Systems built on trust, norms, and institutions function better than blockchain
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Submission timeline
2007–2026One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.
First comments on top threads
HN comment order> Venmo is a free service to transfer dollars, and bitcoin transfers are not free Venmo is not free. There's a cost, it's just hiding. > Blockchain-based trustworthiness falls apart in practice... The particular brand of trustworthiness the author is arguing against is indeed a myth, but that doesn't mean blockchain is "crappy technology" or "a bad vision for the future" Blockchain adds a new thing to the world: digital property that cannot be reproduced for free. Smart contracts add…
This article contains the best explanation of what a blockchain is that I have ever seen: A blockchain is a specific data structure: a linear transaction log, typically replicated by computers whose owners (called miners) are rewarded for logging new transactions. There are two things that are cool about this particular data structure. One is that a change in any block invalidates every block after it, which means that you can’t tamper with historical transactions. The second is that you…
The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.
- Breakout years
- 2
- Total points
- 406
- Total comments
- 414
100+ points or 50+ comments
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
Every submission
| Date | Title as submitted | By | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-06 | Blockchain is not only crappy technology but a bad vision for the future | viach | 7 | 0 |
| 2018-04-06 | Systems built on trust, norms, and institutions function better than blockchainFirst breakout · Best thread | petethomas | 303 | 220 |
| 2019-09-25 | Blockchain is not only crappy technology but a bad vision for the future | kmod | 2 | 0 |
| 2020-03-09 | Blockchain is a bad vision for the future | galaxyLogic | 2 | 0 |
| 2022-01-18 | Blockchain is not only crappy technology but a bad vision for the futureHall induction · Latest 20+ point return | redarguireda | 92 | 194 |