O(n*n) isn't really scalable, so you either

a - have a small number of nodes total

b - have a small number of hubs with a larger number of leaf nodes.

Either way, there's going to be some nodes that become more influential than others.

This is kinda how Usenet worked (well, still does). Rather than n*n federated connections, smaller providers tend to federate with central hubs that form backbones.

I think it makes sense for the fediverse as well.