Blockchain technology, which was birthed in 2008, is quickly expanding beyond only bitcoin and traditional notions of value transfer. While bitcoin is indeed an groundbreaking creation, one which will continue to grow and fundamentally change the way people view money (arguably the most important social invention we have) — it is not the full story. Public second-generation smart contracting blockchains like Ethereum, are indeed on course to allow for the disruption and disintermediation of all kinds of third party-dependent transactions and operations.

One example of this impending paradigm shift is decentralized autonomous organizations/companies/communities, known as DAOs or DACs. Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, organizations have largely operated in the same manner. Company X is headquartered in a specific geographic location, and most of the work or value creation gets done in that location by a set group of participants, and all of this is monitored and approved by local authorities. Although today companies are operating in a more global fashion, the paradox is that this centralized model has actually become further cemented as operations, data storage, and networks are all highly centralized. Utilizing Ethereum allows us to begin reconsidering our notions of what firms are and how we as users can and should interact with them.

“What this means is that what ultimately disrupts many of the major web services created in the last decade could be peer-to-peer protocols, not companies. This would be similar to the effect that the torrent protocol had on media companies, but on a much larger scale. The result would be twitter the protocol without Twitter the company, facebook without Facebook, uber without Uber.” — Olaf Carlson-Wee

Aragon is one such Ethereum-based platform which offers the tools to be able to manage and grow an organization, community or firm without middlemen, borders, or red tape. Aragon is a decentralized management platform which promises to empower entrepreneurs, NGOs, open source communities, and firms by reclaiming the ability to innovate and create value for others in a permissionless and decentralized manner. Open source communities, for example, will be able to directly monetize their network with an app-token while collaborating and governing the project with ease and efficiency. This is just one example of how decentralized coordination on the blockchain promises to change incentives around work and business while also opening the door to new possibilities for innovators.

Ethereum vs. The Internet Today

Today, most internet usage is ‘one sided’ and creates a dynamic where users themselves are the product. Users log in to applications to access services and most data points sit in centralized storage and information centers and are not owned by the user. Personal computers have become mere screens to access walled gardens where users have little control or bargaining power. Centralized, remote servers which we have collectively come to rely on heavily, are not only a huge risk from a security standpoint- but it is also dangerous because end-users do not control their data. Dismantling these data silos, and thus the immense power to monetize this content, can only come through users becoming empowered via decentralized computing and its applications. Web 3.0 projects like Aragon, look to re-orient the trajectory of the internet’s infrastructure and changing how we interact with firms and others online. An Ethereum-based Web 3.0 promises the automation of industries and professions while streamlining business and restoring individual sovereignty.

Although much of the mainstream hype around Ethereum is about the price of ETH or other ERC20 project tokens — user friendly applications that demonstrate the clear advantages of decentralized management, computing, or identity platforms is the only way for Web 3.0 advances to transform and be adopted by society at large. There are many projects both on Ethereum and other smart contracting public blockchains that are working on user-friendly alternatives to the status quo. Blockstack is a project without an associated cryptocurrency that is creating a full stack to allow decentralized applications which will re-allocate identity, data, and storage rights to end-users. Rootstock/RSK is a sidechain project to allow Ethereum-style smart contracting and functionality to the previously inflexible bitcoin blockchain. Running parallel with creating user-friendly applications is mobile applications, which are already the go-to for most users. Projects like Toshi (finance and payment-focused) or Civic and Uport which are identity-focused for mobile. Status is an important project which aims to make it easy to access the decentralized Web 3.0 and Ethereum ecosystem via personal mobile devices. Status is working to ensure that the projects like Aragon and their functionalities can be seamlessly used on mobile clients. These, along with other mobile clients and platforms are indispensable for mass adoption to take hold.

The Future of Business Will Be Decentralized

Ethereum, Aragon-native firms have the unique ability to build and launch a global brand, mission, product, or service with ease and efficiency. These organizations are free from traditional hurdles and restrictions related to physical location, regulation, and government, age/gender/ethnicity, religious or political affiliation, or lack thereof.

Currently property rights, friendliness towards innovation, taxes, corruption, freedom (personal, trade, and monetary), and red tape — all vary greatly depending on physical location. Government-reliant innovation tends to favor the establishment and those who are well connected. However markets, investors, and consumers all favor value creation. In this way, Aragon unleashes business to evolve beyond the stagnant, centralized, and closed systems which dominate today. The future will be decentralized and international with no paperwork or government approvals to create and grow value for the global market. Aragon and ethereum-based firms are creating a new standard for transparency, security, and accountability that will transform our work and personal lives.