Democratizing Early-Stage Research Funding: Inside Catalyst, Molecule’s DeSci Funding Machine

In this episode, we're diving deep into Molecule's Catalyst, an incentive-driven funding system for basic research. We begin by exploring the significant challenges posed by traditional funding models. We then touch on the "Valley of Death"—a critical juncture where many groundbreaking ideas fail often due to a lack of financial support.

We discuss why early-stage research often struggles to gain traction and the barriers that prevent innovative ideas from reaching their full potential.

Catalyst is at the forefront of addressing these issues with its decentralized approach. By realigning incentives and democratizing access to research funding, Catalyst fosters collaboration and makes science more inclusive and inviting.

We also explore the role of IP tokens (IPTs) in decentralized science and how they democratize access to and control over scientific advancements. Additionally, we explain Catalyst’s bonding curve, which features dynamic pricing that rewards early backers with lower token prices and ensures fair pricing as more tokens are minted. This system not only incentivizes early support but also maintains a transparent and equitable funding environment.

Tune in to discover the potential of decentralized funding in science and how you can get involved. Whether you're a researcher, an investor, or simply curious about the future of science, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

18:04 Challenges of traditional funding models

19:47 The valley of death; how it impacts research

24:30 Difficulty in getting involved in early-stage ideas

31:20 Using IP as a tool to realign incentives

35:01 Why IP is the ideal use case for bringing ideas on-chain

42:05 Decentralized funding in science

48:44 Introduction to Catalyst

55:26 How Catalyst works

59:36 Catalyst bonding curve explained

1:03:22 The negotiation period in Catalyst fundraising

1:09:22 Final remarks

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at podcast@molecule.to

Special thanks to

Jillian: https://twitter.com/JillianCasalini

Benji: https://twitter.com/benjileibo

Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-noessler

Learn more about Catalyst here: https://catalyst.molecule.xyz/

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Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao