Digital Commons Network^™

Antitrust In The Blockchain Era, Giovanna Massarotto

Notre Dame Journal on Emerging Technologies

Similar to the Internet Era, which generated new value chains based on digital marketplaces, the blockchain has the potential to be the next cutting-edge technology that will revolutionize markets. Blockchain technology built on a consensus mechanism can make intermediaries [or third parties] unnecessary and reduce the market power of today’s centralized platforms. Antitrust enforcers should oversee the transformation of digital markets by means of blockchain technology to prevent anticompetitive conduct that might block the path to innovation. Using the Web as a reference model, a public blockchain could run on universal and open protocols, with goods and services traded in …