[10] Salin began thinking about information marketplaces in the 1970s,[11] and was inspired by Friedrich Hayek's idea of spontaneous order.
[12] Starting in 1984, Salin worked on AMIX as a tool with the goal of elevating individual decision making over central planning, and improving human coordination to help reduce transaction costs in the economy.
[9] He envisaged a world in which the ready exchange of expertise would reduce transaction costs, with wide-ranging beneficial effects.
In particular, he predicted that information markets would reduce the need for redundant employees at different organizations, so that companies would become smaller and more efficient, relying on each other as external sources of expertise.
[4] AMIX developed the early mechanics of reputation systems, payment processing, online dispute resolution, as well smart contracts.