I’m trying to flush out the value proposition of a distributed e-commerce platform. Unlike, in the case of payments, decentralised crypto exchanges, bets, etc its advantages over current systems are not as clear to me. P2P trading of goods and services will always require some sort of cost (even if only temporary) for one or more of the parties. Examples:
1. The vendor will have to pay tx fees to discourage a sybil attack. Example here:
http://www.deepdotweb.com/2014/02/28/fee-decentralized-feedback-system-anonymous-markets/2. Collateral will have to be put up by both parties to create a Nash equilibrium situation (such as with Bank Run or NashX)
3. A similar solution to 2 that involves an insurance system using 3rd party arbiters such as with this option:
http://bitcoinism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/lex-cryptographia.htmlDecentralised markets are very attractive to those that may wish to remain anonymous, but are they something that can be credibly seen as an improvement on Ebay? In some circumstances to certain people, yes I’m sure they will be, but generally?
Thoughts?
