Applying crypto/blockchain concepts (e.g. proof of work, aligning incentives) to building large scale co-ops that require cooperation and governance. Famous examples of co-ops include Visa and REI. Visa for example needed a co-op model to incentivize banks to join the network which onlocked more network effects (more consumers could use credit cards in more places).
In an essay from A16Z on cryptonetworks, they argue that co-op models built on top of the properties of cryptocurrency would allow these kinds of models to scale even further. However, it’s hand-wavy about how exactly this solves the social and economic alignment required by cooperative models.
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