Manila, PHILIPPINES, 1235—April Fool’s Day is not about how bitcoin’s combination of exponential growth, institutional interest, and its unique position as store of value has propelled it to the top of the asset class rankings over the past decade.
Today is about the international co-operative sector snoring loudly on sound money and “freedom money.” Snoring is a sign of several conditions, the most common of which include obstructive sleep apnea, nasal problems and excess body weight, particularly around the neck.
At the minimum, the international cooperative sector, formally born around the time the Republic’s National Hero Dr. José P. Rizal died by firing squad,
has a nasal problem.
A site search for the website of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the apex organization of cooperatives worldwide, returns a measly three results (as of 1 April 2024), actually one since the two are merely translations of the English version. And, it’s 2015 almost a decade old!
Then a search for the website of Co-operative Press Ltd, the leading co-operative news outfit returns 54 results, none of which published later than 2019, or more than four years ago, and 90% of which are on “Hullcoin” and other discredited technologies related to the over-hyped “blockchain” era of tokens,
called “shitcoins,” but that’s a topic for another day.
Let’s try to understand the whys of such slow, lazy, slumber of our apex organization and apex media. But first, let’s add a term to our collective consciousness, “apex property,” as someone calls it in the video below.
If you heard the “. . . we call them poor” part and got irritated by it, humanity may have hope! But let’s proceed to see why bitcoin represents the zenith of cooperative evolution.
In the tapestry of human history, cooperation has been a cornerstone of societal evolution, enabling communities to achieve goals far beyond the reach of individuals. Traditional cooperatives have long exemplified this spirit, pooling resources and efforts for mutual benefit. However, with the advent of Bitcoin, we are witnessing a paradigm shift in the very concept of cooperation.
Bitcoin is the most evolved form of cooperation humanity has seen.
Let’s see why Bitcoin is a game-changer for cooperative movements and why embracing it is not just beneficial but necessary.
A New Paradigm of Trustless Cooperation
Bitcoin introduces a novel form of cooperation: trustless and decentralized. Unlike traditional cooperative models, which rely on trust among members and central governance, Bitcoin operates on a trustless system where transactions and agreements are enforced by cryptographic protocols. This eliminates the need for intermediaries, reducing the potential for fraud and corruption.
Bitcoin is cooperation by the laws of mathematics.
In this system, cooperation is facilitated by the immutable laws of mathematics, ensuring fairness and transparency.
Decentralization: Power to the People
One of the core tenets of cooperatives is the democratic control and empowerment of members. Bitcoin takes this principle to the next level by offering a fully decentralized network where every participant has equal authority. This means no single entity can control the network, making it a pure form of member-driven organization.
Bitcoin takes the principle of democratic control to the next level.
By adopting Bitcoin, cooperatives can enhance their commitment to decentralization, giving members unprecedented control over their economic interactions.
Enhancing Economic Participation
Bitcoin’s economic model encourages active participation. In the cooperative context, this means members can engage in the financial ecosystem directly, without barriers. Bitcoin’s inclusive nature aligns with the cooperative principle of voluntary and open membership, ensuring that anyone can join and benefit from the network, thereby democratizing economic opportunities.
Global Reach, Local Impact
Cooperatives aim to serve their communities, but their impact is often geographically limited. Bitcoin, with its global reach, enables cooperatives to transcend these limitations, facilitating international trade and cooperation.
Bitcoin means no geographical limitation to cooperation.
This global network can help cooperatives in sourcing goods, accessing markets, and finding like-minded partners worldwide, thereby amplifying their impact both locally and globally.
Sustainability and Resilience
The decentralized and immutable nature of Bitcoin ensures that it is not only secure but also highly resilient to external shocks and failures. For cooperatives, integrating Bitcoin into their operations can enhance their sustainability, providing a robust financial mechanism that withstands economic fluctuations and crises.
Embracing the Future
For cooperatives to remain relevant and effective in the 21st century, they must adapt to the evolving economic landscape. Bitcoin, as the most advanced form of cooperation, offers a pathway for cooperatives to innovate and thrive in the digital age. By embracing Bitcoin, cooperatives can leverage its advantages to foster a more inclusive, democratic, and resilient economic model.
Bitcoin is not just sound money and freedom money; it is the epitome of evolved cooperation, characterized by its trustless, decentralized, and inclusive nature. For cooperatives, embracing Bitcoin means embracing the future of economic interaction, where power and opportunity are distributed equally among all participants. This shift towards a more digital, decentralized form of cooperation could redefine the cooperative movement, ensuring its continued relevance and impact in the modern world.
Learn More
Best-selling bitcoin books in Amazon.com
The Lightning Network has emerged as a powerful tool for financial inclusion, particularly for co-operatives in the Philippines, Lightning is the fastest and cheapest way to send bitcoin anywhere in the world. CoopPay aims to serve millions of cooperative members in the Philippines. CoopPay seamlessly integrates the national QR code standard (QR Ph) and the Lightning Network, making it a game-changer for financial transactions within co-operatives. The Lightning Network holds immense potential for co-operatives in the Philippines, fostering financial inclusion, efficiency, and global collaboration.
Managing Editor
Coop Bookshop
Ask your co-operative’s Education and Training Committee to fill your co-operative bookshelf with us! Whether you’re a member of your board (director), CEO, Vice President or just starting out in your co-op journey, keep being curious, keep learning, keep discovering, so you may keep inventing.
We work with the biggest book publishers in the world and we carry and promote books aligned with our ethos of self-help, self-sovereignty, and self-learning.
You can also support this project by using your CoopPay to send Php 21 to any of the following Lightning Addresses:
- coop@pouch.ph (CoopPay wallet)
- lightningcoop@blink.sv (Blink wallet)
- coop@coinos.io (Coinos wallet)
Thank you!
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