The article proclaims "the intermediaries" as the solution to the trust problem.
That is incomplete in two ways:
1. Intermediaries are not the only solution to the trust problem, there are many many others. (See for example Bruce Schneider's Liars and Outliers, where he lists morality, reputation, institutions, security systems [1,2].)
2. Intermediaries don't only solve the problem of trust, but can also make things more efficient. If any two nodes need a connection, a graph needs O(N^2) edges. With a central intermediary, it only needs O(N) edges.
That is incomplete in two ways:
1. Intermediaries are not the only solution to the trust problem, there are many many others. (See for example Bruce Schneider's Liars and Outliers, where he lists morality, reputation, institutions, security systems [1,2].)
2. Intermediaries don't only solve the problem of trust, but can also make things more efficient. If any two nodes need a connection, a graph needs O(N^2) edges. With a central intermediary, it only needs O(N) edges.
[1,2] See https://www.schneier.com/books/liars-and-outliers, or https://www.wired.com/story/theres-no-good-reason-to-trust-b...