Part 8/11:
In examining cyberspace's power dynamics, Lowry discusses how digital platforms like Facebook and Google have become modern abstract power hierarchies. Bitcoin represents a counterforce that can introduce a zero-trust, permissionless paradigm across the digital landscape, where users actively ascribe value to resources based on their power projection.
This theme continues with an exploration of how energy-intensive blockchain protocols compete with conventional software paradigms. Lowry posits that while traditional computing focuses on efficiency, Bitcoin’s design embraces physical cost and scarcity, setting itself apart from conventional software applications and enabling unique properties not producible in traditional environments.