The terms decentralized and distributed in the context of blockchain networks often overlap, but they refer to slightly different aspects of the network. However, it is not necessary to understand the exact definition of these terms, but rather the details of the characteristics of blockchain networks. As you will see in the article, the topic has many nuances.
TLDR
- The term decentralized is focused on control over the network and the absence of a central authority.
- The term distributed mainly refers to the geographical distribution of nodes to improve efficiency, availability, and reliability.
- The nodes in blockchain networks are not equal. Some have more decision-making power.
- Even if the network consensus is distributed over multiple nodes, the network may tend to the centralization of power through control of the resource.
- It is very difficult to achieve a high degree of decentralization at the project management or source code change level.
This article was prepared by Cardanians with support from Cexplorer.
Read the article: https://cexplorer.io/article/is-cardano-a-decentralized-or-distributed-network