The Blockchain's hype has brought up many narratives around its potentials - narratives which are typically techno-deterministic, market-driven and follow a Sillicon Valley perspective. However, what can blockchain bring to the commons-oriented communities, if anything? How the issues around algorithmic governance, infrastructure control, transparency, trust, or tokenization, may affect these communities? Can these blockchain features help - or hinder - the communities governance? In this talk, Samer Hassan, researcher at Berkman Klein Center at Harvard and UCM in Madrid, will explore the potentials of blockchain to facilitate the work of these communities. He will explain Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom’s 8 principles for managing the commons, and analyze how blockchain can contribute to each of them. This is part of his team work in P2P Models, an EU-funded large project to build decentralized, democratic and economically sustainable organizations for the collaborative economy. This talk was presented in the Open 2018: Platform Cooperatives, 26-27 July, Conway Hall, London (UK). More info in: https://2018.open.coop/sessions/workshop-how-can-blockchain-enable-elinor-ostroms-8-commons-principles/ (This presentation is a composition of text and images; Text is released under open license CC BY 4.0 Int; Images are copyrighted and used under Fair Use).

1. Samer Hassan @samerP2P
Can the Blockchain Facilitate Commons
Governance?
Exploring Alternative Blockchain Narratives

3. Blockchain Narratives
● Techno-Deterministic
● Market-driven
● Silicon Valley

4. New Blockchain Narratives?
● Techno-Deterministic
● Market-driven
● Silicon Valley

5. Blockchain Narratives from the Commons?
● 8 Ostrom’s Governance Principles
● 6 Blockchain Features
● Potentials to Facilitate the Commons

6. P2P MODELS Project
● 1.5M€ for 2018-2022
● European Research Council (ERC)
● http://p2pmodels.eu @p2pmod
● Univ. Complutense de Madrid
○ Berkman Klein Center at Harvard
● We are hiring!

7. 1. Community boundaries
2. Rules adapted to local conditions
3. Participatory decision-making
4. Monitoring
5. Graduated sanctions
6. Conflict resolution mechanisms
7. Recognition by higher authorities
8. Multiple layers of nested enterprises
8 Governance Principles for the Commons

8. Centralized Distributed with
Blockchain
Smart Contract
Blockchain

9. 1. Tokenization
2. Self-enforcement & Formalization
3. Autonomous Automatization
4. Decentralization of Power over Infrastructure
5. Transparentization
6. Codification of Trust
Blockchain Features

10. 1. Boundaries
2. Local rules
3. Participatory
4. Monitoring
5. Sanctions
6. Conflict resol.
7. Recognition
8. Multiple layers
Tokens
Blockchain Facilitating the Commons
Self-enforce Auton.Automat.
Dec. Power
Infrastructure Transp. Trust

11. Thanks!
Samer Hassan @samerP2P
@p2pmod
http://p2pmodels.eu