Permissionless
Permissionless means anyone can participate with no approval — run a node, send a transaction, deploy a contract, build an app. No signup, no license, no g
Permissionless means anyone can participate with no approval — run a node, send a transaction, deploy a contract, build an app. No signup, no license, no gatekeeper. Bitcoin and Ethereum are permissionless at the protocol level; an exchange account is the opposite.
Why it matters
Permissionlessness is the property everything else defends: censorship resistance, open innovation, and exit rights all flow from “nobody can stop you.” When a chain adds allowlists, licensed validators, or CEX-only access, it’s trading away the core thing — measure what remains.
Related terms
decentralization ·
trustless · blockchain