Bitcoin Q&A: Is Bitcoin a Democracy?

The intersection between blockchains and democracy. "Democracy" is a loaded word where people project a lot of things. Democracy without restraints (human rights, civil rights, constitutional protections) is a brutal system. I don't think Bitcoin is a democracy - rather it is a flat, network-based, collaborative system of super-majority consensus among five constituencies (users, developers, exchanges, merchants, miners), which makes change very difficult. It is a radical decentralization of power. Some people call the politics of this system "cypherpunk," "crypto-anarchy," and other words we don't yet have. Bitcoin and open public blockchains are redefining political systems, organisational systems, freedom of speech, and freedom of association on a transnational basis. Democracies today are systems of hierarchical institutions born out of the era of industrialisation. It doesn't scale any more. We have the ability to produce enough food and energy for everyone, but we just can't distribute it. What is the structure of consensus? The different constituencies of the ecosystem. Coalitions, influencers, and pundits. Noise doesn't change the consensus rules. Talk is cheap but real changes play out between live participating nodes on a network protocol with game theory economic incentives overriding everything else. You can be right or you can be wrong, but if you break consensus you'll be poor either way. People may signal they want one thing, but execute something else, holding on until they start losing money. Chapters: 0:00 Your thoughts on democracy and then the intersection between blockchain and democracy, and then democracy on a blockchain 3:01 Democracy mostly in developed worlds today, is a system of hierarchical and institutional organizational principles that was born out of the era of industrialization in the 18th and 19th century. It does not scale anymore 3:55 You talked about the different constituencies within the ecosystem and about the fact that the consensus on forks is formed by groups. Is it really distribution? Or are there coalition's that are able to force a consensus? What is the structure of a consensus if you look within at the level of those two consistencies? This is part of a talk which took place on June 6th 2017 at a joint meet-up with Blockchain Professionals, BitcoinSYD and SydEthereum in Sydney, Australia: antonopoulos.com/event/blockchain-professionals-sy… Watch the full talk here:    • Forkology: A Study of Forks for Newbies   RELATED: Hard Promises, Soft Promises: Promoting Autonomy instead of Authority -    • Hard Promises, Soft Promises: Promoti...   Forkology: A Study of Forks for Newbies -    • Forkology: A Study of Forks for Newbies   The Consensus Balance of Power -    • Bitcoin Q&A: "West vs. East" - The Co...   Ethereum, ICOs, and Rocket Science -    • Ethereum, ICOs, and Rocket Science   Governance trade-offs in decentralised systems -    • Ethereum Q&A: Governance Trade-Offs i...   What is the role of nodes? -    • Bitcoin Q&A: What is the Role of Nodes?   Politics and counter-economics -    • Bitcoin Q&A: Politics and Counter-Eco...   Fee markets, SegWit, and scaling -    • Bitcoin Q&A: Fee markets, SegWit, and...   Unstoppable code -    • Bitcoin Q&A: Unstoppable Code   Hardware, Software, Trustware -    • Hardware, Software, Trustware   Decentralised immunity from state-sponsored attacks -    • Bitcoin Q&A: Decentralised immunity f...   A voluntary alternative to mandatory currencies -    • Bitcoin Q&A: A Voluntary Alternative ...   Andreas M. Antonopoulos is a technologist and serial entrepreneur who has become one of the most well-known and well-respected figures in bitcoin. Follow on Twitter: @aantonop twitter.com/aantonop Website: antonopoulos.com/ He is the author of two books: “Mastering Bitcoin,” published by O’Reilly Media and considered the best technical guide to bitcoin; “The Internet of Money,” a book about why bitcoin matters. THE INTERNET OF MONEY, v1: www.amazon.co.uk/Internet-Money-collection-Andreas… MASTERING BITCOIN: www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Bitcoin-Unlocking-Digit… [NEW] MASTERING BITCOIN, 2nd Edition: www.amazon.com/Mastering-Bitcoin-Programming-Open-… Subscribe to the channel to learn more about Bitcoin & open blockchains! If you want early-access to talks and a chance to participate in a monthly LIVE Q&A with Andreas, become a patron: www.patreon.com/aantonop Music: "Unbounded" by Orfan (www.facebook.com/Orfan/) Outro Graphics: Phneep (www.phneep.com/) Outro Art: Rock Barcellos (www.rockincomics.com.br/) Join the aantonop Channel: aantonop.io/joinaantonopyt

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