The power of numbers comes not from data, but from the number of people who come together to transform the world. It comes from technology: It comes from the way individuals use technology to better themselves, thereby creating a better way for retailers and consumers to do business. It comes from how we use the blockchain to give everyone more freedom and opportunity, where no one company can monopolize prices or manipulate people. This assertion is real, not because I want it to be true, but because I know it to be true.
We can see it for ourselves in the disruptive nature of blockchain technology, which frees us from the corruptive effects of programs that destroy personal privacy. We can also see its existence among a new breed of pirates who are outrageous in their pursuit of information and an outrage to the very notion of corporate responsibility; who have the means, because of vulnerable and inferior networks, to neutralize free markets; who force executives to offer platitudes in lieu of policies that can stop these individuals; because these CEOs will not admit, and cannot afford to concede, what we already know––that they can no more end this threat than they can end their existing business models, which depend on us surrendering to their terms and conditions.
I exaggerate not in the slightest, since the popularity of the blockchain speaks for itself. That I believe in this platform is itself a personal statement, as I choose to stake a claim in the future of this technology and its ability to transform the future by expanding people’s freedom to choose. I believe we are at that moment right now, given the collision of several things, such as: the failure of social media companies to safeguard their sites, the reactive and reluctant (in my opinion) response to these events, and the questionable (again, in my opinion) apologies from billionaires whose success seems to require them to see no evil, while evildoers do evil.
What, then, does the blockchain mean for business owners and consumers? It means, at a minimum, that they can switch from a lopsided platform to a level playing field. It means no single company can leverage the blockchain to attract crowds of customers by crowding out the competition. It means we can profit through the expenditure of hard––and honest––work, rather than profiting at the expense of workers. It means the blockchain is too vast for criminals to vitiate, too complex for companies to co-opt for their own nefarious reasons, and too innovative for businesses to bypass or use to befuddle the public.
We, therefore, have a responsibility to educate the public about these facts. By which I mean we, the entrepreneurs and investors, who value this space; we, the advocates and advocacy groups, who occupy this space; we, the voices for change and the agents of change, who seek to encourage people to visit this space; we, the supporters of this time and space, must do our best to guarantee everyone can enjoy the rewards of this place.
My approach to achieving these goals is twofold. On the one hand, I come to rally readers who support the ideals described above, while I say we must come together to rouse the conscience of the world, on the other. We must raise awareness about the importance of blockchain technology, which means we must clarify the urgency of adopting this medium; which means the intelligence we provide must be the most intelligible message of its kind.
Will this shift be sudden and substantial? The answer depends on how well we champion this cause. It depends on how well we connect with our audience, too, because people need to know––and we need to know for ourselves––that what we show them they can understand. We need to know what they know, so we have no doubts about their enthusiasm for the future of retail and the rise of new era in the field of e-commerce.
All of these things will not happen in the next hundred hours, or in the next two thousand hours, but let us nonetheless begin this journey by blocking the might of monopolies with our willingness to do right through our embrace of the blockchain. Let us resolve to accomplish these goals, so we can celebrate a new era of freedom and opportunity.
Let us make the most of this opportunity to advance the interests of business owners and honor the expectations of consumers.
