Much discussion is currently taking place concerning the nature and specificities of blockchain governance, but when we say "blockchain governance" we're really talking about multiple things.
While people often use the term to describe the mechanism by which the underlying protocol of a blockchain-based network can be modified or updated - in terms of both on-chain and off-chain governance - we focus here on a much broader question:
What are the various elements or forces that influence the governance of blockchain-based networks or applications?
Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig identifies four different forces that influence behavior: law, social norms, markets, and architecture (i.e., technical infrastructure or code). In doing so, he underlines the fact that we cannot focus solely on the rules specifically designed to govern or regulate one particular individual.
Rather, we need to take a larger ecosystemic approach, looking at various forces that influence that individual. Accordingly, when it comes to promoting or precluding certain behaviors, we might choose to directly regulate individuals via the legal system or indirectly regulate them through one of the other three forces (markets, social norms, and architecture).
https://www.coindesk.com/no-blockchain-island/
