Ethereum

Claiming that "users don't care about abstract ideas like decentralization" is a little bit like claiming "users don't care about abstract ideas like property rights or the rule of law"

I work for Ethereum at the Ethereum Foundation.

Only a bit. Property rights and the rule of law have direct and tangible effects on an individual's life. The benefits of decentralization tend to be second  or third order and consciously experienced by far fewer folks. I think we're at the point on the arc where we have to care because others don't know they should.

co-founder @chaindrop § software engineer § privacy wonk § music head § theoretical memeticist

When looking at global blockchain usage, a significant portion of transaction volume is likely owed to networks like Tron and Bitcoin, especially in regions with volatile local currencies. These networks provide direct value transfer, benefiting users through decentralization—though it's debatable how tangible that benefit is to them.

Decentralization is often an abstraction that most people don’t consciously consider. They don't need to; the technology built on top of it provides a utility that meets their needs, and that’s where their thought process ends.

Property rights via the rule of law, however, are so deeply embedded in our cultural psyche that they’ve evolved beyond abstraction. They’re perceived as fundamental, almost as human rights, and we build our societies on these concrete and reliable concepts. 

This is just my speculation, though. I'd be genuinely interested in studies that delve into this topic more rigorously.

Hundreds of millions of people rely on blockchains every day (if they hold assets, use it to transact, etc). The benefits of decentralization are very tangible for those people, no?