A Major Transition in the Evolution of Human Cooperation Since the Emergence of Agriculture

Abstract

The chapter describes how the switch toward a decentralisation of data storage can potentially advance the human economy and society to a new, unprecedented level as not seen since the origin of agriculture. Starting from the inception of the internet, its related I.T. developments are recalled going from a truly open and collaborative circumscribed network to the gradual establishment of new network nodes. During this time, I.T. corporations have profited greatly becoming larger and larger and making the internet much more centralised. However, thanks to the blockchains, there is now the possibility to go partly back to a more “liberal” state of the networks in which more weight is given back to minor network nodes. In this manner, human cooperation would increase enormously.