{
 "@context": "https://schema.org",
 "@type": "DefinedTerm",
 "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/entities/irreversibility",
 "identifier": "kaal:entity:irreversibility",
 "name": "Irreversibility",
 "termCode": "irreversibility",
 "inDefinedTermSet": {
  "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/entities/index.json"
 },
 "author": {
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Wulf A. Kaal",
  "identifier": "https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0757-275X"
 },
 "dateModified": "2026-07-29",
 "canonicalForm": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/entities/irreversibility.md",
 "sha256": "4aa5f36e6b3bd8bb510d1a73464a20ba18785096bd0b610d3b1bcf157ffe6910",
 "additionalProperty": [
  {
   "@type": "PropertyValue",
   "name": "status",
   "value": "derived"
  },
  {
   "@type": "PropertyValue",
   "name": "claim_count",
   "value": 4
  },
  {
   "@type": "PropertyValue",
   "name": "work_count",
   "value": 4
  },
  {
   "@type": "PropertyValue",
   "name": "year_span",
   "value": [
    "2018",
    "2022"
   ]
  },
  {
   "@type": "PropertyValue",
   "name": "non_current_claims",
   "value": 0
  }
 ],
 "subjectOf": [
  {
   "@type": "Claim",
   "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/3227933-021",
   "identifier": "kaal:claim:3227933-021",
   "text": "In a truly decentralized system where code is law, any mistake such as a stolen or lost password or a programming bug is permanent and irrevocable, because there is no authority able to reverse it.",
   "abstract": "Remember that in a truly decentralized system, the code is law. This means that any mistakes (stolen/lost passwords, programming bugs, etc.) are permanent and irrevocable.",
   "citation": "Mark Fenwick, Wulf A. Kaal, Erik P.M. Vermeulen, Why 'Blockchain' Will Disrupt Corporate Organizations (2018). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3227933",
   "datePublished": "2018",
   "claim_type": "failure",
   "confidence": "argued",
   "is_failure_mode": true,
   "scope_conditions": [
    "truly decentralized systems where code is law"
   ],
   "source_pdf_sha256": "a9e9660c4dc25a2202f1da4e762f5885256e05f68c53ca51942f5833a7a4c108",
   "status": "current"
  },
  {
   "@type": "Claim",
   "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/3227967-034",
   "identifier": "kaal:claim:3227967-034",
   "text": "In a truly decentralized system any mistake, such as a stolen or lost password or a programming bug, is permanent and irrevocable.",
   "abstract": "Remember that in a truly decentralized system, any mistakes (stolen/lost passwords, programming bugs, etc.) are permanent and irrevocable.",
   "citation": "Mark Fenwick, Wulf A. Kaal, Erik P.M. Vermeulen, Legal Education in a Digital Age Why 'Coding for Lawyers' Matters (2018). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3227967",
   "datePublished": "2018",
   "claim_type": "failure",
   "confidence": "asserted",
   "is_failure_mode": true,
   "scope_conditions": [
    "truly decentralized systems with no reversal authority"
   ],
   "source_pdf_sha256": "f6e13b956f864ab32ec3305d095a35a127770327d75b3688f785cefc437d369f",
   "status": "current"
  },
  {
   "@type": "Claim",
   "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/3936876-010",
   "identifier": "kaal:claim:3936876-010",
   "text": "A private key differs from a password in that it is immutable and cannot be reset, so if the key is lost or stolen access to the digital asset may be permanently lost.",
   "abstract": "However, private keys are distinguishable from a password in that a private key is immutable – it cannot be reset.82 If a user loses their private key or if the private key is stolen, access to the digital asset may be lost.",
   "citation": "Wulf A. Kaal, Hayley Howe, Custody of Digital Assets (2021). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3936876",
   "datePublished": "2021",
   "claim_type": "failure",
   "confidence": "argued",
   "is_failure_mode": true,
   "scope_conditions": [
    "applies to key based digital asset ownership on public blockchains"
   ],
   "source_pdf_sha256": "9bc0903d01910460298e754c451f027df4324367359800a98ee8e638d94aff55",
   "status": "current"
  },
  {
   "@type": "Claim",
   "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/4067783-020",
   "identifier": "kaal:claim:4067783-020",
   "text": "Smart contracts that govern fungible currency exchanges are engineered for irreversible, unreviewable, programmed self execution, and that design makes the business structure of web3 more rigid.",
   "abstract": "Yet, smart contracts involving fungible currency exchanges are designed to guarantee irreversible, unreviewable, programmed self execution. As such, they create a more rigid structure for business in web3.",
   "citation": "Wulf A. Kaal, DAO Fallacies (2022). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4067783",
   "datePublished": "2022",
   "claim_type": "mechanism",
   "confidence": "argued",
   "is_failure_mode": true,
   "scope_conditions": [
    "smart contracts involving fungible currency exchange"
   ],
   "source_pdf_sha256": "48f1e307cdbbe28c7843f7744d0ba8cf01662f257a53f2066a7a6c7e03a5acec",
   "status": "current"
  }
 ],
 "description": "4 claims in the published works of Wulf A. Kaal carry the concept tag 'irreversibility'. Derived node: a roster, not an adjudicated definition."
}