The Digital Revolution: A Shift in Global Power
The digital era is fundamentally altering the dynamics of power, wealth, and accessibility, creating the potential to destabilize the economic supremacy of the developed world. As new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain rapidly evolve, they offer opportunities for smaller nations to achieve greater economic independence, especially as systems like Bitcoin reshape the landscape of global commerce. The rise of these technologies marks the beginning of a profound transformation, where the rules of the world are being redefined, setting the stage for a significant transfer of knowledge, wealth, and resources.
It’s easy to recall the amazing transformation that happened between the early 1990s and today. For millennials, it’s been a front-row seat to the rapid transformation of the quality of life in the developed world. However, as fascinating as those changes have been, they have ushered in today’s somewhat underwhelming reality.
Looking back on the industrial and technological revolutions, it’s clear that they fueled what was arguably the greatest renaissance in human history. In a matter of decades, we saw the introduction of household appliances, the proliferation of art, music, and entertainment, as well as advancements in global communications and internet systems. Now, we’re on the cusp of the ‘future’ that our childhood selves perpetually dreamt of.
Despite the abundance of opportunity, innovation, and new human experiences, we are also seeing societal apathy. People have grown tired of capitalistic greed, outdated power structures, and bureaucracy. The influence of media companies and general internet culture has played a big role in desensitizing the masses. What’s more concerning is the seeming inability to be surprised by anything, as evidenced by the mixed sentiments following events such as the United Health Care shooting. These days, it’s common to see an online mixed bag of activist movements, memes, and gossiping about the alleged perpetrator.
Interestingly, along with modernization came expanded access to information, which eroded the shield that was our understanding of history, economies, and politics. We’ve reached a point where many now accept “life’s not fair”, and understand that there’s only so much hard work can do about that.
Nevertheless, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain represent an entirely new frontier for mankind. Throughout time, people have possessed tools to build a better future. AI and blockchain appear to be the resources that the world now needs. AI brings in an era of scalable intelligence with the interface to access and control said intelligence. Harmoniously, blockchain provides infrastructural trust and security for the digital age. Together, when correctly used, these technologies parabolically raise the bar for what humanity can achieve.
Bitcoin’s Global Impact
Large corporations and individuals are already investigating how to streamline businesses with these technologies. However, less attention has been given to the global ramifications of this, and the effects it may have on international relations.
Without doubt, global society has been greatly advanced by the contributions of larger nations. However, smaller countries have lagged behind in their development. Before blockchain, and specifically Bitcoin, the US Dollar was the only viable option some small nation-states had to preserve wealth, given the volatility of smaller, local currencies. It’s hardly feasible to expect all nations to viably issue a currency for their citizens, given the volatility of both the political and trade climate.
This dynamic is further exacerbated by colonization, which we’ve seen many West African countries thwart in recent years. These shortcomings partly fueled the disparity that formed between the West and the developing world. It is important to remember that a strong Dollar means military strength (because our financial capabilities increase), which in turn creates a powerful economy. These dynamics start to change in line with political game theory.
Though recently discovered by the members of the general public, the exploitation of many emerging markets for ‘advancement’ is far from new. It plays a huge role in how the world as we know it came to be. What’s now clear is that the previously insurmountable advantage developed nations had from their creation will no longer be as insurmountable as before. AI, blockchain, and the digital age mark the start of the world’s rules being redefined. The global gameboard has been reset, and the rules have been rewritten. In short, just like AI and blockchain will assist large countries scale and improve operations, so too will they be invaluable resources, inputs, and drivers of many small nation-states’ economic and geopolitical futures.
While it’s still relatively early in the broader history of these transformative technologies, their timely introduction undoubtedly is a step in the right direction toward a more meaningful, authentic human experience.
While important discussions need to be had regarding regulation, the use of these technologies as consumer products, and the surveillance of these technologies, 2025 will almost certainly be looked at as the year things changed.
