Difference between revisions of "Disintermediation"
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==Definition== | ==Definition== | ||
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| + | ==Problems== | ||
| + | Technologies that cut out intermediaries shake up the status quo and thus sometimes inspire fear. | ||
| + | * Firms that serve as intermediaries might fear losing customers. | ||
| + | * Agencies like the SEC might fear that a disintermediated world is not regulatable because so many rules assume the presence of intermediaries whose conduct can be directed and held to account. | ||
| + | * Law-enforcement agencies that rely on centralized intermediaries for information about their customers’ involvement in potential crimes might fear that they will not be able to protect the public in a disintermediated world. | ||
==Example== | ==Example== | ||
===Telephone Operators=== | ===Telephone Operators=== | ||
| − | Commissioner Hester Peirce’s 2025 speech at the Science of Blockchain Conference offers a vivid metaphor for disintermediation, using the decline of telephone operators as a historical parallel to today’s cryptographic revolution. | + | [https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-remarks-blockchain-conference-080425 Commissioner Hester Peirce’s 2025 speech at the Science of Blockchain Conference] offers a vivid metaphor for disintermediation, using the decline of telephone operators as a historical parallel to today’s cryptographic revolution. |
# The Telephone Operator Analogy** | # The Telephone Operator Analogy** | ||
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These technologies allow for **disintermediated transmission of value and information**, echoing the benefits of automated dialing but applied to finance, identity, and governance. | These technologies allow for **disintermediated transmission of value and information**, echoing the benefits of automated dialing but applied to finance, identity, and governance. | ||
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===Identifier Management=== | ===Identifier Management=== | ||
* Just as operators were replaced by **automated systems**, centralized identity brokers can be replaced by **verifiable credentials**, **decentralized identifiers**, and **context-aware access protocols**. | * Just as operators were replaced by **automated systems**, centralized identity brokers can be replaced by **verifiable credentials**, **decentralized identifiers**, and **context-aware access protocols**. | ||
* The goal: **minimize unnecessary intermediaries** while preserving **accountability**, **privacy**, and **ethical agency**. | * The goal: **minimize unnecessary intermediaries** while preserving **accountability**, **privacy**, and **ethical agency**. | ||
| + | ==References== | ||
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| + | [[Category: Glossary]] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:49, 6 August 2025
Contents
Definition
Problems
Technologies that cut out intermediaries shake up the status quo and thus sometimes inspire fear.
- Firms that serve as intermediaries might fear losing customers.
- Agencies like the SEC might fear that a disintermediated world is not regulatable because so many rules assume the presence of intermediaries whose conduct can be directed and held to account.
- Law-enforcement agencies that rely on centralized intermediaries for information about their customers’ involvement in potential crimes might fear that they will not be able to protect the public in a disintermediated world.
Example
Telephone Operators
Commissioner Hester Peirce’s 2025 speech at the Science of Blockchain Conference offers a vivid metaphor for disintermediation, using the decline of telephone operators as a historical parallel to today’s cryptographic revolution.
- The Telephone Operator Analogy**
- **Human intermediaries** once connected calls manually, often knowing the caller personally.
- This introduced **privacy friction**—especially for sensitive conversations.
- **Automated switching systems** replaced operators, offering:
- Greater confidentiality
- User autonomy
- Scalable infrastructure
- Modern Disintermediation via Cryptography**
Peirce draws a direct line from that shift to today’s digital transformation:
- **Zero-Knowledge Proofs**: Verify facts without revealing underlying data.
- **Smart Contracts**: Automate agreements without centralized enforcement.
- **Public Blockchains**: Enable transparent, tamper-resistant coordination.
These technologies allow for **disintermediated transmission of value and information**, echoing the benefits of automated dialing but applied to finance, identity, and governance.
Identifier Management
- Just as operators were replaced by **automated systems**, centralized identity brokers can be replaced by **verifiable credentials**, **decentralized identifiers**, and **context-aware access protocols**.
- The goal: **minimize unnecessary intermediaries** while preserving **accountability**, **privacy**, and **ethical agency**.
