From time immemorial, human beings have worked to own “stuff” and then trade access to it. This behavior started in tribes, was adopted by clans, and then later spread to nations, empires, and most recently, global markets, making possible ever-larger human institutions. Value has always been generated by owning more land, more equipment, more machinery, more people. Ownership was the perfect strategy for managing scarce resources and ensuring a relatively predictable, stable environment.
