Is Crypto more like a network or a computer?

Source: Orange Book

Let’s start with this article I saw a few days ago, "The two founders of a16z: What is the difference between the AI ​​boom and the Internet boom?":

"From a technical point of view, Marc Andreessen believes that the Internet is a network, while AI is more like a computer.

The Internet is essentially a network that connects many existing computers and promotes the creation of new computers. It is dominated by network effects. As more people join, the value of the network increases, and it prompts people to build more new computers to connect to the Internet.

And AI, especially large language models, is a new type of computer, a probability-based, neural network-based computer, which is very different from the previous von Neumann-type computer (deterministic computer).

The development of AI is more similar to the era of microprocessors or mainframes, which processes data, learns from it and generates output. It is an information processing system, not a network. ”

Naturally, I began to wonder, in terms of technical essence, is Crypto more like a network or a computer?

Although Ethereum once had a dream of "world computer", the public chain does play a very different role of computer, such as pursuing decentralization more than efficiency, which is a route that traditional computers have never explored. But coming back, I still think Crypto is more like a network, for several reasons:

The core value of Crypto is the value transmission network. In order to achieve this core value, it requires a different computer architecture. Crypto's computer attribute is a tool, and its network attribute is the goal.

Crypto's network effect is too strong. The first-mover advantage and lock-in effect are very obvious. Even if the latecomers are technologically advanced, it is still difficult to catch up.

From another perspective, an Internet veteran told me that he believes that Crypto is software-oriented like the Internet, while AI is hardware-oriented like smartphones. When the former undergoes revolutionary changes, people often don't realize it and it takes a while to react. It may be that the network is large enough to show its true power. The latter is different. The hardware has a stronger sense of reality. The difference between Chatgpt and iPhone can be seen as soon as they come out.

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“… In recent years, however, the values ​​that once underpinned the development of cryptocurrencies seem to have been overshadowed by a focus on economic gain. While the rise of cryptocurrencies initially aligned with ideals of decentralization and financial autonomy, they have become increasingly dominated by speculative interests and profit motives. This shift toward monetization risks undermining the ethical foundations of cryptography and diverting attention from its potential to protect privacy and empower individuals.”

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