The New Kings of Chaos: Decentralized Wealth in a Post-Collapse World
(From the Mad Max Wealth Bad Time Stories)
Imagine a world where the institutions you trust—your bank, your government, your internet—disappear overnight. What if your carefully accumulated wealth could no longer protect you? In this not-so-distant future, survival is redefined by decentralization. Power is no longer held by corporations or governments but by those who control access to the basics of life: water, energy, and security.
Welcome to the Mad Max wealth scenario, where centralized institutions collapse, scarcity reigns supreme, and survival becomes the ultimate currency. In this harsh new reality, decentralization isn’t just a concept—it’s the key to survival and a complete redefinition of wealth, power, and community.
“The measure of wealth is freedom, not money." — Terry Pratchett, English author, the Discworld series
As traditional systems crumble, wealth no longer means financial capital, but the freedom to access vital resources and control your destiny within decentralized networks.
Picasso, Guernica, 1937
Decentralization as the Wealth Equalizer
As centralized authorities crumble, communities turn to decentralized networks to meet their most basic needs. Wealth is no longer defined by large bank accounts or material assets but by access to essential resources like food, water, and energy. Peer-to-peer economies emerge, powered by decentralized technologies that allow individuals to bypass failing traditional power structures.
Statistical Insight: Currently, 1.7 billion people globally remain unbanked, relying on decentralized systems of finance like cash, barter, and mobile payments. By 2030, decentralized finance (DeFi) could provide economic access to millions more, particularly in regions where central banking has failed. The Mad Max scenario extends this reality, where decentralization becomes the foundation of everyday survival.
Blockchain in Numbers: The blockchain market, valued at $11 billion in 2023, is expected to grow to $163 billion by 2029. In a future where centralized systems fail, blockchain will underpin the new economy, storing wealth digitally and securely as physical assets become too risky to hold.
"It is not the accumulation of wealth, but the control over the conditions of wealth that shapes the future." — Buckminster Fuller, American architect, systems theorist, and futurist
In the Mad Max world, it is not what you own, but your ability to control and access decentralized systems that determines your wealth.
Scarcity Fuels the Rise of Local Economies
Scarcity drives the need for decentralized structures. With governments losing control over critical resources, local communities establish their own economies and governance systems. Wealth is redefined, measured not by accumulation but by localized control over necessities like energy, food, and security.
Historical Precedent: History shows that decentralized power structures tend to emerge in times of collapse and scarcity. The fall of the Roman Empire led to the rise of feudal systems, where local lords governed trade and resources, much like the decentralized communities in the Mad Max future. Feudalism spread across Europe as centralized governance disappeared, and wealth became defined by what could be controlled locally.
In this future, wealth is fluid and adaptive. Those who can quickly access resources through decentralized networks and local alliances are considered the new wealthy.
Resource Scarcity Statistics: By 2050, global food demand will increase by 50%, and freshwater shortages could affect 5 billion people by 2030. These figures underscore how crucial decentralized solutions will be in managing access to critical resources in a collapsing world.
"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." — Sun Tzu, Chinese military strategist and author of The Art of War
As centralized systems falter, decentralized networks rise from the chaos, offering new opportunities for survival and power in a fractured world.
The Role of Blockchain and Digital Identity
In a world where physical assets and traditional banking systems are unsafe, blockchain technology offers a decentralized alternative for storing value. In the Mad Max scenario, cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance will take center stage as people turn to digital assets to preserve and transfer wealth in a system free from institutional control.
Historical Insight:
The hyperinflation crisis in Zimbabwe (2008) serves as a clear example of how traditional currencies can lose their value when centralized control breaks down. Citizens turned to alternative currencies and barter systems to survive. In a future where institutions fail, people will turn to digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies, secured through blockchain, to store and transfer wealth beyond the reach of collapsing governments.
In the Mad Max scenario, digital identities verified by decentralized networks become vital. Ownership and access to resources will be secured through cryptographic ledgers, making wealth intangible yet secure. With physical assets prone to theft, corruption, or destruction, the blockchain will ensure that individuals retain control over their digital wealth—unchained from unstable governments or failing financial systems.
"Control over information is the tool of the dictatorship." — Bruce Sterling, American science fiction author and futurist
In a decentralized world, control over digital assets and blockchain systems becomes the new form of power, freeing individuals from centralized oppression.
the Promise and the Dark Side of Decentralization
While decentralization promises autonomy and freedom from the failures of centralized systems, it also brings new risks and moral challenges. In the Mad Max scenario, decentralized power doesn’t always mean equality—it can just as easily lead to exploitation.
Promise: Decentralization offers individuals and communities the chance to bypass corrupt, inefficient, or broken systems, allowing local networks to thrive. Peer-to-peer trade and decentralized energy grids empower people to create self-sufficient micro-economies that no longer rely on centralized structures.
Dark Side: However, without oversight, decentralization can also lead to new forms of exploitation. In a world where survival is paramount, those who control decentralized resources—such as water, food, or digital networks—may become the new "decentralized warlords", wielding immense power over their local communities. Blockchain and cryptocurrency networks can be manipulated or controlled by small, elite groups, shifting power dynamics in unpredictable ways.
"The world is governed more by appearance than realities, so that it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as to know it." — Daniel Webster, American statesman, lawyer, and orator
In the chaos of decentralization, appearances of power and control can deceive, with influence shifting to those who control networks, rather than wealth itself.
The Raft of the Medusa, Théodore Géricault, 1818-1819
here’s the naked wealth koan:
In a world where wealth is no longer stored in vaults or banks, but in the fragile trust between people and the networks they create, ask yourself: What is wealth when it cannot be held?
Reflect on this: when the systems fall, and the structures crumble, does wealth lie in accumulation or in the flow of what you give and receive?
… and, as always, while you reflect, some inspirationals:
Books:
"The Sovereign Individual" by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg
A forward-looking exploration of how digital technology will dismantle centralized nation-states, leading to a decentralized future where individuals gain sovereignty over wealth.
"The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson
A futuristic novel that envisions a world where decentralized systems and advanced technology reshape society and wealth, offering insights into a potential Diamond Age of decentralized wealth.
"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
A stark and moving portrayal of survival in a post-apocalyptic world where centralized society has collapsed, and scarcity dictates the new social order.
"Debt: The First 5,000 Years" by David Graeber
Graeber traces the history of debt and barter, providing context on how decentralized economies and trade systems functioned long before modern banking, and how they may rise again in a future collapse.
"Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond
A historical analysis of past civilizations that collapsed due to resource mismanagement and decentralization of power. It offers lessons for a future where scarcity reigns and central structures break down.
"The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire" by Kyle Harper
Examines how Rome's collapse was influenced by external forces like climate change and disease, leading to decentralized power structures. This historical parallel sheds light on the Mad Max scenario.
Movies:
"Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015)
A visually stunning dystopian film that showcases decentralized power systems where survival depends on control over water, fuel, and mobility.
"Children of Men" (2006)
Set in a collapsing society where traditional power structures break down, and survival depends on decentralized and often violent systems of governance.
"Snowpiercer" (2013)
This film portrays a microcosm of a decentralized future, where control over resources is everything, and traditional hierarchies have disintegrated.
"The Book of Eli" (2010)
A post-apocalyptic film where decentralized survival depends on knowledge, control over scarce resources, and localized power.
"A Boy and His Dog" (1975)
A cult classic depicting a post-apocalyptic wasteland where decentralized survival networks are key to living in a harsh and desolate world.
"The Matrix" (1999)
A sci-fi exploration of centralized control versus individual freedom, with powerful undertones of decentralized resistance and the rediscovery of personal sovereignty.
Documentaries/Podcasts
"The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz" (2014)
A documentary about Aaron Swartz’s fight for decentralized access to information, showcasing the rise of digital power structures.
2. "Venezuela: Smuggling Dreams" (2019)
A documentary that explores Venezuela’s economic collapse and the rise of decentralized survival systems, including black markets and cryptocurrency.
3. "The Fall of Civilizations Podcast"
This podcast covers the collapse of various civilizations, analyzing how decentralized systems took over after central authority disappeared. Key episodes on Rome, the Mayans, and Easter Island are particularly relevant.
4. "Anarchy" (2016)
A documentary about decentralized political systems and how people live without centralized governments, examining the strengths and pitfalls of such systems.
5. "Banking on Bitcoin" (2016)
Explores the rise of Bitcoin and how decentralized cryptocurrencies are reshaping global finance, offering insights into the future of wealth beyond centralized control.
6. "HyperNormalisation" (2016)
A documentary that examines the rise of decentralization and the breakdown of global power systems, exploring how people are finding new ways to organize in a collapsing world order.