Decentralization and centralization are in adaptive tension.

Decentralization in one layer typically leads to centralization in another layer.

You might call this the "Conservation of Centralization."

For example^[ol], globalization (decentralization) requires something like the dollar being the reserve currency (centralization).

Full decentralization is just noise, incoherence; some centralized bedrock is required to give stability.

A system that is very distributed is ripe for centralization.

Distributed systems have certain kinds of problems that need centralization.

You can't have one or the other, you need both.