Accurate as of November 18, 2025 — the most up-to-date snapshot of the Decentralized Science ecosystem
Roughly 180–200 DeSci projects exist when counting everything
→ Only ~84 are tokenized/tradable
→ 50–100 are truly active and well-known
There is no single definitive number because the space is decentralized, fast-moving, and definitions vary (some lists include only tokenized projects, others count communities, tools, DAOs, and even early experiments).
Most Reliable Sources (November 2025)
Awesome DeSci Repository (the gold standard list, actively maintained by DeSciWorldDAO)
→ ~181 unique projects listed (out of ~194 entries after removing duplicates) https://github.com/DeSciWorldDAO/awesome-desci
CoinGecko DeSci Category (only tokenized projects with coins/tokens)
→ 84 projects ranked by market cap View on CoinGecko → Top ones: OriginTrail (TRAC), Bio Protocol (BIO), ResearchCoin (RSC), HairDAO (HAIR), VitaDAO (VITA)
Analyst & Research Reports (DWF Labs, Blockworks, Messari, etc.)
→ Typically highlight 40–100 prominent/active projects
The ecosystem has grown extremely fast:
Late 2023 → ~85 operational projects (Messari)
Mid-2024 → 150+
November 2025 → pushing 200+ when including all initiatives
DeSci is now one of the fastest-growing narratives in Web3/crypto. New DAOs, publishing platforms, IP-NFT protocols, and biotech labs launch almost weekly.
Want a deep dive into a specific category?
Longevity research • Open-access publishing • IP tokenization • Hair loss • Women's health • Neuro • Just ask.