The Name That Cannot Be Named: Blockchain Identity

The Tao Te Ching opens: "The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao." Naming creates categories that limit reality. Blockchain addresses—long hexadecimal strings—are names that reveal nothing and limit nothing. You are not named by the system; you name yourself through cryptographic keys. This contrasts with traditional identity systems where central authorities (governments, corporations) assign and control names, creating artificial categories and enforcing definitions. Pseudonymous blockchain addresses allow participation without categorical identity. A person can be multiple addresses, or one address can represent multiple participants; the system neither knows nor cares. This freedom from naming parallels Taoist wisdom that essence cannot be captured in labels. Decentralized identity emerges from this principle: you define yourself through your actions and relationships, not through categories assigned by authority.