Before discussing what Web3 is, let’s take a quick look at the history of the web, remembering Web 1.0 as something that was purely informative and based on hyperlinks. So, we went from one site to another reading information, at first more chaotic and disorderly, and then with a little more logic. From there, an enormous evolutionary leap was made with Web 2.0, which was based on the concept of collaboration and content generation supported by social networks.
Web 2.0 is actually still in full development, but it is true that we are already beginning to see what seems to be the basis for another evolutionary leap. Therefore, we talk about Web3 as the evolution of what we now know, where the main characteristic is to be a type of decentralized network using blockchain.
Web3: a new concept that has lost its point along the way
Web3 is a new model with a multitude of services that are based on the token economy. Thus, the ownership and control of the services would be decentralized among the owners of the tokens themselves, who are also users. As you may already know, tokens have exchange value, so users can cash out their money whenever they want.
Therefore, it seems that the promise that the user, in addition to being at the center of everything, continues to be the creator, but also the owner, is being fulfilled. Web3 is said to represent the best of the two previous versions, so users can create and also monetize.
So, if this is an evolution with respect to Web 2.0, where is the point? According to different authors and writers related to this sector, it is thought that it may come from web3.js. Or what amounts to the same thing, the collection of modules that enable interactivity with Ethereum. Everything seems to indicate that the absence of the point is intended to signify a new branch outside Web 3.0, with a different and more evolved concept.
A more open, democratic and decentralized web
The basis of this progress, as we have said, refers to the decentralization of services and the possibility of self-ownership. A website where blockchain data is public and open. In this way, it appears to be more democratic by not hiding anything and leaving everything in plain sight.
As for security, this will be related to each user’s digital wallet. Let’s not forget that Web 2.0 constantly asked for authentication and data transfer data. But, in this new case, in Web3 the digital wallets will be anonymous and the user himself would decide whether it is public or not.
Decentralization in web3
This doesn’t mean that every user must have a server, or anything like that. In fact, in decentralized networks there is no server concept as such, but each node will have the capacity to store and publish content.
It is clear that everything must happen in the physical infrastructure, as we know it today, with networks and data centers. But being a decentralized network, it will have fewer vulnerabilities, since there will not be so much dependence on one server or another. Therefore, presumably, there will be no massive crashes, as usually happens precisely because of centralization and dependency.
Another issue that will be more complicated to implement in a decentralized network is censorship, which today is seen to a greater or lesser extent. Content prohibition will now be much more complicated given the characteristics of the blockchain.
In conclusion, the natural evolution of Web 2.0 leads us to a new concept called Web3 without a point, logically. We will see how everything turns out in the end, and how we are able to understand and adapt to the changes. We will gradually find out, but it is clear that we will be even more of a protagonist than we are today.
At Data Natives, we are at the forefront of technology and seek to go one step further. We are a restless and enthusiastic data science community spread across several countries. Get to know us, we have more than 106,000 members and every year we organize a big event to share synergies.
