Problem Description
Geographic decentralization is an understudied but key aspect of decentralized networks and how they achieve properties like permissionlessness, fairness, and censorship resistance. A new theoretical framework must be developed for the study of decentralization through the lens of physical location. While many dashboards and attempts exist to measure the distribution of existing nodes, these measurements do not reason sufficiently about how and why networks evolve to certain topologies in space, and which protocols might be more or less suited to ensure that, given the massive incentives in MEV, cryptocurrency infrastructure stays decentralized.
Developing a framework to study the fundamental forces driving node movement across geographies could then be used to reason about the impacts of proposed changes to networks on their geographic decentralization and serve as a guide for future system improvements. The work needed will bring together multidisciplinary theoretical and empirical work.
Related Notes
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- IRG Onsite 2025 January - https://www.notion.so/flashbots/IRG-onsite-Jan-25-1916b4a0d8768040aaf1ef35adf73352
