"What is absolutely necessary is to master the art of simulating and concealing (...) Moreover, in the actions of men, and especially princes, what matters most is the result."
Nicolas Machiavelli, The Prince, Chap. XVIII

The crises of the 21st century reflect the anthropological, environmental, and public health boundaries of such an “ethic of the result”. We discover that collective resilience does not obey the axiom "the end justifies the means."

Moreover, the digital information revolution, five centuries after Gutenberg, undermines Trust between individuals and thus the governance of our societies.

The emergence of a decentralized organization for trust through Blockchain technologies is an opportunity to restore trust between individuals. This is particularly relevant for Finance, as it relies primarily on trust between lenders and borrowers.

Therefore, decentralized finance (DEFI) has the potential to enable a new era of Finance, based on Trust. As such it presents an opportunity for increased coherence between Finance and Humanism, thus contributing to a post-Machiavelli ethic. 

Henri Lastenouse