Is crypto becoming centralized?

[Smartprofit]

As crypto hits the mainstream, more businesses and companies are joining the game. We've seen innovations from NFTs to security tokens, and stablecoins. Most of the coins being traded on the market have smart contract functionalities, making them multi-purpose platforms for real world use. While all of this sounds nice, there's been an increasing rate of centralized exchange dominance over the past years. Not only that, but alternative cryptocurrencies (altcoins) have been prioritizing convenience on top of decentralization in order to provide people with lower fees and blazing-fast transaction confirmation times.

Most recently, Lightning Labs announced the creation of a new stablecoin that will operate in its "Taro" platform. If companies start to embrace stablecoins on top of traditional cryptocurrencies, then the whole industry will become heavily centralized. This should be a cause of concern, as a full government crackdown (or ban) could mark the end of crypto's prominence in the mainstream world.

Do you think ever-increasing centralization is a cause of concern? What would be the impact of tightening regulations over the entire crypto/Blockchain space? Will it still be able to survive? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Yes, I believe that centralized stablecoins are not needed by the crypto industry. 

The basis of the crypto industry is the first cryptocurrency (Bitcoin).  All other alternative cryptocurrencies are essentially experimental laboratories for testing new cryptographic and financial technologies.  As testing progresses, the best of these technologies are incorporated into the Bitcoin code. 

Previously, on cryptocurrency exchanges, altcoins were traded exclusively in tandem with bitcoins. 

However, later stablecoins appeared (in particular, tether, usdt).  In my opinion, this is a step backwards. 

Cryptocurrency is an alternative to the modern financial system.  Bitcoin is a replacement for the US dollar. 

Most stablecoins are centralized.  In addition, they psychologically prepare people for the adoption of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

[vv181]

Do you think ever-increasing centralization is a cause of concern? What would be the impact of tightening regulations over the entire crypto/Blockchain space? Will it still be able to survive? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Centralized services tend to provide convenience, and most the people don't ready/want to sacrifice it to gather sovereignty.

Do you think ever-increasing centralization is a cause of concern? What would be the impact of tightening regulations over the entire crypto/Blockchain space? Will it still be able to survive? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

It seems that is how the world works. We live in a centralized figure, so to obliterate any centralization is unlikely, in some cases, it worse though.

The things is, cryptocurrency that truly favor decentralization wouldn't affected to much about any centralization, as long the people who built it and with the community protecting it, centralization wouldn't do any significant harm, systematically.

[evilgreed]

               While centralization may be a bad thing in the eyes of the majority, it doesn't mean that it is indeed bad. There is no such thing as complete freedom in this world and thus some rules should be followed. Good thing about this though is that it enables this industry to thrive without being targeted im a horrific way compared to when everyone was pushing complete privacy and decentralisation. Besides, there are still ways to go around the privacy problems since not wvery coin out there is following centralisation. Some good coins also promote decentralisation and are available for use any time. Point is, coexistence needs centralisation at least to some extent. If not, banks and governments will go crazy and may go all out in destroying the crypto industry.

[Jackl87]

As crypto hits the mainstream, more businesses and companies are joining the game. We've seen innovations from NFTs to security tokens, and stablecoins. Most of the coins being traded on the market have smart contract functionalities, making them multi-purpose platforms for real world use. While all of this sounds nice, there's been an increasing rate of centralized exchange dominance over the past years. Not only that, but alternative cryptocurrencies (altcoins) have been prioritizing convenience on top of decentralization in order to provide people with lower fees and blazing-fast transaction confirmation times.

I am not really sure if the centralization of the whole crypto currency space is really increasing in the last few years because i kinda have the opposite impression. I mean just look at that whole Defi topic i think projects that introduced this term and functionality to the crypto world were the main reason for the bullrun of 2020 and the first few months of 2021. Back then we saw platforms like Uniswap, pancakeswap and others becoming huge exchanges where most new tokens where launching and could be traded first. So in that regard i definitely think that the crypto space became more decentralized then it was in the years before 2020. Back then new projects had to pay huge listing fees in order to be listed on good exchanges which killed of quite a few good and promising projects.

[MAAManda]

It is undeniable that slowly crypto will have regulations in each country and this is what will make the cryptocurrency centralized even though in reality it is decentralized. For example, in my country (Indonesia), all data from the exchange must be forwarded to the authorized agency (BAPPEBTI). We only can hope that decentralized platforms will continue to exist to continue to support a better crypto space.

[JayTrain]

When I first learned about the cryptocurrency, I liked the decentralization in the blockchain the most, at first this word "decentralization" was the fundamental link in the development of the cryptocurrency, but today everyone is starting to forget about it and today we see the tendency of most countries to control the cryptocurrency, and there is no getting away from it.

[ije07]

With the rapid increase of Defi and NFT systems centered on decentralized systems, many altcoins will build systems with centralization and almost all altcoins also use centralized systems and all of them may not survive if the regulations given are very strict, making space narrow. so the movement will be more difficult but so far it is still not very visible the possibility in the next few years the regulation could change.

[BIT-BENDER]

Crypto is fast going centralized and it's becoming worrysome although many projects, Exchange are doing this so as not to be put out of business, government are now slowly controlling some Crypto-currency related entity and gradually the decentralized qualities of crypto-currency is fading out.
I think if this continues in this manner the government would see that they can defeat crypto-currency and put away centralization, crypto-currency has gone main stream and it becoming a scare to them.

[DoublerHunter]

With the rapid increase of Defi and NFT systems centered on decentralized systems, many altcoins will build systems with centralization and almost all altcoins also use centralized systems and all of them may not survive if the regulations given are very strict, making space narrow. so the movement will be more difficult but so far it is still not very visible the possibility in the next few years the regulation could change.

^ Probably because during ICO and IEO time there are too many people who have been scammed and now at least, they lowered the number of having been scammed. We easily to find out which is a scam or not, Centralization sometimes has an advantage but the true meaning of crypto and the decentralization will still remain as long as there is BTC that is created for decentralization and no one is behind it. Probably those projects that newly arrive will become a more specific target of centralization which is good and have an advantage for us those investors.

[Johnyz]

Regulations is next to being a centralized platform, we are slowly getting there and we cannot stop this process. The government can always regulate us and this is the reality but the good thing with cryptocurrency is that, anyone can have the access to this platform and the decentralized system will stay even if the government interfere, they can’t control Bitcoin and other altcoins, we should stick to that.

[DOH!]

Crypto is fast going centralized and it's becoming worrysome although many projects, Exchange are doing this so as not to be put out of business, government are now slowly controlling some Crypto-currency related entity and gradually the decentralized qualities of crypto-currency is fading out.

Agree.  If the government wants to crack down on cryptocurrencies as a unified and unified regulation can bring about centralization, but it cannot change the integrity of this space.  They will win to push the market down, but they won't be able to beat bitcoin and the infinite growth of cryptocurrencies.  Yes, I think - DEFI will solve the next problem of sovereignty.
And Yes - we need to support a flow of react/from elements that may be in the next provision for development.

[Doell]

Regulations is next to being a centralized platform, we are slowly getting there and we cannot stop this process. The government can always regulate us and this is the reality but the good thing with cryptocurrency is that, anyone can have the access to this platform and the decentralized system will stay even if the government interfere, they can’t control Bitcoin and other altcoins, we should stick to that.

The situation maybe worse than that, as you also explained earlier "the government can always regulate us". That is what has happened now but in some areas crypto can still be enjoyed centrally or not, as well as what needs to be underlined is that the government has not yet fully launched a centralized crypto jointly in all countries, and at this time just ordinary companies or crews without interference from any government. These are all a business assets.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

Crypto is fast going centralized and it's becoming worrysome although many projects, Exchange are doing this so as not to be put out of business, government are now slowly controlling some Crypto-currency related entity and gradually the decentralized qualities of crypto-currency is fading out.

Agree.  If the government wants to crack down on cryptocurrencies as a unified and unified regulation can bring about centralization, but it cannot change the integrity of this space.  They will win to push the market down, but they won't be able to beat bitcoin and the infinite growth of cryptocurrencies.  Yes, I think - DEFI will solve the next problem of sovereignty.
And Yes - we need to support a flow of react/from elements that may be in the next provision for development.

Government can't change anything, sure they are doing their best to track everything like the US government offering money for some entity to break Monero's anonymity but we will just have to adjust to that. Centralization might come, but it's wont even change anything in crypto, and we have to accept that and live together with the government and central banks around and we will still thrive in this environment.

[7788bitcoin]

~
Do you think ever-increasing centralization is a cause of concern? What would be the impact of tightening regulations over the entire crypto/Blockchain space? Will it still be able to survive? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

If you look at the entire space, majority of the users love to trade in centralized exchanges even though we have decentralized exchange and the volume in those exchanges says the general trend and it is like that from the start and now with regulations and other taxation rules in the horizon it is a cause of concern. I am certain we will survive that because once regulation kicks in and if some countries impose insane tax on cryptocurrency then they will start trading in decentralized exchanges and then the trend will start.

[Teraboy]

More and more entities are joining in the crypto but these entities are starting to make the crypto become centralized. So many blockchains are only having a few nodes which has been running by its collusions.
It seems like that if these days the majority of blockchains in the crypto industry have become truly centralized. So many tokens are also pegged with the centralized exchange sites as well.
These days the centralizations are still playing a lot in the crypto compared with the decentralization. So, i don't know whether calling crypto as truly decentralized is still relevant or not.

[MFahad]

Theain purpose of Crypto was decentralization but there is some drawback and I think it's good for Crypto to be centralized. Hacking and stealing is more in Decentralized system because it's difficult to trace the stealer there. Axie Stealer still holding stolen money but no one can trace who did that.
Many countries looking to legalize the Crypto and add tax on crypto which is not possible in decentralization so they will go for centralized system and regret that the Future be of crypto is looking fully centralized.

[ItsNotSean]

Crypto is not becoming more centralized.

Investors/users/the public are embracing more centralized blockchain protocols and investments.

On the retail side they're choosing speed, price and less responsibility. The institutional side is choosing all that as well as being additionally motivated by threats of governmental oversight.

There are decentralized (or perhaps "less centralized") options to choose from, but they are nowhere near as popular (by MC and TVL) at this stage. Decentralized networks will always take longer to execute, and require much more personal responsibility and accountability on behalf of users. It has only taken a single, greedy mistake to transform a decentralized, crypto-libertarian into a CeFi statist.

Whether or not the original raisons d'etre for cryptocurrencies is ever fulfilled is, as yet, an open question. "We, the people" are the ones who will provide the answers, and those answers are increasingly "CeFi > DeFi".

[GreatArkansas]

(....)
Do you think ever-increasing centralization is a cause of concern? What would be the impact of tightening regulations over the entire crypto/Blockchain space? Will it still be able to survive? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Yes for me, very alarming especially the volume or market cap in cryptocurrency is slowly increasing also the number of people also using cryptocurrency is increasing too.
Common concerns here are the hacks, rugged projects some insiders,s or issues because it is centralized, and there is an entity that controls it.

[dansus021]

Yes and no in some blockchain like smart chain the validator is only 21 i think is become more centralized but other chain still 51% attack proof

[fauzan Ichsan]

Theain purpose of Crypto was decentralization but there is some drawback and I think it's good for Crypto to be centralized. Hacking and stealing is more in Decentralized system because it's difficult to trace the stealer there. Axie Stealer still holding stolen money but no one can trace who did that.
Many countries looking to legalize the Crypto and add tax on crypto which is not possible in decentralization so they will go for centralized system and regret that the Future be of crypto is looking fully centralized.

indeed many countries object to the decentralization system, because they cannot control it. on the other hand, even though they have not legalized cryptocurrencies, many countries have implemented tax rules, although it is still difficult to make complaints, for example the problem of asset theft. even though crypto is centralized, but at least it has a clear supply, which is better than fiat, which can print money continuously which eventually leads to higher inflation.