The inefficiencies in partner programs, like slow MDF payments, are not due to untrustworthy people but a legacy Web2 system. As partner ecosystems scale globally, this centralized infrastructure creates more gatekeepers, rules, and checks, resulting in "bureaucracy at scale" that damages the partner experience.
Web3 enables "programmable money" through smart contracts, which act like automated referees. For channel incentives like MDF, rules are coded into a smart contract. When a partner meets a target, payment in a stablecoin is released instantly and globally, eliminating delays, bureaucracy, and cash flow issues for partners.
To overcome executive skepticism, HP's Bilal Kouider reframes blockchain not as a niche crypto trend but as the result of 40+ years of innovation originating from 1970s academic research. He points to its current scale—processing over $28 trillion annually, more than Visa, Mastercard, and Amex combined—to establish its enterprise-grade credibility.
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) can shift the power dynamic in large partner ecosystems. Instead of a top-down vendor model, partners can collectively propose, vote on, and update incentive rules. This transforms partners from being passive recipients of policy into active co-creators, fostering a more collaborative and competitive "living ecosystem."
Beyond blockchain, the next innovation wave in channel operations involves autonomous AI agents managing the entire MDF lifecycle. AI can handle both "pre-campaign" tasks like budget allocation and partner activation, and "post-campaign" work like validation and compliance. This points to a future where AI makes "instant" the new operational standard for partner programs.