Centralized authorities can have benefits, namely to restore order against the will of parties. The important factor here is who needs to consent: the authority, which can help in the case of theft but can also misuse its power, or the actual user, who is powerless to force another user's hand. As centralization lessens, people will have to become more directly responsible for their actions and risky behavior without trusting any higher level protocols that could handle transactions but fall under the issue of having to trust another party.