Bitcoin and 3D printing have something in common at their very core, on a design principle level. They are both text book examples of progression of technology, that will lead to creative intermediation of the existing systems. They both challenge the status quo in economy and manufacturing, respectively. But how did we get here and where are we headed, with Bitcoin and 3D Printing?

How did the Ice factories become Refrigerators?

Long before we had the modern day portable refrigerators, there used to be ice factories. Much like the postman for postal delivery system, there was an ice-man who delivered ice to doorsteps. Not anymore. Someone thought it would be a cooler (pun intended) idea to shrink the ice factory and place it inside every home. Those factories are now called refrigerators.

Someone saw the big clock on those tall buildings and wondered why not make that smaller and wear it on the wrist. Wrist watches were born. Innovation is simply increasing/decreasing, amplifying/diminishing, repurposing, substituting of what the world already had, to make things that the world doesn’t yet have, but needs.

Just like those ice factories, our modern day banks and governments control the ice (treasury). This is the whole point of centralised systems, that keeps the system intact with policies and bureaucracy. But we don’t need ice factories anymore. Our Bitcoin payments are decentralised and are now inside our homes; actually in our denim pockets to be precise.

3D Printing and Bitcoin. Run Decentralisation, Run.

3D Printing has been in the news for a while now. The frequency of 3D Printing in news seems to be increasing as the months progress. Same has been the case of Bitcoin over the past few years. 3D printing is a classic example of a case, where the history will repeat itself. The Ice Factories to refrigerator story, will also hold good for manufacturers in China who make our phones and phone cases. Soon, we could be printing them ourselves in our homes, may be while having a cup of coffee. 3D Printing would be faster than the time taken to make the coffee.

Connecting the Dots to Predict the Future of Bitcoin

Predicting the future is often an act of connecting the dots from the past. 3D Printing technology, Refrigerators and Decentralised Digital Currency are the three dots. Triangulate them and we have a preview of the future of personal manufacturing paid for with encrypted digital currency, enabled by a peer to peer network, using open sourced technologies.

Refrigerators were a great invention. But this one will be better.