Curated Registry

Registries catalog and validate the core infrastructure of the DeSci stack, allowing researchers to discover and trust tools.

• Examples: Lists of data storage protocols (e.g., IPFS, Arweave), compute platforms, or DAO frameworks.
• Function: They reduce onboarding friction by providing vetted, technical specifications and integration guides for essential services.

These registries index and curate digital research objects—such as datasets, computational notebooks, and peer-reviewed articles—anchored on decentralized networks.

• Key Feature: Each entry includes a persistent identifier (like a DOI) and cryptographic hashes to ensure provenance and immutability.
• Use Case: Enables reproducible science by providing a canonical, tamper-evident source for citing and building upon prior work.

A curated registry of decentralized identities (DIDs) and verifiable credentials for scientists, labs, and institutions.

• Purpose: Establishes sybil-resistance and a portable reputation system across multiple DeSci platforms.
• Mechanism: Links an identity to attested achievements like publications, grants, or peer reviews, creating a trust graph for collaboration and funding decisions.

Aggregates and structures opportunities for scientific funding, from DAO grants to retroactive public goods funding.

• Process: Curates active grant rounds, submission criteria, and past awardees.
• Impact: Increases transparency in fund allocation and helps match researchers with appropriate funding sources based on their registered expertise and past work.

A specialized registry for pre-registering study designs, methods, and analysis plans before research is conducted.

• DeSci Advantage: Timestamped, immutable registration on a blockchain combats publication bias and p-hacking by creating an auditable record of the original intent.
• Outcome: Enhances research integrity and allows for the transparent tracking of deviations from the planned protocol.

Curates metadata and ownership records for physical and digital biological research assets.

• Example: A registry for patent-protected molecules or genetically engineered cell lines, linking them to their IP-NFT representations.
• Utility: Enables discovery, licensing, and traceability of biomaterials, facilitating collaboration and commercialization within a clear legal and technical framework.

A curated registry is a controlled list, such as a token list or an approved smart contract registry, maintained by a governing body to enforce quality standards. Its primary purposes are to:

• Mitigate risk by filtering out malicious or low-quality assets.
• Ensure compliance with specific regulatory or technical frameworks.
• Reduce user friction by providing a vetted selection, as seen in DeFi front-ends like Uniswap's default token list.

Curation authority defines the registry's governance model.

• Centralized Curation: A single entity (e.g., a foundation, core team, or company) controls inclusion. This offers speed and clear accountability but creates a central point of failure. Example: Early Compound Finance's listed assets.
• Decentralized Curation: A decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) or token-holder vote governs the list. This aligns with Web3 principles but can be slower. Example: Curve Finance's gauge weight votes for liquidity pool incentives.

Curated registries are implemented as on-chain or off-chain data structures.

• Token Lists (ERC20, SPL): Standardized JSON files (e.g., Uniswap, Token Lists schema) that front-ends use to display token logos and metadata.
• Smart Contract Registries: On-chain contracts that maintain a list of approved addresses, such as a Proxy Administrator for upgradeable contracts or a Keeper Network job registry.
• Domain-Specific Lists: Registries for oracles (Chainlink's approved node operators), bridges (approved minting contracts), or NFT marketplaces (verified collections).

The process for managing the registry involves specific mechanisms.

• Proposal & Voting: Stakeholders submit proposals for additions/removals, often requiring a quorum and supermajority vote.
• Delegation: Token holders can delegate voting power to experts or subDAOs specializing in due diligence.
• Challenge Periods: A time window where listings can be contested, often paired with a bond or dispute resolution system.
• Multisig Execution: Approved changes are typically executed by a multisignature wallet controlled by elected signers.

While providing safety, curation introduces inherent trade-offs.

• Centralization Risk: Even decentralized models can lead to governance capture or voter apathy.
• Innovation Friction: New, legitimate projects face barriers to entry, potentially stifling ecosystem growth.
• Liability & Legal Exposure: Curators may assume legal responsibility for listed assets, leading to overly conservative lists.
• Censorship Resistance: A core blockchain tenet is compromised, as a governing body can de-list assets.

Curated registries interact with several key Web3 concepts.

• Token Curated Registry (TCR): An early model where the registry's native token is staked to vote on and challenge listings.
• Governance Tokens: Assets like UNI or AAVE that confer voting rights on registry proposals.
• Whitelists / Blacklists: Simpler, binary versions of a registry used for access control or sanctions.
• Decentralized Identity (DID): Verifiable credentials that could be used to create a registry of authenticated participants.

The trust model of a registry depends on its governance. A centralized curator (e.g., a foundation, core team) offers speed and clear accountability but creates a single point of failure and potential bias. A decentralized curator (e.g., a DAO, token-weighted voting) distributes trust but can be slower and vulnerable to governance attacks like vote buying.

Security hinges on the rules for adding or removing entries. Common mechanisms include:

• Application & Review: Proposals are scrutinized by curators or delegates.
• Bond/Staking: Applicants post a security deposit (slashed for malicious acts).
• Performance Metrics: Automated eviction based on uptime, latency, or slashing events.
• Challenge Periods: A time window where the community can dispute a new listing.

Curated registries are targets for specific attacks:

• Sybil Attacks: An entity creates many fake identities to gain undue influence. Mitigated by proof-of-personhood or high staking costs.
• Governance Capture: A malicious actor acquires enough voting power to control listings. Mitigated by time-locked votes, quadratic voting, or multisig councils.
• Data Integrity: The registry's list must be tamper-proof. Mitigated by anchoring it on a public blockchain or using cryptographic commitments.

Trust is derived from verifiability. A secure registry provides:

• On-Chain Records: All additions, removals, and governance votes are recorded on a public ledger.
• Clear Criteria: Published, objective standards for admission (e.g., code audits, financial reserves).
• Open-Source Tooling: The software for interacting with and managing the registry is publicly auditable.
• Example: The Uniswap v3 governance portal lists all past proposals and votes on-chain.

Aligning economic incentives is crucial for security. Key models include:

• Work Token Model: Curators must stake the network's native token, which can be slashed.
• Reputation Systems: Long-standing, honest participants gain influence, which is lost upon malicious action.
• Fee Distribution: A portion of system fees rewards honest curators, making attacks economically irrational.
• The goal is to make acting honestly more profitable than attacking the system.

Different blockchains implement curated registries for critical functions:

• Ethereum Validator Set (PoS): A dynamically curated registry of validators based on a 32 ETH stake.
• Chainlink Oracle Networks: A decentralized registry of node operators selected based on reputation and staked LINK.
• Cosmos Hub Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC): A permissioned set of relayers validated by the governance module.
• Curve Finance Gauge Weights: A DAO-curated list of liquidity pools eligible for CRV token emissions.