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A Multi-Paradigm Ethical Framework for Hybrid Intelligence in Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency Systems Governance

Author

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  • Haris Alibašić

    (Department of Business Administration, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA)

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence and human decision-making within blockchain systems has raised complex ethical considerations, necessitating the development of comprehensive theoretical frameworks. This research develops a multi-paradigm ethical framework addressing the ethical dimensions of hybrid intelligence—the dynamic interplay between human judgment and artificial intelligence—in the governance of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency systems. Drawing upon complexity theory and institutional theory, this study employs a theory synthesis methodology to investigate inherent paradoxes within hybrid intelligence systems, including how transparency creates new opacities in AI decision-making, decentralization enables centralized control, and algorithmic efficiency undermines ethical sensitivity. Through PRISMA-compliant systematic literature analysis of 50 relevant publications and theoretical synthesis, this research demonstrates how blockchain technology fundamentally redefines hybrid intelligence by establishing novel forms of trust, accountability, and collective decision-making. The framework advances three testable propositions regarding emergent intelligence properties, adaptive capacity, and institutional legitimacy while providing practical governance principles and implementation methodologies for blockchain developers, regulators, and participants. This study contributes theoretically by bridging the fields of complex systems and institutional analysis, integrating complex adaptive systems with institutional legitimacy processes through a multi-paradigm integration methodology. It delivers an ethical framework that addresses accountability distribution in Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, quantifies ethical challenges across major platforms, and offers empirically validated guidelines for balancing algorithmic autonomy with human oversight in decentralized systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Haris Alibašić, 2025. "A Multi-Paradigm Ethical Framework for Hybrid Intelligence in Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency Systems Governance," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-23, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jfinte:v:4:y:2025:i:3:p:34-:d:1706816
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