What is Decentralized Network?

A decentralized network is a connected conglomerate of separate entities that communicate without a central authority or server. They stand in contrast to centralized networks, which feature a central point of governance. Blockchains are an example of a decentralized system: the data ledger is distributed amongst network participants (nodes), they must achieve consensus on the data content for the network to function. Without a single point of authority or failure, blockchains are typically more secure and immune to attacks as even damaged, malicious, and offline nodes cannot alter or shut down the network due to its consensus mechanism(s).