An Emerging Republic of Supremacy: Super-Regulator and New Pontiff of the Digital Age

How will the advent of a super-regulator of blockchain redefine global sovereignty? Could this super-regulator assume the role of a “new Pontiff” in the modern digital era? In this chapter, we trace the evolution of global hegemony from the British Empire's territorial control to the United States’ intangible control via the dollar system. This chapter anticipates how blockchain technology could create a super-regulator, the Republic of Supremacy, whose jurisdiction could reach individuals directly, just as the Pope transcended all kingdoms, directly ruling over all subjects of kings in the High Middle Ages. History might turn back to the time before the Peace of Westphalia, and this “new Pontiff” could alter the equilibrium of power, law and finance, posing a substantial challenge to the foundational principles of nation-states and their sovereignty.