Andy,
You have a pretty good idea what I'm up to... this is another reason why we need a system for at least some payments (especially one-click necessary for very low payment thresholds.... and handy for others as well)... which naturally has intimate connections to user identity and user data.
I'm convinced such an entity (and its data) should be independent of both the financial sector AND the social media data-collecting giants.
I also believe the same network should allow other currencies to eventually be utilized via such a user-centered and even perhaps user-owned network.
P.S. the real key to the power of my patented Pooled-User-Defined Account method isn't software design... but rather the design for the Trust mechanism.. which is a legal construct rather than a product of computer programming.
This Trust design has had preliminary examination by Trust attorneys at Perkins Coie and is considered both very feasible as well as innovative and useful.
Its been seven years now... and I'd love to get some feedback from O'Reilly Media on the concept generally... leaving aside any particular method.
I remain convinced that the Internet micropayment (especially with volume) is not a trivial or inconsequential capability and needs attention.
This is now the third presidential election where this has been ignored... let alone implemented.
P.S. As I've also written this could also be done via an Interbank system... BUT SHOULD NOT BE... at least not initially. I believe the core of the network must be independent and public.
I'm not a programmer.... I'm not a businessman. But I am persistent... and maybe such an outside perspective is needed.