How Blockchain Technology Can Help to Arrive at Fair Ecosystems and Platforms

Digital ecosystems and platforms are an important part of the economy. However, specifically the tech-oriented platforms are often considered as “unfair.” In this chapter, we aim to more precisely articulate this feeling of unfairness. We consider fairness in digital ecosystems and platforms as fair if a decision as a result of applying a rule should accommodate all applicable moral distinctions and reasons for all actors involved. However, fairness is not only related to the operations of a digital ecosystem or platform. Fairness of digital ecosystems and platforms requires fair governance also. We consider fair governance as a prerequisite for fair governance, because the concerns of all stakeholders can then be included in the decision process. As a second assumption, we argue that decentralized decision-making contributes to fair governance. If this assumption holds, it is worthwhile to investigate how decentralized governance can be implemented and supported by information technology. We explain how blockchain technology, with consensus reaching at its core, can support such decentralized decision-making.