Helius CEO Mert: Decentralization does not mean lack of organization; zero coordination cost equals centralization.

ChainCatcher messages, Solana development infrastructure Helius CEO Mert posted on X platform stating 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 nodes running at home, distributed mining power, and token supply. Then he proposes another extreme assumption — if North Korea can transfer funds from wallet A to wallet B within time T, then it is equivalent to the chain being able to simultaneously detonate nuclear weapons in most countries worldwide.

Finally, he assumes that the blockchain can successfully freeze wallet A’s funds through forking without causing mass casualties. Does this mean the blockchain is decentralized? Mert believes that although humans can coordinate because of the shared incentive of “not dying,” this does not mean the chain is “disorganized.” Decentralization fundamentally remains “coordination without a central authority.”