The entire cryptocurrency space is pretty much anarchy. Yet, there is hardly any violence, disorder, or evil in the system. How Awesome!

What's in a word

Anarchy has a negative connotation. Try this: close your eyes, and say the word anarchy out loud to yourself. What is the first image that pops into your head? If you're like most, it will be rioting and lawlessness. Not in my head. For me, anarchy is much more associated with voluntary interactions between people lacking an authoritarian ruler than barbarianism.

According to Marian-Webster, here is how Anarchy is defined in English

Anarchy (noun)

1 : absence of government

2 : a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority the city's descent into anarchy

3 : a utopian society of individuals who enjoy complete freedom without government

It's obvious that 99% of the world take the second definition of anarchy as the only one. I much prefer definition 1 and 3.

If you break down the origin of the word to its Greek roots - it literally means "without ruler"



Rules without Rulers

It is my opinion that the real killer app for cryptocurrencies and open public blockchains isn't money, its governance.

For the first time in human history, a system of unbreakable rules can be created to govern interactions between parties. Most importantly these interactions are completely voluntary. And the authors of the rules have zero authority to enforce them. If you don't like the particular rules of Bitcoin, write your own, call it Bitcoin Cash and convince someone that your rules are better. For the first time, we have a real unregulated market for GOVERNMENT.

This is why I think open, public blockchains are the closest thing to Anarchy that we have. Not because there is disorder, quote the opposite. There is perfect order. But because there is no RULER. The rules are modified by consensus rather the whim of a ruling party. When ruled by consensus, any modification to the rules have to benefit ALL parties, or they don't get implemented.

A great example was the Segwit vs Big Block debate in Bitcoin that lead to the Bitcoin Cash fork. The fact that the fork was so heavily debated and contested was a FEATURE not a BUG. The best part is, no parties had to suffer oppressively under the rule of the other. A split happened and the ideological parties went on their own way. Now, free to compete for the attention of the masses. And the masses benefit the most. They have choice, not force.

Democracy is overrated - Liberty is where it's at

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!” - Benjamin Franklin

I'll leave you with the above meme. Feel free to light up the comments section with how wrong I am...

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