Stellar’s Denelle Dixon Warns Against “Railroad” Monopolies in Blockchain Infrastructure
In a pointed essay titled “Let’s Build Open Highways, Not Railroads,” Stellar Development Foundation CEO Denelle Dixon has warned that the blockchain trade dangers repeating historic monopolies if non-public firms proceed constructing closed, vertically built-in networks.
Dixon drew a parallel between the railroad monopolies of the Eighties and the rising discipline of corporate-controlled blockchains.
“We’re watching non-public firms construct their very own railroad tracks—open at present, however constructed in a means that lets them determine tomorrow whether or not anybody else’s trains can use them,” she wrote. “The distinction this time? We nonetheless have a alternative.”
Her remarks observe a wave of bulletins from main monetary and cost companies—each private and non-private — growing proprietary blockchains and issuing stablecoins.
Dixon argues that these developments threaten to create centralized chokepoints in the worldwide monetary system, mirroring how early web and transport monopolies as soon as constrained technological improvement and entry.
Lessons from the Past: Railroads to Browsers
Dixon in contrast the event of blockchain infrastructure to the early struggles for openness in the tech and transport sectors. She recalled how, in the late nineteenth century, U.S. farmers have been on the mercy of railroad barons who managed each routes and pricing.
Later, throughout her time at Mozilla, she witnessed comparable patterns in the digital realm when Microsoft’s Internet Explorer dominated net entry.
“Firefox ultimately captured 30% market share not as a result of we outspent Microsoft—we couldn’t—however as a result of we constructed one thing higher and gave customers what they’d misplaced: actual alternative,” she wrote.
Transparency, open requirements, and consumer belief, she added, have been what made the open net flourish—values now in danger in blockchain’s subsequent chapter.
The Stakes for Blockchain and Finance
According to Dixon, the hazard is not hypothetical. Financial heavyweights like Coinbase, JPMorgan, and Stripe have already constructed or introduced proprietary blockchain platforms.
While these tasks convey useful innovation and liquidity, Dixon cautioned that shareholder-driven incentives can simply result in management over charges, entry, and knowledge.
“When non-public entities management monetary infrastructure, they don’t simply facilitate transactions—they make the principles,” she warned. “Blockchain promised to get rid of these tollbooths, not rebuild them.”
Stellar, in contrast, promotes open, permissionless networks the place no single entity can censor or extract disproportionate worth. On Stellar, Dixon famous, cross-border transactions value “a fraction of a fraction of a cent,” in contrast with 6.35% on conventional rails.
A Closing Window of Choice
Dixon urged builders, policymakers, and establishments to behave earlier than it’s too late. “The structure decisions we make at present will form monetary infrastructure for many years,” she stated.
Her message is finally considered one of urgency and optimism: blockchain’s future can nonetheless be open, interoperable, and inclusive—if builders select collaboration over management.
“Let’s construct highways—open to everybody, owned by nobody,” Dixon concludes.
The submit Stellar’s Denelle Dixon Warns Against “Railroad” Monopolies in Blockchain Infrastructure appeared first on Cryptonews.
