Paper Number
ICIS2025-1702
Paper Type
Panel
Abstract
Blockchain technology promises to disrupt information-based markets through decentralized governance, challenging the dominance of centralized digital platforms. Information Systems (IS) scholars have examined blockchain’s key affordances – distributed value capture, transparency, smart contracts, and token-driven growth – across diverse domains such as supply chains, social media, and digital identity. Yet, empirical evidence reveals persistent centralization in practice, raising concerns about the viability and desirability of blockchain-enabled decentralization. Challenges include governance token concentration, centralized system layers, and trade-offs in the “blockchain trilemma” of scalability, security, and decentralization. Building on the evidence, this panel aims to foster critical discussion around the feasibility, relevance, and research implications of blockchain decentralization.
Recommended Citation
Petryk, Mariia; Müller-Bloch, Christoph; Hahn, Jungpil; Halaburda, Hanna; Henfridsson, Ola; Obermeier, Daniel; and Yoo, Youngjin, "Promises and Perils of Decentralization in the Blockchain Age" (2025). ICIS 2025 Proceedings. 1.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2025/panels/panels/1
Promises and Perils of Decentralization in the Blockchain Age
Blockchain technology promises to disrupt information-based markets through decentralized governance, challenging the dominance of centralized digital platforms. Information Systems (IS) scholars have examined blockchain’s key affordances – distributed value capture, transparency, smart contracts, and token-driven growth – across diverse domains such as supply chains, social media, and digital identity. Yet, empirical evidence reveals persistent centralization in practice, raising concerns about the viability and desirability of blockchain-enabled decentralization. Challenges include governance token concentration, centralized system layers, and trade-offs in the “blockchain trilemma” of scalability, security, and decentralization. Building on the evidence, this panel aims to foster critical discussion around the feasibility, relevance, and research implications of blockchain decentralization.
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Comments
26-Panel