History and ambivalences of Blockchain technology
History of Blockchain
The first blockchain was introduced at the end of 2008 with the release
of the digital currency bitcoin, which was created by an unidentified
individual under the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. The bitcoin project is essentially
an anarcho-capitalist political initiative with individualistic undertones that
seeks to free people from the restrictions of the state and the law. This
ideology vehemently opposes democracy and advocates for autocratic, even
fascist, forms of rule.
In this vision, decentralization is synonymous with the outright
disappearance of all government1. Replacing intermediaries, first and foremost
the public authorities, appeals to ultraliberal and libertarian circles.
Although bitcoin is the product of a political project, and blockchain
simply the technology that made this project possible, the latter is still
equated with bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This confusion perfectly illustrates
the ambivalence of this technology. Indeed, blockchain can be seen as the
embodiment of political and social values, such as transparency and the
redistribution of power, but also as the embodiment of ultraliberal values,
which reject all control, however democratic.
It is in this ambivalence that the complexity of blockchain technology
lies, as both an opportunity and a threat to the social economy and the vision
of society it defends. This is why, according to Michel Bauwens, founder of the
P2P Foundation, we need to ensure that blockchain-based instruments are not
hyper-libertarian and capitalist, but rest on the idea of the common good and
cooperation.
Similarly, the ideology behind blockchain does not recognize the
collective, distrusts democratic governance, and wants to create fully
automated systems. This corresponds to a "trustlessness" vision of
society where trust in the human is transferred to technology, a vision far
removed from the values of the social economy, which places the human and the
collective at the forefront.
It is therefore essential to distinguish blockchain from bitcoin, which
is just one possible application based on an ultraliberal political and
economic vision of the world: a tool for speculation and denial of the
collective, far removed from the values of solidarity.
Blockchain: a cooperative tool for group intelligence
With co-construction, which is based on the proposal power of citizens
placed on an equal footing with public or private authority, the social economy
seeks to address the challenge of the decline in trust in institutions.
Collective intelligence and cooperation are difficult to implement, especially
in the absence of mechanisms for appreciating and recording individual
contributions, which might stifle the spontaneous exchange of knowledge and
concepts.
Blockchain: A Collaboration Tool
Blockchain technology allows for user participation, making it a
potential instrument for the formation of collective intelligence and the
testing of novel sharing and innovation models. It can create new co-creation
platforms and make it possible for people to work together in open,
decentralized groups, guaranteeing complete visibility and traceability of the
added value given by each participant and promoting innovation and idea
sharing. People's capacity for efficient coordination is strengthened by the
consensus-based decentralization of trust made possible by blockchain.
By streamlining coordination procedures, fostering a sense of sharing,
and combining community members' contributions, blockchain contributes to
"horizontalizing" the world by fostering more organic, equitable, and
encouraging cooperation.
Since blockchain technology enables many stakeholders to communicate
with one another, it might encourage the testing of new governance models that
are based on more collaborative approaches. For social economy systems, which
primarily rely on partnerships, this might make things simpler.
Without having to incur the expense and complexity of establishing a central organization to regulate the connections between players, it is possible to combine and federate the operations of many structures.
Blockchain
technology has the potential to alter the dynamics of competition in this area
by promoting cooperation, generating network effects, new synergies, and
fostering a more cooperative and participatory working environment built on
mutual trust.
Competitiveness of blockchain
However, it should be highlighted that blockchain technology is not by nature cooperative; depending on how it is created and applied, it can be extractive (for profit) and competitive. In fact, it can be hijacked by individuals who have other goals in mind than the common good and social welfare, such as profit and the extraction of the value created.
Therefore, it
is important to distinguish between different blockchain applications based on
a variety of factors, most notably their intended use and how the wealth they
generate is shared.
In conclusion, this duality is what gives blockchain technology its
complexity, making it both an opportunity and a threat to the social economy
and the ideal of society it seeks to advance. Blockchain, however, also creates
chances for teamwork and collective intelligence by allowing for the visibility
and traceability of individual contributions.
It's critical to make a distinction between blockchain and bitcoin,
which is its most well-known application and is based on a particular political
and economic perspective. Blockchain technology has the potential to be a
potent tool for enhancing player coordination, promoting teamwork, and
promoting more egalitarian and collaborative practices.
Blockchain can be misappropriated for extractive and competitive
objectives, thus it's important to be careful how it's used. In the end,
blockchain technology presents intriguing possibilities for rethinking how we
cooperate and plan our actions, but its use needs to be steered by ideals of
the common good, cooperation, and solidarity to benefit society.