Rotational discovery over a non-accumulating liveness signal — a local-discovery layer with no recipient-facing surface, no recipient aggregate and no impression count, in which admission is a predicate over circulation rather than a score, order is a publicly recomputable rotation, and the turn belongs to the giver. The liveness signal named in this paper's title is an admission predicate, not a weighted input to a ranking function. We state this first because the paper's whole content follows from it: a weighted input produces an order, an order is a rank, and a rank is the thing this design exists to do without. Local discovery — routing a person to a nearby business they do not yet know — is presently solved by ranked, purchasable surfaces. That solution has a structural bias toward scale which is mechanical rather than malicious: an auction allocates visibility to the highest bidder per acquired customer, and the highest bidder is reliably whoever has the largest lifetime value, the best measurement, the cheapest capital, and the widest geography over which to amortise creative production. A single-location business is priced out of the discovery layer by construction. Reputation systems built to correct this — consumer review platforms above all — have been captured repeatedly, and we argue the capture follows from a shared property rather than from bad management: reviews are fungible, and they are aggregated into a per-recipient total, so both the fake-review market and the placement-upsell business have something to attach to. We specify a discovery layer with no such total. Admission is a predicate over circulation — a rate, not a stock, derived from how often a participant's balance returns to zero — evaluated as a boolean with amplitude excluded, so that the smallest circulating operator is admitted exactly as much as the largest, and so that admission cannot be accumulated toward. Order is a publicly recomputable rotation. The turn belongs to the giver, arising at the moment they spend from a forward-only, locality-restricted account, from which it follows that the system has no recipient-facing surface and therefore nothing to sell to the parties it routes people toward. Where a real relational path exists — someone the viewer has themselves thanked has thanked this recipient — that single named hop is shown instead; a path is one act by one named person and cannot sum. We are explicit about what this does not achieve. The design does not prevent concentration. It prevents compounding. Givers will still choose the familiar, so the outcome distribution may remain heavy-tailed; what the design removes is the return edge of the feedback loop, because there is no recipient total for an outcome to accumulate into. A ranked system has a ratchet — visible, therefore chosen, therefore more visible. This one does not. That is a smaller claim than "no gradient," and it is the one we can defend. We are equally explicit about the costs. Quality degrades relative to ranking: find me the best pho in town is a question this system permanently refuses, and we answer only pho near me, by distance. Discovery becomes intermittent, because admission is bound to a named operator's presence rather than to premises. The isolation inequity documented elsewhere in this corpus — those whose kindness is less legible circulate less and are therefore seen less — is not repaired here. And the design contains exactly one number, the liveness window, which must be published, global and rarely changed, because a window tuned per recipient or per district is a ranking knob wearing a predicate's clothes. Finally we note that the routing primitive is not new to this corpus and we do not claim it. Steward-Routed Alms (July 2026) already published rotation-as-router for monastic invitation, on the explicit ground that no evaluative metric may exist anywhere in the system. What is new here is the substitute for ordination. In the monastic case admission is a durable institutional status; in a commercial setting there is no ordination, and the mechanism needs some criterion that admits without ranking and cannot be accumulated toward. The liveness predicate is that substitute, and supplying it is what generalises a monastic routing rule into a discovery layer. Offered defensively to the commons under CC0. Keywords: unranked discovery, rotational routing, non-accumulating reputation, liveness signal, popularity-gradient-free ranking, giver-side discovery, local commerce, sortition, rotating savings and credit association, impression-free advertising alternative, defensive publication. --- Provenance. This paper is part of the THonly research corpus, dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0. The canonical version is at https://thonly.org/research/rotation-over-liveness. Its SHA-256 is 072c25d396930668cc6fe1a503615f108ba81ddd2e68415adba5933b8ddd169b, independently timestamped to the Bitcoin blockchain via OpenTimestamps and signed under RFC 3161 by three trust authorities, one of them eIDAS-qualified. AI co-authorship is disclosed. Miss Aquarius is the consistent name used for the AI collaboration across all venues.
In the era of digital revolution many contemporary events that changed the world were shaped through the internet. Nowadays, the emergence of internet of things (IoT), combining physical objects with virtual networks is expected to have even more influence. This new 'decentralised' structure in the world raises questions such as power, governance and the notion of democracy online. The aim of this paper is to investigate these notions. We have taken the examples of Bitcoin and Wikipedia and examined their decision-making process. Our analysis has found some inconsistencies in their policies, that are in contradiction with democracy and consensus principles of governance. Starting from our findings, we present further improvements that can be used to achieve more democracy and equity in the digital context.
In approximately the year 2000, the author conceived and partially implemented a multi-layered community economic system centered on Shibuya, Tokyo. The system integrated real-time human broadcasting, local media production, a unified community coupon currency, youth-driven cultural monitoring, and digital education — years before the terminology of "DAO," "Web3," "UGC," or "creator economy" existed. This paper documents that original conception, analyzes its structural architecture, and demonstrates its direct lineage to the author's current work: the Hikari Currency (光貨) ecosystem and the ECHO AI Artist platform. The Shibuya system was not understood by contemporaries. It is understood now.
This replication package contains the data and scripts used in this empirical study, including the LLM-based semantic validation pipeline, the observed practice extraction process, and all figures from the research questions (RQ1–RQ5). ERC_Observed_Practicess.xlsx: workbook of observed practices ERC_Observed_Practices_Process_Review.xlsx: Phases to generate the workbook of observed practices Other supplementary materials: Essential data files (data/) results_semantic_validation.json: 11,559 issues classified by LLM (substantive, category, justification) sample_manual_review_updated.csv: ~400 manually reviewed entries for LLM quality validation eips_labels.csv / ercs_labels.csv: PR metadata from Ethereum repositories for status evolution analysis (RQ5) Scripts (scripts/) 01: scrapes the official ERC list from ethereum.org 02 : filters the dataset for ERC mentions via regex 03: classifies issues via Gemini (substantive + category) 03: removes duplicates from the validation JSON 03: merges LLM results with issue metadata 04: extracts observed practices per ERC via Gemini, cross-referenced with official specs 05: fetches GitHub labels and generates ERC status evolution figure (RQ5) 06: generates all quantitative figures (RQ1–RQ4)
Maksym W. Sitnicki, Олена Шатілова, Nikita Smohorzhevskyi
The growth of the knowledge economy requires new models enabling consulting firms to convert expertise into venture capital capabilities within Web 3.0 ecosystems. Existing research rarely explains how knowledge-based consultancies transform into institutional investors with scalable investment strategies and measurable performance. This study aims to develop an original theoretical and applied framework explaining the transition of a Web 3.0 consulting company into a venture capital institution through quantitative forecasting, governance mechanisms, and diversified investment design. The proposed concept integrates organizational maturity assessment, financial modeling, investment governance, and scenario analysis into a unified venture transition framework for knowledge-economy firms. The core research question addresses how a knowledge-economy consulting company can operationalize its transition into venture capital management within the Web 3.0 ecosystem. Using PEMM analysis, gap analysis, Gantt charts, RACI matrices, market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM), financial forecasting, and scenario modeling, this paper proposes a phased framework for venture fund structuring, investment strategy formulation, and 5-year performance projections—directly applied to Solus Agency’s context to demonstrate practical pathways for capturing value in this high-growth, high-risk domain. The empirical basis combines venture datasets, company-level indicators, and proprietary Solus Agency statistics, including 180+ venture funds, 160+ private investors, 46 fundraising projects, and USD 13.8 million attracted for clients. Quantitative modeling shows that a diversified USD 50 million fund may generate projected profits of USD 120 million under a negative scenario, USD 200 million in the baseline scenario, and USD 290 million in an optimistic scenario, corresponding to expected multipliers between 2.4× and 5.8×. Portfolio valuation is forecast to increase from USD 20.6 billion to USD 54.6 billion, demonstrating substantial sensitivity to allocation strategy and market conditions. The proposed Solus Agency subfund achieves an expected total return of USD 36.38 million, a gross multiplier of 3.64, a net multiplier of 3.11, a gross IRR of 52.05%, and a LP net IRR of 43.60%, indicating high projected efficiency despite elevated early-stage risks. Probability modeling identifies seed-stage allocations as the strongest contributor (USD 13.06 million projected profit) and demonstrates that diversification across AI, Web3, DeFi, and RWA segments reduces volatility while preserving growth potential. The scientific novelty lies in constructing an original framework quantitatively linking organizational maturity, consulting expertise, and venture performance indicators. The findings provide a transferable model for knowledge-economy firms seeking institutionalization as venture capital actors and support further research on quantitative venture strategies and Web 3.0 investment ecosystems.
Vahab Esfandani, Mohammad Amin Borghei, Sara Ravan Ramzani, Peter Konhaeusner · 6 authors
The digital economy has expanded organizations’ ability to source ideas, labor and capital through online participation, making crowdsourcing a strategic mechanism for innovation and problem solving. This chapter conceptualizes strategic crowdsourcing as a socio-technical system rather than ad hoc task outsourcing and synthesizes dispersed theory and evidence into a coherent framework for design and governance. It defines major typologies—micro-tasks, open innovation contests, co-creation, crowdfunding, internal crowdsourcing and citizen science—and situates them relative to outsourcing and open-source collaboration to clarify when each approach fits task uncertainty, required expertise and desired ownership of outputs. Building on open innovation, socio-technical systems and participatory governance perspectives, the chapter proposes an integrated model with five linked layers: contextual drivers; input configuration (task specification, crowd definition and call design); enabling infrastructure (platforms and technologies, including AI and blockchain-based mechanisms); process mechanisms (incentive design, validation and quality assurance, data governance and ethical/legal safeguards); and outputs/outcomes (innovation, organizational learning, governance effects and social value with feedback loops). Cross-sector illustrations from technology, healthcare, education, civic tech and sustainability highlight recurring trade-offs around motivation, quality control, fair compensation, privacy and confidentiality and intellectual property rights. The chapter also evaluates emerging hybrid human–AI crowdsourcing and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), emphasizing that their benefits depend on transparent rules, accountable allocation of rewards and decision rights and human-in-the-loop oversight to mitigate bias, concentration of control and trust failures. Overall, strategic crowdsourcing is positioned as potentially democratizing when aligned with organizational goals and governed responsibly. It concludes by outlining research directions for comparative studies, cross-cultural analysis and regulation-aware design.
In approximately the year 2000, the author conceived and partially implemented a multi-layered community economic system centered on Shibuya, Tokyo. The system integrated real-time human broadcasting, local media production, a unified community coupon currency, youth-driven cultural monitoring, and digital education — years before the terminology of DAO, Web3, UGC, or creator economy existed. This paper documents that original conception, analyzes its structural architecture, and demonstrates its direct lineage to the author's current work: the Hikari Currency ecosystem and the ECHO AI Artist platform.
Matteo Vaccargiu, Sabrina Aufiero, Silvia Bartolucci, Ronnie de Souza Santos · 6 authors
Labels on platforms such as GitHub support triage and coordination, yet little is known about how well they align with code modifications or how such alignment affects collaboration across contributor experience levels. We present a case study of the Kubernetes project, introducing label-diff congruence - the alignment between pull request labels and modified files - and examining its prevalence, stability, behavioral validation, and relationship to collaboration outcomes across contributor tiers. We analyse 18,020 pull requests (2014--2025) with area labels and complete file diffs, validate alignment through analysis of over one million review comments and label corrections, and test associations with time-to-merge and discussion characteristics using quantile regression and negative binomial models stratified by contributor experience. Congruence is prevalent (46.6\% perfect alignment), stable over years, and routinely maintained (9.2\% of PRs corrected during review). It does not predict merge speed but shapes discussion: among core developers (81\% of the sample), higher congruence predicts quieter reviews (18\% fewer participants), whereas among one-time contributors it predicts more engagement (28\% more participants). Label-diff congruence influences how collaboration unfolds during review, supporting efficiency for experienced developers and visibility for newcomers. For projects with similar labeling conventions, monitoring alignment can help detect coordination friction and provide guidance when labels and code diverge.
The centralization of digital content creation and credentialing platforms has resulted in opaque monetization structures, monopolistic data silos, and a persistent absence of verifiable user sovereignty over intellectual contributions. This paper introduces Metaplay, a decentralized content marketplace architecture engineered to disintermediate the content creation and talent development lifecycle. Leveraging a modular blockchain framework, Metaplay utilizes Zero-Knowledge Rollups (zkEVM) for high-throughput, low-latency execution, and EIP-4844 blob-carrying transactions to minimize data availability costs. We introduce a privacy-preserving credentialing mechanism utilizing Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) and zk-SNARKs, enabling non-transferable, cryptographically verifiable proof of skill acquisition without compromising user privacy. Platform moderation employs a Decentralized Autonomous Organization with Identity-Gated Quadratic Voting to mitigate plutocratic governance capture. A dual-token incentive model (PLAY utility token and CRED reputation token) aligns creator economic incentives with verifiable content quality. Comparative benchmarks demonstrate transaction cost reductions exceeding 95% relative to Ethereum Layer-1 baselines.
Abstract Software development plays a central role in digital sustainability, yet developers’ role and engagement remains understudied. Here we analyse nearly a decade of developer discussions available on the code repository Github on Ethereum, a widely used open-source blockchain platform. Using topic modelling, with interpretation supported by large language models and a sustainability framework for software systems, we trace how economic, environmental, social, individual, and technical sustainability themes emerge and evolve over time. We find that sustainability awareness, particularly related to energy efficiency and cost, intensifies during key events such as the transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake consensus, which substantially reduced energy use. We identify influential contributors and thematic specialisation, providing a transferable framework for understanding sustainability in emerging developer communities. These findings highlight the role of developer discourse in shaping sustainable software ecosystems and integrating sustainability into open-source development.
Large language models have intensified a growing property-rights challenge in digital markets: protected works can be copied, retrieved, transformed, and recombined at low marginal cost, while ownership, licensing authority, attribution, and remuneration remain costly to verify. First, I introduce the Model Context Protocol (MCP) as an interoperability layer between AI agents and intellectual-property institutions. MCP does not define rights or settle disputes; it gives agents a standardized way to query registries, invoke licensing tools, execute payments, record usage, and preserve audit trails. Second, I develop a stylized transaction-cost model of agentic licensing and derive comparative statics for when lawful exchange expands. Lower search, verification, contracting, payment, and monitoring costs can move marginal uses from avoidance, substitution, or unauthorized use into licensed exchange, especially when rights records are reliable, license terms are standardized, and interface costs are large relative to the price of the license. Third, I explain how non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can complement MCP when they operate not as collectibles, but as machine-readable rights objects linked to work identifiers, ownership claims, license scope, payment rules, provenance records, audit obligations, and dispute forums. Music licensing is illustrative because rights are fragmented across compositions, recordings, labels, publishers, performers, territories, and use types. MCP and NFT-linked rights records can support ex ante licensing when paired with verified title, enforceable contracts, bounded delegation, human review, and off-chain legal remedies.
Decentralised communities increasingly need ways to generate, contest, and maintain shared knowledge without relying on central editorial authorities. Existing collaborative systems such as wikis support large-scale knowledge production, but typically depend on centralised moderation and governance, while blockchain consensus mechanisms are primarily designed for transactional state rather than the validation and revision of shared claims. This paper introduces Pensieve, a framework for decentralised epistemic governance in collaboratively governed knowledge bases. Pensieve combines structured submissions, contribution-weighted support, and stake-backed dispute escalation to govern the publication, revision, and contestation of knowledge entries over time. The paper makes three contributions. First, it presents Pensieve as a framework for decentralised epistemic governance designed specifically for collaboratively governed knowledge bases rather than for transactional ledgers alone. Second, it formalises a contribution-weighted model of item governance and dispute resolution, showing how reputational participation and economic stake may be combined to support knowledge revision that remains both dynamic and increasingly stable over time. Third, it examines the Pensieve instance on ECF.network as an early live implementation context through which the framework is being applied to the collaborative documentation and evaluation of Web3 projects. The case study provides descriptive evidence that the framework can support structured publication, community contribution, dispute handling, and AI-assisted but human-accountable input in practice, while also revealing unresolved challenges around referencing, sustained participation, postpublication revision, and long-term governance design. Pensieve is therefore offered not as a completed solution to decentralised knowledge governance, but as a research framework and live design experiment for coordinating collective knowledge production in human-AI systems.
Yixuan Fan, Lei Zhang, Yao Sun, Xinyi Lin · 5 authors
The development of blockchain technology and the emergence of Web3 have given rise to a new paradigm known as Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), online communities jointly owned and managed by members working for the same interests. Voting is the primary decision-making method within DAOs aligning with the decentralization philosophy. However, existing DAO voting mechanisms often exhibit a strong tendency toward centralized control, contradicting DAOs’ pursuit of decentralization. In the absence of a decentralization standard, we define the decentralization coefficient as a novel metric to evaluate the overall decentralization performance of DAO voting mechanisms quantitatively by establishing the first stochastic process model for the DAO voting process. By analyzing and simulating four typical voting mechanisms, we uncover that quorum and voting power thresholds, often thought to improve voting performance, may negatively impact decentralization. Additionally, the study analyzes the impact of three main factors, including voting power distribution, participation rate, and voting process, on decentralization. The findings highlight that decentralization is shaped by the interplay between these factors, rather than merely by adopting specific voting rules. This study provides a quantitative benchmark for future research and offers practical guidance for DAO designers, emphasizing the need to prioritize inclusive participation over additional voting conditions.
Web3 startups introduce a novel paradigm of organizational design in which token-based incentive mechanisms replace or complement traditional equity-based governance structures. This paper examines how tokenomics can align or misalign the incentives of founders, investors, and users in decentralized entrepreneurial ventures. Drawing on agency theory, mechanism design, and behavioral economics, we develop a conceptual framework that explains how token distribution, vesting schedules, governance rights, and utility structures influence startup performance and sustainability. Using illustrative case analyses and synthetic data modeling, the study identifies key failure modes such as speculative overhang, governance centralization, and misaligned temporal incentives. The findings contribute to entrepreneurship literature by proposing a new theory of “programmable incentives” and offer actionable guidance for founders designing token economies. Keywords: Web3, Tokenomics, Incentive Design, Entrepreneurship, DAOs, Blockchain Governance, ICOs
Traditional lucky draw systems often face trust issues due to a lack of transparency and potential for manipulation. This study addresses these challenges by developing and evaluating a blockchain-based lucky draw prototype named "LuckyDraw." A mixed-method approach was employed, combining an applied research method with the Agile Scrum framework for system development, and a quantitative survey to evaluate user acceptance. The quantitative analysis, using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique on data from 100 respondents, confirmed the instrument's validity and reliability. The results showed that Perceived Usefulness (PU) was the strongest predictor of Behavioral Intention (BIU), followed by Trust (TRT). Furthermore, Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) had a significant positive effect on PU. These findings indicate that a transparent, trustworthy, and easy-to-use system is highly accepted by users, offering a viable solution to the shortcomings of traditional systems.
How may digital platforms be redesigned to better serve the interests of the artists whose creative work gives them value? An artist- and user-owned streaming platform is proposed that would decentralize control and redistribute revenue from corporations to creators. Using Web3 infrastructure, the model enables direct artist payment through blockchain-based transactions that scale based on user consumption, minimizing fees and ensuring transparency. The design also emphasizes community governance and localized music discovery to encourage the regrowth of music culture. By reducing reliance on profit-driven intermediaries, the system aims to create a sustainable environment where independent artists can thrive. Spotify exemplifies how a platform’s designed-in incentives can perpetuate exploitation. The social construction of technology framework suggests that Spotify’s ownership model, pro- rata payment system, and algorithmic design prioritize shareholder value over fairness. Spotify’s supposed mission to “unlock the potential of human creativity” is undermined by its own architecture, which locks artists into dependency. Together, these projects show that achieving fairness in a digital music economy requires not only reforming compensation models but rethinking the infrastructures that define creative labor itself.
Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) have emerged as significant governance models, prioritizing transparency and community participation. However, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the impact of online discussions on the decision-making processes within these organizations. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the relationships between engagement metrics and proposal approval rates. We find a strong coherence between the most discussed topics in each DAO’s forums and their stated missions. Our analysis also reveals a nuanced but noticeable correlation between community engagement and voting outcomes. Furthermore, our paper explores the complexities of community coordination and collective governance within DAOs, highlighting existing challenges and providing design recommendations.
A Arquitetura Pós-Institucional do Estado Online: Criptomoeda de Inovação e o Empresário dos Empreendedores Preprint de Anterioridade Autor: Claudio Roberto Cutrim Carvalho, PhD. Email: drclaudiocutrim@gmail.com , drcutrimcarvalho@gmail.com Resumo A economia digital ampliou o acesso à informação, mas não resolveu a dependência estrutural de intermediários políticos, burocráticos e corporativos na coordenação da atividade inovadora. Mesmo experiências avançadas de governo digital preservam estruturas hierárquicas (LESSIG, 1999; O’REILLY, 2011), enquanto ecossistemas de inovação continuam baseados em organizações formais, clusters territoriais e marcos regulatórios rígidos (CHESBROUGH, 2003; PORTER, 1998). Por outro lado, a criptoeconomia inaugurada por Nakamoto (2008) introduziu descentralização técnica, mas permanece ainda baseada em incentivos energéticos e financeiros incapazes de converter impacto humano em valor monetário estável (BUTERIN, 2014; TAPSCOTT; TAPSCOTT, 2016). Este artigo propõe um modelo alternativo composto por três elementos integrados: o Estado Online, uma infraestrutura pós-institucional que substitui mecanismos hierárquicos por coordenação distribuída; o Empresário dos Empreendedores, agente articulador capaz de transformar talentos dispersos em inovação contínua; e a criptomoeda de Prova de Inovação, que converte impacto de inovação ou autonomia humana verificável em emissão monetária, oferecendo uma base econômica distinta de modelos energéticos ou de staking. O arcabouço sugerido preenche lacunas deixadas pelas teorias existentes — de Schumpeter (1934) a Ostrom (1990) — ao propor um sistema operável sem Estado territorial. A contribuição reside em estabelecer uma arquitetura teórica para economias pós-institucionais, na qual governança, valor e distribuição emergem de processos distribuídos de validação e reconhecimento. Palavras-chave: Estado Online; Prova de Inovação; Criptoeconomia; Governança Distribuída; Tokens de Impacto; Inovação; Economia Digital. Abstract The digital economy has expanded access to information but has not resolved the structural dependence on political, bureaucratic, and corporate intermediaries in the coordination of innovative activity. Even advanced forms of digital government retain hierarchical architectures (LESSIG, 1999; O’REILLY, 2011), while innovation ecosystems remain constrained by formal organizations, territorial clusters, and rigid regulatory frameworks (CHESBROUGH, 2003; PORTER, 1998). Conversely, the cryptoeconomic model inaugurated by Nakamoto (2008) introduced technical decentralization, yet it still relies on energy- and finance-based incentives that fail to convert human impact into stable monetary value (BUTERIN, 2014; TAPSCOTT; TAPSCOTT, 2016). This article proposes an alternative model composed of three integrated elements: the Online State, a post-institutional infrastructure that replaces hierarchical coordination with distributed processes; the Entrepreneur of Entrepreneurs, an articulating agent capable of transforming dispersed talent into continuous innovation; and the Proof-of-Innovation cryptocurrency, which converts verifiable innovation impact or human autonomy into monetary issuance, offering an economic basis distinct from energy- or staking-driven systems. The proposed framework fills gaps left by existing theories—from Schumpeter (1934) to Ostrom (1990)—by outlining a system capable of operating without territorial state structures. Its contribution lies in establishing a theoretical architecture for post-institutional economies in which governance, value, and distribution emerge from distributed processes of validation and recognition. Keywords: Online State; Proof of Innovation; Cryptoeconomics; Distributed Governance; Impact Tokens; Human Autonomy; Post-institutional Economy; Innovation Systems; Decentralized Coordination.
Krzysztof Lorenz, Piotr Gutowski, Ewelina Gutowska, Anna Drab-Kurowska
Digital transformation is reshaping innovation processes and capital allocation models, fostering the emergence of alternative financing mechanisms such as crowdfunding platforms. This study investigates the spatial determinants of digital innovation development using Kickstarter campaigns in the United States as a case study. Empirical data were preprocessed and classified into digital and traditional categories. Advanced AI methods, including Deep Autoencoders and Self-Organizing Maps (SOM), revealed spatial clusters of digital innovation in crowdfunding. Cluster visualizations exposed geographic concentration patterns and links to local infrastructure. AI uncovered latent ties between campaign structure and regional context, underscoring the role of AI and crowdfunding in decentralized, localized digital transformation.
Fabrício Barbosa Viegas, Murilo Costa Salem, Tatiana Aires Tavares
Digital messaging plays a central role in modern society, but it is currently dominated by centralized platforms that compromise user privacy and control. This position paper argues that decentralized messaging systems, based on open protocols and free software, can serve as public communication infrastructure and exemplify Web3 as a digital common good. We discuss the limitations of current services (identity lock-in, user fragmentation, data exposure) and present decentralized approaches (peer-to-peer, federated, blockchain-based) according to recent literature. We relate these models to the concept of public digital infrastructure, essential communication systems managed in a non-exclusive manner, and the notions of digital commons. As illustrative cases, we cite open protocols like Matrix and Web3 initiatives that adopt blockchain-based identity (e.g., XMTP), showing that such systems exhibit the characteristics of common resources: public specification, collective governance, and open-source software.
Open collaboration business models (OCBMs) and software have existed since the 1950s but have been plagued by work ethic and financial bottleneck due to inadequate monetization schemes. OCBMs provide a range of advantages, primarily in accelerating problem solving & innovation, reducing costs, and enhancing security and transparency. Companies could establish sustainable revenue streams while benefitting from broad tech or platform adoption. However, fair revshare and credit attribution have been persistent problems with OCBMs. Businesses such as Diaspora, Soul Force, Sun Microsystems' Open Solaris, and others have experienced unsustainable OCBM initiatives, especially in the open-source software area. Web3 ethos-based business models and blockchain technologies provide an opportunity to correct and enforce many of the monetization strains associated with open collaboration. By decentralizing operational and governance control, free markets nested within companies that run themselves can be realized. The basic philosophy for a meritocratic monetization system with fair credibility-revshare automation is discussed.
Web3 is a fundamental change from a centralized, platform-centric internet to a decentralized, user-owned ecosystem powered by an open-source technology called Blockchain. This shift is not just a technological evolution, but also changes significantly how value is created, delivered, and captured. It enables new products, innovations, and business models. These products are often powered by tokens, whose value is described by their underlying tokenomics. They are designed to engage the community and incentivize the people who interact with the project. The users of Web3 often come together in decentralized autonomous organizations and democratically decide on the next steps and essential developments of the organization. The business models that are now possible because of the capabilities of a decentralized web have different success factors and reasons why they fail. This thesis conducts a systematic literature review and qualitative expert interviews to identify the success factors of Web3 business models. It first lists and categorizes the prevalent Web3 business models, their structures, and revenue models, and then highlights the success factors for Web3 business models. The findings reveal the difference between Web2 and Web3 business models, highlighting the importance of community, decentralization, governance, and robust token economics.
With the globalization of the software industry, requirements traceability has become increasingly critical in the software development process. However, the development of large-scale, complex software systems by cross-organizational research teams often faces challenges due to diverse organizational backgrounds, multi-site environments, conflicting objectives, and organizational boundaries. These factors can lead to trust issues, complicating the implementation of requirements traceability. To address these challenges, this study proposes a Smart Contract-Based Requirements Traceability (SCRT) framework. Smart contracts, which are executable code deployed on a blockchain, exhibit properties such as enforceability, tamper resistance, and verifiability. These characteristics empower the SCRT framework to enhance collaboration, communication, and trust among stakeholders while potentially improving the efficiency and quality of software development. Within the SCRT framework, a novel Requirements Traceability Information Model (RTIM) is introduced, which categorizes the links between new and existing artifacts. This model serves as a guide for the smart contract module, delineating which software artifacts to trace and the relationships to establish.