A MacGuffin in storytelling is:
a term used in storytelling, particularly in films and literature, to describe an object, event, or character that serves as a trigger for the plot. Despite its importance in driving the story forward, the specific nature or details of the MacGuffin are often insignificant to the overall narrative.
For eg: In Pulp Fiction, the glowing briefcase is a classic MacGuffin. We are never shown the contents of the case but it drives the action of a lot of the characters
Bad/illegible protocols always have MacGuffins - some unspecified ideal or goal that they try to achieve or live up to.
For example a lot of Blockchain projects use the idea of âcommunityâ as a MacGuffin to drive their identity and adoption. I think in a lot of cases it is used either obscure what the actual protocol is or as substitute for a technical explanation