If you are an investor in the distributed ledger technology industry, chances are that you already know about the promise of Blockchains, which is also commonly referred to as the Blockchain Technology. The promising opportunities with this technology have been discussed at length in the financial press and in the investment community. From a philosophical viewpoint, one of the most important benefits of using the Blockchain technology is its use of distributed control. Distributed control refers to the fact that users of the system can decide what they want done based on the collective intelligence of the users. This decision making process is generated by a process of computing power and is governed by several principles including privacy, trust, and a decentralized governance system.
In the distributed ledger technology industry, the use of the Blockchain ethics has been quite controversial. There are some developers who would like to see the system restrict certain activities, while other developers would prefer to see as many opportunities as possible to be available to individuals and companies. With regard to the developers who want to limit certain aspects of the system, it is important to understand that there are actually several issues that come up when trying to do this. One of these issues involves the Blockchain's long-term societal impact that the system might have on the global marketplace.
Many people are speculating about the effects the distributed ledger technology will have on the world. Some experts have predicted that the widespread use of the Blockchain technology will lead to a new age in the global economy. On the other hand, others have claimed that the impact would be very limited if any. While there may be some discussion about which aspects of the decentralized currency system will impact society the most, one thing is for certain. There is no doubt that the widespread use of the distributed ledger technology will have a huge impact on society and the long term well being of the world.
When it comes to the issue of privacy, many people believe that using the Blockchain technology will not have any significant long-term impact on society. The concern is not so much about the potential privacy violations that may result from the widespread use of the technologies, but more about the potential for abuse by unethical users. For instance, one developer has argued that because of the decentralized nature of the blockchains, there will be very little or no controls over who owns communications between different parties. As such, the abuse may be widespread and consequently damaging. This would certainly be an issue of concern to any user that wants to protect his or her privacy while still using the decentralized aspect of the technology.
Another worry that has been raised regarding the use of the technology comes from the core developers of the bitcoin network. Most of the concerns center around whether the system as a whole is operating according to the standards set forth by the decentralized governance set forth by the bitcoin group. The worry is that while the bitcoin group is in control of the implementation of the code, there will be little or no controls over how the software is used by end users. In a way, this would be like an open source software that was available for anyone to use with almost no controls. Even though most people would consider this kind of system to be both safe and ethical, the concern is that the lack of controls could mean that someone could abuse the system for their own benefit.
One of the ways that the decentralized aspect of the bitcoin platform is supposed to address this issue is by encouraging the core developers to publish the code for the project on a regular basis. This would allow end users to verify that the software is being operated properly by the core developers and that they are not abusing their influence over the system. By requiring regular updates to the code, it is hoped that this would provide a degree of confidence to users that the system is operating correctly and does not actually allow for unfair conduct. While there is no guarantee that the decentralized aspect of the technology will solve all the ethical problems that have been raised, it is likely that the ongoing updates will at least help to curb some of the criticism.
In the end, it appears that the biggest problem that lies between developers who want to create an open source alternative to the traditional Internet is the perception that they are only interested in profits. The core developers have a responsibility to the public to demonstrate that they are creating an ethical solution to the problems that they are addressing. Unfortunately, there is little that they can do if people believe they are only motivated by profit. The best way to address this is to reassure the public that the developers are doing everything possible to ensure that the system is fair and equitable and that they are not taking advantage of the situation.
This may not be possible for the time being as the decentralized aspect of the technology is only in its early stages. The long-term goal, however, is to create a platform where there is a healthy community of participants operating under similar ethical principles. This will take time to develop, but the important thing to remember is that the decentralized model is not some pie in the sky ideal; it is an actual and tangible idea that is going to have real and meaningful benefits for users if it is promoted properly. By creating an open source software solution that is supported by a vibrant small group of core developers, the decentralized approach can take hold and provide a path for developers to work together on meaningful solutions to real world problems.
James Dimon of JPMorgan Chase