How Crypto Treasuries and Blockchain Are Opening New Doors for Scientific Research
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed something interesting happening in the world of science and medicine. Instead of relying only on slow, traditional funding channels, more teams are turning toward blockchain and crypto treasury models to support early-stage research. And honestly, it makes sense.
Now we’re seeing a fresh approach that could speed things up.
Portage Biotech’s surprising pivot
A good example is Portage Biotech, which recently shifted its model to become a Toncoin (TON) treasury company. It earns revenue through staking TON and backing projects inside the Telegram ecosystem. What’s different here is that part of the revenue and capital gains will be used to support cancer research.
AlphaTON CEO Brittany Kaiser said they’re exploring tokenization as a way to open the door for more people to fund scientific work. They’re studying different models — tokenizing intellectual property, equity, or even future profits from research.
I like this approach because it takes scientific funding out of the “elite circle” and lets regular people participate in discoveries that might shape the future.
Scaramucci’s take
Anthony Scaramucci, who advises AlphaTON, pointed out that unlike many crypto treasury companies that just take over shell entities, Portage actually has valuable scientific assets. In other words, it’s not abandoning its original mission — it’s using crypto to strengthen it.
Prediction markets for science?
Another project, Ideosphere, is trying something even more unconventional. They want to use prediction markets to fund scientific hypotheses. Researchers can post the ideas they’re working on, and traders can speculate on outcomes. A portion of the trading spread goes directly to the researcher.
If this works, it could turn early-stage science into a marketplace where the best ideas get support quickly, instead of waiting years for grants.
AI-powered DeSci platforms gaining traction
In September, Bio Protocol raised $6.9 million from Animoca Brands and the Maelstrom fund. Their goal is to combine AI + blockchain + community participation to rethink drug discovery from the ground up.
Arthur Hayes described it as an “AI-native research market,” and honestly, that’s not an exaggeration. If platforms like this take off, the entire research model could shift from slow, centralized decision-making to a faster, more open ecosystem.
My view
To me, all of this feels like the early stage of something big. Traditional science funding is slow, political, and limited. Crypto brings speed, transparency, and the chance for anyone to support breakthroughs they believe in.
It’s still early, yes — and not every experiment will work. But these models could help cut down the decades-long delays between discovery and real-world impact. And if even a few of these projects succeed, the way we fund science might change forever.
