Contact: Ali Sunyaev, Niclas Kannengießer

Project Group: Ali Sunyaev, Niclas Kannengießer

Funded By: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

Project Runtime: 01.10.2026-30.09.2029

Description:

The research project "Collusion Protection of Decentralized Information Systems (ProtectDIS)" addresses the insufficiently understood risk of collusion in decentralized information systems (IS). While decentralized IS foster democratic participation and user empowerment, their openness entails the risk that actors may covertly collude to gain advantages, compromising the integrity and democratic principles of these systems. Previous research predominantly focuses on isolated technical or social aspects of collusion and is mostly limited to case-specific analyses. As a result, an integrative, theory-driven perspective on the sociotechnical dynamics of collusion is lacking, making it challenging to effectively protect decentralized information systems against collusion. Improving the protection of decentralized information systems is the core focus of ProtectDIS. In contrast to prior work, ProtectDIS aims to develop an interdisciplinary, empirically grounded, comprehensive framework for analyzing and preventing collusion in decentralized IS. The project integrates social science, economic, and technical perspectives to provide an in-depth explanation of the emergence, manifestations, and implications of collusion. Alongside an integrative theory, particular emphasis is placed on the development of realistic agent-based simulation tools as well as a catalog of effective and context-sensitive prevention measures that can be adapted to diverse application contexts. Within ProtectDIS, we pursue four central objectives: (1) the development of a mid-range theory that systematically conceptualizes collusion in decentralized IS as a systemic, sociotechnical risk, (2) identification and modeling of typical collusive behavior patterns based on empirical analyses (e.g., of on-chain governance in Decentralized Finance), (3) development of modular, agent-based simulation tools to investigate realistic collusion scenarios and evaluate mitigation strategies with Decentralized Finance applications as an example, and (4) the creation of a catalog of effective and context-sensitive collusion prevention measures providing practitioners with concrete decision-making and design guidance. The methodological approach combines literature and case study analyses, qualitative and quantitative empirical methods, agent-based modeling and simulation, as well as cooperative validation with domain experts. By closely integrating theoretical and practical perspectives, ProtectDIS aims to generate fundamental insights into the resilience of decentralized IS and contribute to sustainably safeguarding the democratic potentials of such systems, particularly in the financial domain, while effectively counteracting abuse through collusion.

Further Information: https://gepris.dfg.de/project/576826699?lang=en