Crypto’s transparency and speed diminish any speculation

Vibhu Norby, CEO of DRiP, suggested in a recent talk that blockchain technology reduces speculation due to its transparency and rapid information flow. 

Speaking to an audience at Solana Breakpoint, Norby used a simple prop, a bag with a purple wig, to illustrate how knowing what’s inside eliminates speculation. 

He compared this transparency to blockchain technology technology, where all participants have access to the same information.

“A blockchain is a system where everybody knows all of the information at all times. It’s very hard to argue that there isn’t speculation happening, because, again, anyone can speculate on anything at any time.” 

Vibhu Norby

Norby pointed out that speculation arises when people don’t fully understand a situation. In traditional markets, investors often guess the value of assets based on incomplete information.

Blockchain, however, operates differently — making every transaction visible on a public ledger limits the need for speculation.

Blockchain speculation

To further his point, Norby elaborated on the concept of loans in blockchain and DeFi.

In traditional lending, loans are often based on credit and opaque valuations, leaving room for speculation. On-chain lending, on the other hand, requires full collateralization — meaning the loan is fully backed by the asset’s value, which is publicly visible and verifiable.

This, Norby argued, makes it much less speculative.

While the rapid rise and fall of token prices may appear speculative, Norby explained that this is simply the market quickly discovering the real value of tokens. He suggested that faster blockchains like Solana (SOL) reduce speculation even further by enabling nearly instantaneous price discovery. 

According to Norby, many tokens rapidly lose value because the market immediately identifies their lack of underlying worth. Though speculation can never be entirely eliminated, Norby believes blockchain’s transparency and speed make it inherently anti-speculative.