Web3 & Blockchain

What is Web3?

Quick answer

A vision of an internet built on blockchains, where users own their data, identity, and digital assets rather than relying on central platforms.

Web3, explained

The term is often used to describe the next phase after Web 1.0, the largely read-only early web, and Web 2.0, the era of interactive platforms and social media dominated by large companies. Web3 proposes decentralized applications in which ownership and governance are spread among users through tokens, wallets, and smart contracts.

Examples include decentralized finance, NFT marketplaces, decentralized autonomous organizations, and blockchain-based identity systems. Supporters argue Web3 can reduce dependence on gatekeepers and let creators capture more value. Critics point to complex user experiences, scams, speculation, environmental concerns with some networks, and the tendency for power to re-centralize around major exchanges and investors. Web3 should not be confused with the semantic web, sometimes called Web 3.0.

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