* The Chinese word Dao (or Tao) can be interpreted as the way. It can be considered an effortless way of living - where one surrenders individual desires and expectations and, instead, trusts in the greater, natural movement of things.

Today, trade and communication are more global than ever. In part, the evolution of both technology and communication has allowed for greater interconnectedness amongst the world’s diverse regions, cultures and people. It has never been more apparent that the world is much larger than its individual parts. And there is an effortless way of connecting it. 

Blockchain is a digital manifestation of a universal language. It has emerged to fill a societal need for a trustless, decentralized channel to exchange both data and value.  

Unburdened by central choke points or restrictions, blockchain is like a river connecting diverse participants, supporting people and businesses to move assets and resources from port to port.

Like a river, it may nourish those who settle on it, find itself utilized in a variety of ways, and remain visible so people can record and track movements. 

Blockchain facilitates the movement of digital assets naturally, without the will or force of centralized parties needed to generate movement. It does not grow tired. Its movement is self-sustained. It always flows. Moving with the current of the stream is more evolved than laboring on its banks.

Throughout human history, civilization has settled around great rivers to facilitate exchange and to improve accessibility, just as, today, many are coming to blockchain to enable exchange, power infrastructure, access community, and build businesses. 

The river nourishes all the real estate around it. And so too is the blockchain capable of honoring those who settle on the network with new ways to liquify assets and improve accessibility in an increasingly globalized world. 

Why XDC Network?

Rivers, of course, can be found everywhere — just as new blockchains emerge every day, many boasting technical parity with today’s leading chains. 

There are many fast, cheap, sustainable and sufficiently decentralized options in our industry. But technology doesn’t tell the whole story.

There is history to consider. There is an environment, and there can be a common ethos already honored on chain. Ask yourself who is building on it. Which participants would you, as a user, want to interact with? Can you cultivate a notable presence on the network, or is it oversaturated with too many obscure projects and players?

Success Depends on Your Network means results are not only influenced by the merits of the technology but by the network on the network — the people who use it. By leveraging the network on the network, you can find new opportunities, new partners and new customers.

Why does one choose any network? Why join Instagram or Facebook instead of MySpace? Because you go where your friends and colleagues are. It’s who you can interact with - not which platform — that matters. The real reason you select a place to build is because it feels like home.

Adoption by key early participants facilitates the network effect that has led to the accelerated growth of today’s leading social networks. A parallel can be drawn to blockchain adoption. 

The XDC Network has a storied history of stable mainnet performance, which satisfies the stringent requirements of enterprises. There also exists an open, active, and diverse community — one that can be as supportive as it is passionate.

XDC Network was purpose-built to support an accessible, interconnected world of trade finance. Positioned as a place where enterprises, big players, individuals, and SMEs can all interact and exchange, with less overhead and sufficient risk mitigation, the XDC Network stands out as a unique place to build.

Since trade finance affects everyone, daily — it is only fair that the opportunity to access this traditionally inaccessible market is found on XDC, an open, decentralized chain. 

If the XDC Network is a river without barriers, surrounded by a growing community of unique participants, this is where people should come to build. 

It is easy to observe that it is on the right path, as in 2022 alone, the network has added over 130,000 accounts, and smart contract deployment is up 275%. If the impact of a network grows in proportion to the number of users — a theory supported by Metcalfe’s Law — then, as XDC’s technology continues to connect those who are still growing, developing, and aspiring with established global businesses and enterprises, the network will lead to a broad ocean of opportunity.

Keeping with the metaphor, we recognize that water is a force for change. As it moves through an environment, it smooths the rugged edges. Today, we are witnessing many legacy systems slowly erode while some evolve. We must face the challenges that come with the rapid pace of blockchain adoption. 

But we don’t need to fight the current. Those who wish to settle on XDC will let it follow its natural path.

From technology to community

In 2017, XinFin Fintech birthed the idea of the XDC Network — a decentralized, global resource for data and value exchange, which could power a wide range of novel trade finance use cases and allow liquidity to reach SMEs at a grassroots level.  

However, since 2021, various XDC community-led efforts have contributed greatly to ecosystem growth. After all, in crypto, convincing currents of adoption and new use cases are encouraging us to join together. The connection between participants, enabled by blockchain, fosters a unique sense of community, constructed by diverse identities, but defined by its structure in aggregate — a tree of wisdom, with each unique branch and its leaves, a tree of its own.

Combined, they serve as a majestic beacon of what could be, as blockchain becomes deeply rooted into the industries of today and tomorrow.