sharing onchain.

Our recently announced partnership with 5ire is a key example of how Universal Data Feeds can be implemented in DeSci. 5ire.org is actively pioneering the use of Blockchain technology to drive the development of sustainability through real-world data. Business entities verify their ESG credentials onchain to profit from access to an ecosystem with sustainable practices at its core.

UDF unlocks the verification of criteria in real time, providing greater trust and transparency for all parties. Companies benefit from the enhanced transparency provided by verifiable, decentralised reporting, while users can invest in companies that they know are aligned with their principles.

Whether it’s real-time monitoring of climate data, integrating financial datasets for economic research, or providing authenticated inputs for AI models, UDF is revolutionising how data fuels discovery. 

Empowering DeSci: The Path Ahead

UDF puts powerful data management tools in the hands of researchers, and in combination with the Universal Interoperability Protocol (UIP) and the Universal Token Standard (UTS), creates a solid foundation for the builders who are reimagining science:

• UDF allows researchers to securely share and access verified data, .
• With UDF, Institutions can collaborate across disciplines and blockchains without friction.
• UDF empowers private companies to contribute to research while protecting their intellectual property.
• UDF provides near instant access to the permanent record of research stored on blockchains.

By integrating Entangle’s Universal Data Feeds, the vision of DeSci as a decentralised, equitable, and interconnected scientific ecosystem comes to life.

Conclusion

The challenges facing science today — funding inequities, reproducibility crises, and siloed research — require bold, decentralised solutions. With Entangle’s cutting-edge technologies, DeSci isn’t just a concept; it’s an actionable reality. Partner with Entangle to integrate UDF in your DeSci protocol to access the big data that is advancing our understanding and collaborate without barriers, while UIP and UTS keep your protocol universally accessible across any blockchain.

As we build a future defined by collaboration and openness, the tools to empower scientists, institutions, and innovators are already here. Together, we can redefine what’s possible in science.