Brazil's Pix Adds a Feature Satoshi Would Oppose

The Central Bank of Brazil introduces the Pix button to dispute fraud cases, which adds a feature that Satoshi Nakamoto must have been against.

The Central Bank of Brazil has developed a new Pix service where fraudulent transactions can be disputed online

The Pix users have the opportunity to apply the so-called dispute button (which is called the Special Refund Mechanism (MED), and is officially referred to as the self-service option), through their bank via an app

This is a tool aimed at fraud, scams, and coercion, as well as allowing blocking and possible refunding of money without any human intervention.

The upgraded system is expected to enhance the security of transactions and speed up resource freezing when it comes to cases involving fraud

Once a contest has been lodged, the system immediately informs the bank of the scammer to freeze the money

The two banks then have a 7-day period to examine the claim and a maximum period of eleven days to give the victim a refund in the event of a confirmed fraud.

According to Breno Lobo, Deputy Head of Competition and Market Structure Department at the Central Bank, the process enhances the possibility of getting stolen money back in time

The button is, however, not applicable to commercial disputes, mistakes or involvements of third parties who are acting in good faith.

A Step Against the Vision of Satoshi?

This is a new feature, which is contrary to the original principles of the Bitcoin design by Satoshi Nakamoto

The whitepaper by Nakamoto (2008) highlights irreversible transactions that do not involve the intervention of a third party, thus lessening the aspect of trust and dispute resolution that is managed by third parties.

The Pix dispute button creates some reversibility and centralized intervention

This might be regarded as the opposite of the non-reversible, pure and peer-to-peer transaction model as envisioned by Nakamoto

The attribute indicates changing regulatory requirements and consumer protection values yet invokes philosophical issues in the crypto realm.

The persistent Pix upgrades by the Central Bank of Brazil are an indication of attempts to strike a balance between innovation and the security of users

The move can redefine the real-time payment tradition, but can also be questioned under the current discussion of decentralization and control in digital payment.