Note: I don't work for NetKi or affiliated with them (though, if you guys at Netki are listening, hit me up sometimes.)
Bitcoin as an ecosystem is growing rapidly. Almost every internet app out there is becoming decentralized. To the trolls who will tell me "Show me proof oh wise DM".
OpenBazaar
Decentralized Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba all rolled into one beautiful blockchain app.
Steemit
Decentrailzed Reddit, facebook, and twitter (mostly Reddit).
Popchest & lbry
Decentrailzed YouTube
The decentralization wave is doing two things. One, it's eating the world! Andreessen is still right. Two it is monetizing the world in levels not yet imaginable. The future will be one where everyone on the internet will make money. It's just a matter of how much and the distribution curve.
VCs are playing the, "how can we get in on this?" game. The smart ones are funding the next blockchain startup like it's hot (cause in a way, it kind of is). Everyone ask, "which app is next?" Alas my good friends, if only I knew!
I have a little bitcoin drink startup called Bitcoin the Energy drink (shameless plug).
Maybe it's next? Don't really know. New technology is hard to predict. You're either too early in the wave or too late. It's that sweet spot of being just in time to ride the wave of innovation that really gives companies their "oomph" factor.
Trolls: "So how the hell do you know about Netki being the future? What the hell, get to the point."
Ok, so let look at some internet history. Before you had domain names (that pretty string of words starting with www. you type into your browser), we had internet protocol addresses. They are basically numbers. So steemit believe it or not has one. In fact, every single website on the planet has one.
Steemit's IP address is 167.114.34.68 by the way. Just so you know. The thing about IP addresses is we as humans have really hard times remembering a string of unique random numbers. So, we being the total geniuses we are, said, "hey, why don't we associate a string of organized letters (also called "words) in reference to each website IP address?" This the websites URL or domain name. So for steemit, it's steemit.com (duh, you knew that).
Whenever we search steemit.com, we tell our browser to look up the random string of numbers (its IP address, the 167.114.34.68 remember?) associated with steemit.com The servers associated with it that IP address then sends you browser to steemit.com. Well, kind of. Here is a video version of how this works.
Just as DNS and domain names work now, bitcoin wallets address could like that in the future. Our wallet addresses look really terrible! Like this is mine: 19LUpunG6DsD36V9s9wWvAj7KidNFyQrYw (more than happy if you guys send me some, just saying).
Now, I won't even begin to or have begun to memorize that. Nope, sorry. And if you ask me, "hey DM, the bitcoin drinks guy, what's your wallet address? I'd like to send you some coins for your thoughts". I'd be like, "umm.... hold up, wait a minute, let me go put some thought up in it" Then I'd probably hit the share button and share it with you or email it to you.
But I probably couldn't say it as an organized set of letters (remember those are called "words"). Just like I couldn't say Steemit's IP address. I mean I could, but it's so much easier to say, steemit.com. (the extra dot was an inside joke for those who watched the video).
With Netki, I can tell you to send it to "wallet.toneystark.industries" cause you know, I am iron man.
It the difference between using a command line and a GUI. The less cognitive load a new technology puts on the user, the higher the user adoption rate. This is one of the secrets of emergent tech. At least this is what I found to be true in my research of emergent markets.
It has a second function. It can be likened to emails. You see, as bitcoin and the ecosystem of services around it evolve and develop over time, you are going to need a wallet address to verify yourself just like you need an email address to verify yourself with other online services currently.
It may well be a way to manage all your assets virtual or otherwise. Imagine your wallet address turned into your personal database of all of your investments. And you can see all of your assets values in real time!
Much like you can see the news in near real time now or communicate with someone in near time through skype or google duo). Finance is going to become real time!
Bitcoin/blockchain is to finance, what the internet is for communications and information. It's not hard to see the immense impact it will have as we wonder into a brave new world. Well, too Orwellian (I know Huxley wrote Brave New World), rather a more open financial world. No more gatekeepers to your assets (money or otherwise).
Though, maybe governments. I not sure if the government will have a list of your addresses in some central database
It completely defeating the point but hey, they may not survive thanks to countries on the blockchain like bitnation. This idea is a topic for another piece.
To the guys at Netki, I wonder if you guys will get caught up in the decentralization wave too. A decentralized open source version of Netki would be interesting to see.
Alas my good friends here on steemit, this is all I have for now. Carry on!
It is such an amazing time to be alive. I am having so much fun exploring this new emergent bitcoin world! Hope you guys are enjoying the ride as much as I am!