DeFi Strategy & Protocol Economics Advisors · OBOL rating
BlockScience review
BlockScience is a complex systems engineering and research firm founded by Michael Zargham and known for cadCAD, an open-source simulation framework for modelling token economies.
6.0/10
Mixed
Score breakdown
Category rubric →- Published research and modelsweight 25%10.0avg 7.5
- Client-confirmed workweight 20%8.0avg 3.8
- Recent economics workweight 20%3.0avg 6.9
- Conflict-of-interest disclosureweight 15%0.0avg 1.7
- Named teamweight 10%8.0avg 6.0
- Transparent termsweight 10%5.0avg 8.0
this service category average across 15Score = Σ mark × weight. A criterion with nothing published scores 0. Methodology.
The evidence behind each mark
Scoring rules →| Criterion | Mark | What we found | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Published research and models | 10.0 | Publishes open simulation models and notebooks (cadCAD models for Reflexer, Filecoin, Aztec, Stellar NQG) on GitHub, plus papers archived on Zenodo. | github.com ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Client-confirmed work | 8.0 | Of five named crypto clients (Gitcoin, Reflexer, Aztec, Stellar Community Fund, Filecoin), four are confirmed by the client: Aztec blog 2023, Gitcoin governance forum 2021, Stellar Community Medium 2026 and Reflexer's own Medium publication; Filecoin Foundation funding is stated only by BlockScience. | aztec.network ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Recent economics work | 3.0 | Most recent dated economics work: Expert Service Provider Network programme design position paper for Arbitrum DAO, published 20 March 2024. | blog.block.science ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Conflict-of-interest disclosure | 0.0 | No conflict-of-interest policy or token-compensation disclosure found on block.science, the about page or the blog; only client-side framing (Aztec called it 'independent third-party analysis'). | blog.block.science ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Named team | 8.0 | Founder and Chief Engineer Michael Zargham and several researchers (Jamsheed Shorish, Eric Alston, Kelsie Nabben) are named in newsletters; no dedicated team page with profile links was found. | blog.block.science ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
| Transparent terms | 5.0 | The about page lists service types (systems engineering, R&D, validation, analytics, consulting) but gives no engagement formats, timelines or prices. | blog.block.science ↗ | 22 September 2026 |
What we liked, and what fell short
Liked
- Open models and simulation code published on GitHub (cadCAD models for Reflexer, Filecoin, Aztec, Pocket, The Graph, Stellar NQG)
- Several engagements confirmed by the clients themselves (Aztec blog, Gitcoin governance forum, Stellar Community Fund, Reflexer Medium)
- Leadership with an academic engineering background and peer-reviewed publications
Fell short
- No token-economics engagements found in 2025-2026; public focus has moved to governance and AI
- No published conflict-of-interest policy or disclosure of token compensation
- No published engagement formats, timelines or pricing