1. Introduction: The Crossroads of Blockchain Development
Since its inception, blockchain technology has undergone rapid development and evolution. However, the blockchain field is now facing a critical crossroads. The paradigm of the “single formalized blockchain,” represented by Ethereum, has achieved significant progress in smart contracts and application development, but its inherent limitations are becoming increasingly evident. This article argues that it is time to bid farewell to the farce of the “single formalized blockchain” and return to the direction of a more vital and potentially powerful path: a “complex system of adaptive, nonlinear emergent intelligence.”
2. Ethereum’s “Single Formalized System A”
The core operating mechanism of Ethereum can be summarized as a single “formalized system A.” This system A integrates the key functions of the blockchain, forming a closed, deterministic system:
- Centralized account management: System A maintains a globally unique world state tree where all accounts and their balances are centralized.
- Unified state transition logic: The execution of smart contracts and updates to account states follow the preset code rules within system A.
- Unified block generation and validation: System A determines how blocks are generated, how consensus algorithms are executed, and the criteria for judging the validity of blocks.
This design enables Ethereum to incorporate the core operations of the blockchain into a unified, deterministic formalized system.
3. Ethereum’s Tool Attributes and Limitations
It is worth noting that this unification endows Ethereum with the attributes of a “deterministic formalized system tool platform”:
- Preset rules: Ethereum’s behavior is entirely determined by internally preset code rules. The system lacks the emergence and self-organization found in Bitcoin, which arise from interactions among multiple distributed systems.
- Centralized power of developers: Developers of Ethereum client software actually hold considerable power to change the system’s behavior and rules, which conflicts with the concept of decentralization.
- Lack of adaptive evolution: Ethereum’s evolutionary path is mainly predetermined by developers, making it difficult for the system to spontaneously adapt to environmental changes during operation.
Therefore, although Ethereum has made breakthroughs in functionality and flexibility, it remains essentially a deterministic tool platform. Compared with traditional internet cloud platforms, it merely improves data transparency. It struggles to simulate the complex adaptive systems commonly found in human societies and the natural world.
4. Bitcoin: Adaptive Intelligence Emerged from Multi-Type Systems
In contrast, Bitcoin adopts a completely different design philosophy. It is a complex system composed of multiple types of formalized systems, which interact and evolve dynamically to generate adaptive, nonlinear intelligence:
- Diversity of distributed system types: Bitcoin distributes functions such as value storage and transfer, human-machine interaction, transaction validation and consensus, computation execution, and economic incentives across different formalized systems. These systems differ significantly in function, operation mechanisms, and participants.
- Emergent adaptive intelligence: Bitcoin’s macro behavior is not pre-designed by any centralized controller. Instead, it emerges from the interactions and game dynamics among these different types of formalized systems. The system can spontaneously adapt to network conditions, economic environments, and external threats.
- Nonlinear evolution: Bitcoin’s development path is not linear but full of uncertainty and unexpected events. Its evolutionary trajectory is difficult to predict, reflecting the nonlinear nature of complex systems.
This design gives Bitcoin greater robustness, censorship resistance, and self-organization. It is closer to an adaptive organism capable of surviving and evolving in constantly changing environments.
5. Returning to Complex Systems of Adaptive, Nonlinear Emergent Intelligence
This article argues that the future direction of blockchain development lies in returning to the concept of “complex systems of adaptive, nonlinear emergent intelligence.” This means:
- Going beyond single formalized systems: We should abandon the attempt to build singular, closed blockchain systems and instead explore hybrid architectures composed of multiple different types of formalized systems.
- Embracing complexity and uncertainty: We should accept the inherent complexity and uncertainty of blockchain systems and use the theories and methods of complexity science to understand and harness them.
- Focusing on emergence and self-organization: The design focus of blockchain systems should shift from preset rules to fostering self-organization and emergence, allowing systems to spontaneously adapt to environmental changes during operation.
- Simulating the evolution of nature and society: We should draw from the evolutionary mechanisms of complex systems in nature and human society—such as biological evolution, market competition, and cultural transmission—to guide the design of blockchain systems.
6. Conclusion: Opening a New Era of Blockchain Development
The “single formalized blockchain technology track” has reached its end, and its limitations are increasingly evident. Only by returning to the path of “complex systems of adaptive, nonlinear emergent intelligence” can blockchain technology truly unlock its potential and bring deeper transformations to human society.
This transformation requires a fundamental change in our mindset and technological paradigm, but it will also open a new era for blockchain development—one that is more open, robust, and sustainable.
