The Cost of Decentralization

“Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age.” The Cypherpunk Manifesto wasn’t just about ideals; it was a blueprint for action. But privacy and decentralization don’t run on goodwill alone. They need incentives. They need a way to function without relying on central authorities.

People love to criticize blockchain fees. “Why should I pay for a transaction?” they ask, while simultaneously shelling out for Netflix subscriptions or unlimited data plans. The truth is, decentralized systems are P2P in spirit and practice. Sometimes you seed before you leech, and sometimes you pay transaction fees to incentivize the infrastructure that keeps the system trustworthy.

The Cypherpunks understood this. Decentralization isn’t free. It’s not supposed to be. Those fees? They fund validators, keep the network secure, and ensure no single entity owns the system. You’re not just paying to send money—you’re paying to preserve freedom.

We already pay for centralized trust through subscriptions, taxes, and fees buried in Terms of Service agreements. Paying for decentralization means owning the system you use, not being owned by it. As the manifesto says, “We cannot expect governments, corporations, or other large, faceless organizations to grant us privacy out of their beneficence.”

This is the cost of freedom. It’s not a flaw—it’s the foundation of everything the Cypherpunks dreamed about.