The Khánh Economic Theory (TKE): The Open Gate Theory — Wealth Concentration, Gate Control, Risk Dispersion, and Institutional Resilience (Version 3.0)

Abstract The Khánh Economic Theory (TKE), also called the Open Gate Theory, is a developing conceptual framework for examining how the concentration of wealth, control over critical infrastructure, and the distribution of risk may influence institutional resilience. The theory proposes that when economic resources and systemic risks become concentrated around a critical infrastructural “gate,” a system may become vulnerable to rent extraction, strategic dependence, cascading disruption, and institutional failure. However, concentration is not assumed to be inherently harmful; its effects may depend on governance, interdependence, legitimacy, and the availability of alternative pathways. This Version 3.0 develops the framework through operational definitions, a preliminary formal model, six falsifiable hypotheses, historical case comparisons, and a proposed empirical research programme. It introduces measures for wealth concentration, risk concentration, and the proposed “Fear Tax”—the economic cost associated with anticipated conflict and insecurity. The paper also outlines the “Sun Gate” as a design concept for more open, verifiable, and resilient infrastructure. Potential applications include distributed systems and post-quantum security, while acknowledging that cryptographic verification alone cannot establish the truth of real-world events or eliminate governance risks. Research status and limitations This manuscript presents a theoretical framework and research programme, not an empirically validated general law. The hypotheses require systematic data collection, transparent operationalisation, causal identification, robustness testing, and out-of-sample evaluation. Historical examples are proposed for comparative investigation and should not be interpreted as definitive causal evidence. Purpose Version 3.0 aims to make the Open Gate Theory more precise, testable, and open to independent scrutiny. Feedback, replication, competing explanations, and empirical criticism are welcomed. Author: Nguyễn Kim Khánh.