TL;DR:
- DeSci is scaling through tokenized funding and open collaboration, but early-stage risk makes utility and roadmaps essential into 2026.
- OriginTrail (TRAC) runs a Decentralized Knowledge Graph for scientific, supply-chain, and AI data verification, around $248.8M; Bio Protocol (BIO) funds biotech research, around $104.7M.
- ResearchCoin (RSC) rewards publishing and review on ResearchHub, around $28.2M; VitaDAO raised $4M+ for longevity research, and Galeon aggregates encrypted medical data for AI diagnosis, around $8.5M.
Decentralized Science, or DeSci, is moving from a niche concept to an operating model that uses blockchain to fund research, coordinate collaboration, and distribute results more transparently. We are tracking this theme because the sector is gaining visibility and market capitalization while communities test incentives that reward real scientific work. That said, most initiatives are still early stage, so the right lens is utility and execution, not hype.
The most credible candidates show a clear workflow, a community mechanism for decision-making, and evidence of ecosystem activity through 2024-2025. DeSci is positioning tokens as research infrastructure rather than speculative chips. Below are five tokens that best fit that infrastructure thesis. Cap tables and usage still matter most here. Risks remain high, so token utility and a clear research roadmap should be non-negotiable for investors today.
5 Desci Tokens On Our Radar For 2026
OriginTrail
OriginTrail (TRAC) sits in the verified-data lane via a Decentralized Knowledge Graph protocol built for scientific, supply-chain, and AI data verification. It is cited with a market valuation around $248.8 million, plus use cases spanning academic research, AI data labeling, and scientific dataset verification. The project is also described as being supported by European institutions and funded through the Horizon 2020 EU Research Program, which strengthens its credibility story.
Bio Protocol
Bio Protocol (BIO) tackles the funding bottleneck in biotechnology research, carrying market capitalization around $104.7 million and ranking among the most actively traded DeSci tokens. It aims to finance medical research without bureaucracy by letting a global community support experiments through tokenization, and it has been highlighted as a top gainer in the DeSci category on CoinGecko.
ResearchCoin
ResearchCoin (RSC) is the incentive layer for ResearchHub, a scientific research repository backed by some of the biggest names in science, and it is described with market capitalization around $28.2 million. Its token-reward model is designed to motivate uploading, reviewing, and contributing to publications to increase the speed of sharing scientific knowledge globally.
VitaDAO
VitaDAO (VITA) puts treasury governance on longevity science, with market capitalization around $13 million and more than $4 million raised to fund biological aging research alongside universities and biotech labs.
Galeon
Galeon (GALEON) brings healthcare data into scope: it aggregates encrypted medical data from healthcare institutions for medical research without violating privacy, supporting AI medical diagnosis, and it is listed with capitalization around $8.5 million.
Risk stays high: early-stage research uncertainty, volatility, and regulatory hurdles around medical and biotech data. Execution, privacy safeguards, and roadmap clarity will determine which narratives become durable.
