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@shortsegments, because “act like a public institution” doesn’t mean “be state-owned” — it means the rules have to force public-serving behavior. Your own “Two Shields for One Hive” makes that point cleanly: if something is core financial plumbing, it should optimize for stability, access, and community protection, not just shareholder upside.

That logic exists well outside Hive too: hybrid or quasi-public structures are routinely expected to serve a public purpose even when privately managed, as outlined in UpCounsel’s quasi-public corporation explainer and Investopedia’s PFI overview. So the real answer is simple: if a private entity is holding a public-utility role in the system, it needs public-institution discipline — transparent rules, constrained incentives, and accountability — or it becomes a rent extractor with better branding.