So you keep hearing “decentralised this” and “decentralised that”… but what does it actually mean?

Let’s break it down in a way that makes sense.

🏛️ Centralised vs. Decentralised

Imagine a centralised system like a castle.
There’s one big gate, one keyholder, and one place all decisions are made.

Now picture a decentralised village.
Everyone has their own little house.
No one controls the whole village.
They make decisions together, and everything’s spread out.

Crypto works like that village. 🏘️

👑 Why Centralised Systems Are Risky

Banks, social media platforms, and even governments rely on centralised control. That means:

A single point of failure (if it breaks, everything breaks)

Censorship is easy (they decide what stays or goes)

Your data and money are in their hands

We’ve all seen accounts frozen, data leaked, and systems crash.
When one entity has all the power — things can go sideways, fast.

🌐 Decentralisation in Crypto: How It Works

In crypto, power is spread across thousands (even millions) of users.

Instead of a bank keeping track of your money:

The blockchain does.

Everyone has a copy.

All changes are agreed upon by the network.

This makes it:

Hard to hack

Transparent

Resistant to censorship

More fair, especially in countries where banks aren’t accessible

🔒 No One's the Boss — And That’s the Point

Decentralisation means:

No company or CEO runs Bitcoin.

No one can “pause” Ethereum.

Your funds can’t be frozen by some support agent.

You hold the keys to your own money — literally.

Decentralisation puts the power back in your hands — not in the hands of some faceless institution.

🧩 But Wait… Are All Cryptos Really Decentralised?

Not always!

Some newer projects claim to be decentralised but are still run by a company or small group.

It’s good to ask:

Who makes the decisions?

Is the code open-source?

How many people actually validate transactions?

Some coins are more “decentralised-ish” than truly decentralised. Let's check that out now.