On the face of it, “Bitcoin can reduce racism” seems ridiculous, if not downright insulting to those who have been victims of racism. It presupposes that an open source protocol, completely indifferent to the whims of human emotion, could have any effect at all on reducing racism, one of the ugliest expressions of human emotion.
I get that (as much as I can as a white man), but follow me for a moment. While Bitcoin itself may not be able to reduce racism, what about the concept of it being a “Bitcoin”? Can identifying as a Bitcoin user reduce racism?
The work of Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam suggests that this may indeed be the case.
When Putnam set out to write his now best-selling book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American CommunityHe aimed to prove that diversity is an inherently good thing.
But his research proved otherwise.
The data showed that diversity is harmful to civic life, because it can lead to mistrust between groups of different races and genders. Putnam explained that humans are hard-wired to favor ingroups and outgroups, causing us to favor those with whom we identify and remain wary of those with whom we do not identify.
His research has shown that it is not until we find that we have something in common with someone outside our race, ethnicity, or even gender that we begin to associate them with our in-group, and that once we find something in common with us, diversity becomes a strength. This thing could be anything from being part of the same religion to playing on the same softball team to liking the same music.
So, what are the implications for people who identify as Bitcoin users? Can being a Bitcoiner help people overlook racial differences?
While the answer to this question varies on a case-by-case basis, it is hard to imagine that it would not have some impact. After all, Bitcoin users settled the incentives, right?
We are all working to turn Bitcoin into a hyper-digital currency, or at least, we share some of the same values: belief in hard money, belief in the right to transact without permission, and belief in the right to financial self-sovereignty.
Knowing that we have these things in common creates a bond between us, and helps us trust each other more. When we trust each other more, we are more willing to work together. In cooperating with each other, diversity becomes strength.
This does not mean that some who identify as Bitcoin users do not still have racist tendencies. But there’s something to be said for the idea that the things that unite us are stronger than those that divide us, and when you look at the idea of being a Bitcoiner through that lens, it’s hard to deny that the association wouldn’t have some impact on reducing racism.