Centralized payments are a powerful force for centralization of the web, creating platforms for content and services that are centralized around a payment processor/aggregator. What happens when payments themselves become decentralized? The nexus of centralization dissolves and the content platforms can become decentralized too. In this talk presented at the Los Angeles Bitcoin Meetup, Andreas examines the impact of payments and the re-decentralization of the web
Transcript
QUESTION: I wanted to see what your thoughts are on the government being an intermediary, or the government should be out of the equation in the next 10, 20 years?
ANDREAS: I don't think government is going to be out of the equation, both from a practical perspective because I don't think that's realistic. I'm also not a hardcore libertarian that says no government is appropriate. There is a role for governments. The government is just us making decisions all together. The question is, what is the government doing? Preventing outright violence between individuals, maybe. Building roads, not in this country, if you've seen the roads.
You have to perhaps re-envision what government is. I think we have a model of government today which is an 18th century model of government. And it's now the 21st century. It's time for a refresh. I don't know what it's going to turn out to be. I'm terrified about the possibilities. But at the same time, I do know that the existing model is certainly becoming less and less effective at the things the government's supposed to do.