Informatics blockchain research adopted by Linux Foundation initiative

Decentralisation is one of blockchain technology's defining features, yet measuring it has historically been difficult.

Different blockchain systems often make claims about decentralisation, but there has been no widely accepted way to compare these claims consistently across platforms.

The Edinburgh Decentralisation Index was developed to address this challenge by creating methods and tools that allow researchers to evaluate different aspects of blockchain systems, including their consensus mechanisms, token ownership, network structure and software development processes.

By combining concepts from economics, information theory and network science, the project provides a framework for assessing decentralisation in a reproducible and transparent way.

Launched in 2022, EDI has produced peer-reviewed research, open datasets and an interactive dashboard that allows users to explore decentralisation trends across blockchain ecosystems.

The new BDI Lab extends this work through a broader open-source model.

Hosted under the Linux Foundation Decentralized Trust programme, the lab will maintain and expand the tools, datasets and methodologies developed by the Edinburgh team, while encouraging contributions from researchers, developers and organisations working across the blockchain ecosystem.

The lab aims to make decentralisation a measurable property that can be independently assessed, rather than relying solely on claims made by individual projects.

To mark the launch of the BDI Lab, University of Edinburgh researchers Mojtaba Tefagh and Christina Ovezik recently delivered an online workshop in collaboration with LFDT.

The event introduced the project's methodology, demonstrated how decentralisation metrics are calculated from blockchain data, and outlined opportunities for researchers and developers to contribute to the initiative.

More than 100 people attended the session from across the global blockchain community.

Watch the launch workshop below:

The launch of the BDI Lab builds on the growing application and recognition of research developed through the Edinburgh Decentralisation Index. Earlier in 2026, the Blockchain Technology Laboratory announced a collaboration with Accredited Standards Committee X9 (ASC X9), drawing on EDI's methodology to contribute to the development of new approaches for measuring cybersecurity risk and resilience in financial systems.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate how research originating at the University of Edinburgh is helping shape approaches to measuring decentralisation, security and resilience across different technology ecosystems.

The BDI Lab is being developed as an open-source project, allowing anyone to inspect, evaluate and contribute to its tools and methodologies.

Researchers hope the initiative will support greater transparency across blockchain systems while providing a common framework for future research into decentralised technologies.