The first thing to look at is the threshold for joining nodes.
The basic characteristic of a public chain is that anyone can run a node. For example, with Bitcoin and Ethereum, if you have a computer and download the client, you can sync the entire chain data to your local machine and become part of this network.
So what role do nodes play in the blockchain? They act like guardians of the blockchain, responsible for storing, verifying, and broadcasting transaction data, ensuring that the network operates normally and is not controlled by a single point.
For instance, Bitcoin currently has over 20,000 full nodes and hundreds of thousands of miners. Theoretically, as long as there is 1 full node + 1 miner, the Bitcoin chain can continue to exist. Ethereum is similar, with over a million validators and more than 10,000 physical nodes. In the worst-case scenario, as long as there is 1 validator + client node remaining, this chain can also continue.
The threshold for joining nodes is crucial in determining the decentralization of a blockchain. In consortium chains or private chains, the nodes cannot just be started at will; authorization and agreements are required to join—these chains do not belong to you or any user.
So next time you encounter a blockchain project, check its official website or documentation for node operation tutorials or search for a node map to see its global node distribution.
Here, some friends might ask, shouldn't decentralization be assessed by the number of nodes? Why look at the threshold for joining nodes? Because the number of nodes is a result, while the threshold for joining nodes is the essential mechanism.
For example, if a blockchain has 100,000 nodes, it may seem very decentralized, but if all these nodes are deployed by a single company and users cannot join independently, it is actually a false decentralization of "centralized control."
On the other hand, if another blockchain has only 1,000 nodes, but anyone with a computer can download the client, join the network, and run a node to validate blocks, then it is truly open and decentralized.
Therefore, looking at the node threshold is actually assessing whether this chain belongs to everyone.
In the next issue, we will discuss the second dimension of judgment: examining the consensus mechanism of this chain and how it determines "who gets to create blocks and who has the final say."
Welcome to join the community
Welcome to join the community WeChat: BQ221858
Welcome to follow Weibo: @QuarkMing202
Welcome to follow Twitter: @xian202766693