klk on Nostr: **Description**: Just as Bitcoin enabled sovereignty over money, a decentralized ...
Description: Just as Bitcoin enabled sovereignty over money, a decentralized shipping protocol would enable sovereignty over trade. An LN/Bisq inspired shipping protocol could create an unstoppable free market.
Bitcoin gave us monetary sovereignty, freeing us from central bank manipulation, inflation, and censorship. But there’s a missing link in our freedom journey: the physical world of goods.
The Problem: Even with Bitcoin, global trade remains at the mercy of:
- Arbitrary tariffs and import restrictions
- Political censorship of goods
- Privacy invasion of shipping information
- Centralized shipping carriers
The Vision: A decentralized shipping protocol with these properties:
- “Onion-routed” packages: Each carrier only knows the previous and next hop
- Bitcoin-secured multi-sig escrow: Funds locked until package delivery confirmed
- Incentive alignment: Carriers set their own fees based on risk assessment
- Privacy tiers: Options for inspected vs. sealed packages with appropriate pricing
- End-to-end sovereignty: Sender and receiver maintain control, intermediate carriers just fulfill their role
How it could work:
- Sender creates shipping request with package details and destination
- Protocol finds optimal route through independent carriers
- Each hop secured by multi-sig deposits larger than package value
- Carriers only see next hop, not ultimate destination
- Reputation systems and economic incentives maintain integrity
This creates a free market where any individual can participate as a carrier, earning Bitcoin for facilitating trade. Just like Lightning Network nodes, anyone can open “channels” with trusted partners.
Impact: This would enable true free market principles globally, making artificial trade barriers obsolete and empowering individuals to engage in voluntary exchange regardless of geographic or political boundaries.
There are a lot of challenges. But the first question is if this is a real problem and if its worth solving it.
What components would need development first? How would you solve the physical handoff challenges?
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/976326
Published at
2025-05-10 10:38:56Event JSON
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"content": "**Description**: Just as Bitcoin enabled sovereignty over money, a decentralized shipping protocol would enable sovereignty over trade. An LN/Bisq inspired shipping protocol could create an unstoppable free market.\n\n---\n\nBitcoin gave us monetary sovereignty, freeing us from central bank manipulation, inflation, and censorship. But there's a missing link in our freedom journey: the physical world of goods.\n\n**The Problem**: Even with Bitcoin, global trade remains at the mercy of:\n- Arbitrary tariffs and import restrictions\n- Political censorship of goods\n- Privacy invasion of shipping information\n- Centralized shipping carriers\n\n**The Vision**: A decentralized shipping protocol with these properties:\n\n- **\"Onion-routed\" packages**: Each carrier only knows the previous and next hop\n- **Bitcoin-secured multi-sig escrow**: Funds locked until package delivery confirmed\n- **Incentive alignment**: Carriers set their own fees based on risk assessment\n- **Privacy tiers**: Options for inspected vs. sealed packages with appropriate pricing\n- **End-to-end sovereignty**: Sender and receiver maintain control, intermediate carriers just fulfill their role\n\n**How it could work**:\n\n1. Sender creates shipping request with package details and destination\n2. Protocol finds optimal route through independent carriers\n3. Each hop secured by multi-sig deposits larger than package value\n4. Carriers only see next hop, not ultimate destination\n5. Reputation systems and economic incentives maintain integrity\n\nThis creates a free market where any individual can participate as a carrier, earning Bitcoin for facilitating trade. Just like Lightning Network nodes, anyone can open \"channels\" with trusted partners.\n\n**Impact**: This would enable true free market principles globally, making artificial trade barriers obsolete and empowering individuals to engage in voluntary exchange regardless of geographic or political boundaries.\n\nThere are a lot of challenges. But the first question is if this is a real problem and if its worth solving it.\n\nWhat components would need development first? How would you solve the physical handoff challenges?\n\noriginally posted at https://stacker.news/items/976326",
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