Methodology

How decentralized.ink grades chains — and what the grades do and don’t mean.

Each chain gets a single letter grade (A to F) synthesised from five dimensions. The grade is an informed, opinionated assessment — not a precise score, and not financial advice. Figures change; we date every snapshot.

The five dimensions

1 · Consensus distribution

Nakamoto coefficient and how block production / staking is spread. Source: Chainspect, Nakaflow.

2 · Node / validator set

How many independent nodes or validators run the chain, and the cost to join.

3 · Client diversity

Whether multiple independent software clients exist, or one implementation dominates. Source: clientdiversity.org.

4 · Sequencer / rollup stage (L2)

For L2s: L2BEAT stage (0/1/2), forced-exit guarantees and whether the sequencer is decentralized. Source: L2BEAT.

5 · Governance & control

Who can change the protocol — on-chain token holders, a foundation, or a single company.

How they combine

No single metric decides the grade. A chain weak on one dimension (e.g. Bitcoin’s mining-pool Nakamoto) can still grade well on others (node count, neutrality).

Grade scale

AStrongly decentralized across dimensions BDecentralized with minor caveats CPartly decentralized; real vectors remain DCentralized on key layers FHighly centralized

Limitations

Decentralization is multi-dimensional; a single letter necessarily simplifies.
Metrics like the Nakamoto coefficient have known blind spots (e.g. mining pools vs. miners).
Figures are snapshots as of June 2026 and will change.
This is research and education, not investment advice.

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