The profound significance of Ethereum in the New World Order

This year’s Davos Forum was no longer just a gathering of industry insiders; it became an event symbolizing a turning point in the very global order. Among the prominent figures in the crypto industry—Brian Armstrong, Jeremy Allaire, CZ, Larry Fink—the most important discussions actually centered around speeches where U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard explicitly stated that “globalization no longer functions,” and Canadian Prime Minister Mark responded that “the rule-based international order is experiencing a rupture.” This exchange suggests a fundamental shift in world politics, leading toward a new order enabled by decentralized protocols like Ethereum.

Limitations of the Global Cooperative System and the Marginal Influence of the UN

Since World War II, the international community has been built upon a shared illusion: the “rule-based international order.” The United Nations, while limited in power, was respected in decision-making by individual countries and served as a mediator for coordination. However, this order only functioned because all nations believed in it.

The rise of the Trump administration declared the destruction of this shared illusion. Trump’s “America First” strategy is based on the recognition that the United States is the strongest supporter of this order, and without its backing, the system has no meaning. By 2026, the U.S. announced it would effectively withdraw from the construction of higher-level unified organizational structures and move toward a new path where countries pursue self-sufficiency. This change demonstrates how minimal the UN’s international coordination role truly is and how entirely it depended on the will of the most powerful nation.

“Peripheral” countries like Russia and Iran have skillfully exploited the gaps in this fragile international order. Following the law of power, they evade obligations to adhere to rules, commit human rights violations, and ignore the minimal deterrent effect of UN condemnations. The exposure of this reality reveals the limits and illusory nature of international cooperation.

Nick Carter’s Insights on the Evolution of Organizations

Nick Carter’s observations are suggestive. Human-created organizational structures have evolved step by step—from feudal systems and tribal organizations to nation-states, and then from nation-states to supranational institutions like the UN. Throughout this progression, we have continually sought higher levels of unified mechanisms. However, this final attempt is nearing failure. Systems relying on voluntary cooperation among nations are losing their meaning.

The Potential for a New Order Created by Decentralized Protocols

Decentralized cryptographic protocols like Bitcoin and Ethereum do not precisely replace nation-states. However, in a world where conflicts and divisions among nations accelerate, they have the potential to serve as a new layer of coordination. Protocols do not offer protections like those of nation-states nor enforce laws. Yet, in places where the “rule-based international order” has failed, they can constitute a new form of order in a meaningful way.

The dialogue between Brian Armstrong and the Governor of the French Central Bank exemplifies this potential. While central bank leaders misunderstand and underestimate Bitcoin, Armstrong pointed out, “Bitcoin has no issuer. It is a decentralized protocol.” He further explained the true significance of Bitcoin in an era where unified order is collapsing: “Bitcoin is the most effective accountability mechanism against deficit spending.” This is not just about monetary value but hints at a new meaning of order maintenance.

The Potential of Smart Contracts and Ethereum

Bitcoin’s fundamental structure is based on “if-then” propositions. This structure is essentially the same logic as “rule-based order.” Ethereum extends this principle into Turing-complete smart contracts. What does this extension mean? It enables the construction of more universal and automatically executable rule systems that traditional inter-state agreements could not realize.

Despite the current pessimism and negative sentiment in the crypto industry, the potential of smart contracts remains largely unexplored. Their significance and possibilities are likely to become clearer in the coming era.

The UN has failed to provide a “rule-based international order.” However, if order is to be reconstructed, the emergence of decentralized protocols like Ethereum is not at all unlikely. The new world order hinted at by the Davos Forum subtly suggests that seeds of a different kind of order are already sprouting beyond the existing nation-state system.