Sceptics often claim blockchain is a solution in search of a problem, that use cases are slim and real utility are even rarer. But what if blockchain technology was on the cusp of addressing the greatest challenge of the digital age – how to restore faith in politics and media. Enter quadratic funding.

Quadratic funding (QF) is being touted as a transformative model for financing equitable influence in media and politics. By leveraging the principles of quadratic funding, stakeholders can democratise funding allocations, potentially reshaping how projects, media, and even elections are supported.

Democratising funding

So what exactly is quadratic funding? Essentially it is a mechanism that matches public contributions to projects with funding from a larger pool based on the number of individual contributions rather than the total dollar amount.

This means that a project supported by many small donations will receive more from the matching pool than one supported by the same amount of money concentrated in fewer, larger donations.

The underlying idea, rooted in the mathematical principle of quadratic equations, is to amplify the influence of smaller donors, thereby promoting a more democratic distribution of funds.

Disrupting media monopolies

In the context of media – the perennial tool of political persuasion – quadratic funding can revolutionize the way content is funded and produced. Traditional media funding models heavily rely on large investors or advertising revenue, which can inadvertently skew content toward the interests of wealthy donors.

By applying quadratic, smaller, independent media outlets could receive sufficient funding through numerous small donations from a diverse group of individuals, matched by a larger pool.

This model fosters a pluralistic media landscape where content creators are incentivized to cater to broader and more diverse audiences rather than a few influential sponsors.

For example, the Olas protocol, a new and notable implementation of this model, serves as an illustrative case study of quadratic fundings potential impact. The protocol exemplifies this potential transformation. Implemented as a decentralized platform for funding media projects, blockchain technology ensures transparency and security in the funding process.

Grassroots support

The protocol can enable numerous small and medium-sized media projects to thrive by tapping into collective financial support from communities that value grassroots, unbiased reporting, and diverse cultural expressions.

In politics, quadratic funding through platforms like Olas can empower more grassroots movements and facilitate broader participation in political funding. This reduces the disproportionate influence of big-money donors and can lead to more representative political campaigns and initiatives.

By enabling a larger pool of smaller contributions to have a greater impact, quadratic funding helps to level the playing field in political advocacy and campaigning, which is crucial for nurturing a healthy democracy.

Only time will tell, if quadratic funding can move the dial on political fairness and media objectivity – but its promises appears to be an infinite improvements on today’s jaded and corrupted model.