[manytree]

One of the most successful implementations of VDFs in crypto right now is Chia, which uses proof of storage space interleaved with proofs of time from VDF servers. There is not an incentive created by the consensus algorithm to have many VDF servers, since only the fastest VDF server participates in block creation.

Also, it alters the PoW economics somewhat by utilizing already-existing general purpose hardware (storage) and has an implementation which does not yet seem susceptible to special purpose hardware attacks (i.e., increasing storage density / decreasing TCO already has a huge bounty)