Helius CEO Mert: Decentralization does not mean unorganized; zero coordination cost equals centralization.

Mars Finance reports that Solana infrastructure developer Helius CEO Mert stated on the X platform that decentralization is essentially “coordination without a central authority.” If the coordination cost is close to zero, then it is effectively centralized; if the coordination cost is infinitely high, then technically it cannot be called decentralized because the system would be unable to operate normally. Mert illustrates this point through a thought experiment: suppose there is a highly decentralized blockchain with hundreds of thousands of home-run nodes, distributed mining power, and token supply. He then presents another extreme hypothetical — if North Korea could transfer funds from wallet A to wallet B within time T, then this would be equivalent to the chain being able to simultaneously trigger nuclear weapons in most countries worldwide. Finally, if this blockchain can successfully freeze wallet A’s funds through forking without causing mass casualties, does this blockchain count as decentralized? Mert believes that although humans can achieve coordination due to the shared incentive of “not dying,” this does not mean the chain is “disorganized.” Decentralization fundamentally remains “coordination without a central authority.”