Web3 Overview and Vision

Learning Objectives

• Understand the evolution and core differences of Web1, Web2, and Web3
• Grasp the core concepts of Web3: decentralization, data ownership, and user sovereignty
• Learn about the innovative opportunities and new business models brought by Web3
• Familiarize yourself with the Web3 developer roadmap

Prerequisites

• Basic internet usage experience
• Preliminary understanding of software development (not mandatory, but helpful for technical sections)

I. The Evolution of Web1 → Web2 → Web3

The development of the internet has gone through three important stages, each profoundly changing how people access information and interact.

1.1 Web1: The Read-Only Era

Web1 refers to the internet from approximately the 1990s to around 2004. The core characteristic of this stage was read-only.

• Websites were created by a few content providers, and users could only passively browse
• Typical examples: portal websites (Yahoo, Sina, Sohu), personal homepages
• The technology stack was primarily static HTML pages, with extremely limited interaction
• Information flowed unidirectionally from producers to consumers

The internet of this era was like a giant electronic encyclopedia – you could read it, but not participate in editing.

1.2 Web2: The Read-Write Interactive Era

Web2 has continued from around 2004 to the present, with the core characteristic being user-generated data.

• Users are no longer passive information recipients but creators and participants of content
• Typical examples: social media (WeChat, Weibo, Douyin), e-commerce platforms (Taobao, Pinduoduo), content platforms (Bilibili, Zhihu)
• Technological breakthroughs such as AJAX, mobile internet, and cloud computing emerged
• The platform economy rose, and user data became the most valuable asset

Web2 brought unprecedented convenience but also created a serious problem – data monopoly. Users created massive amounts of data, but the ownership and revenue rights of this data belonged entirely to the platforms.

1.3 Web3: The Data Ownership Era

Web3 is the coming next generation of the internet, with the core characteristic being breaking data monopolies and realizing data ownership.

• Users can not only create data but also own their data
• Decentralized storage and management of data are achieved through blockchain technology
• Digital assets can be truly owned, transferred, and traded
• Users transform from being the platform's "product" to the network's "shareholders"

II. The Real-World Contradictions

The current internet faces two fundamental contradictions:

2.1 The Public Nature of Internet Services vs. The Private Nature of Companies

The underlying protocols of the internet (TCP/IP, HTTP, SMTP, etc.) are open and public. However, the services built upon these protocols are operated by private companies.

• Search engines are the entry point for public information, but Google and Baidu are private companies
• Social networks carry public communication functions, but WeChat and Facebook are private companies
• Electronic payments have become public infrastructure, but Alipay and WeChat Pay are private companies

This means that public services are driven by commercial interests, and user interests are not always aligned with platform interests.

2.2 Artificial Segmentation by Giants

Internet giants have artificially created numerous barriers and divisions for competition and profit:

• Taobao blocks WeChat sharing links, and WeChat blocks Douyin redirects
• Account systems of different platforms are incompatible, and data cannot be migrated
• A single creator's followers, content, and revenue are completely isolated across different platforms
• Users are trapped in various "walled gardens," losing the original intention of an open and interconnected internet

These contradictions are the core problems that Web3 attempts to solve.

III. What is Web3

Web3 is a new internet paradigm based on decentralized technologies, comprising three key elements:

3.1 Decentralized Architecture

• Data is no longer stored on a single company's servers but distributed across a global network of nodes
• No single point of failure, no single controlling party
• Users control their identity and assets through private keys (rather than account passwords)
• Representative technologies: Blockchain, IPFS, decentralized storage

3.2 Smart Contracts

• Smart contracts are self-executing programs deployed on a blockchain
• Once rules are written, no one (including developers) can tamper with them
• Realizes the concept of "Code is Law"
• Eliminates reliance on intermediaries and third-party trust
• Representative platforms: Ethereum, Solana, Polygon

3.3 DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)

• A DAO is an organizational form governed by smart contracts
• The organization's rules, fund management, and decision-making processes are written on-chain
• Members participate in governance through token voting, without traditional management hierarchies
• Achieves true community self-governance and democratic decision-making

IV. Bottom-Up Innovation Opportunities

The openness of Web3 brings a new paradigm for innovation:

4.1 Open Data Flow

In Web2, data is locked in platform databases, inaccessible to external developers. In Web3:

• On-chain data is publicly transparent to everyone
• Anyone can read, analyze, and utilize this data
• Data is no longer a moat for a specific company but a public resource
• Innovation is no longer limited by "whether there is data" but by "whether data can be used effectively"

4.2 Layered Protocol Stacking

Web3 protocols are composable, like LEGO bricks:

• Underlying protocols (e.g., Ethereum) provide infrastructure
• Middle-layer protocols (e.g., Uniswap, Aave) provide financial primitives
• Upper-layer applications can freely combine the capabilities of the underlying and middle layers
• This "Composability" is known as "DeFi Legos," significantly lowering the barrier to innovation

4.3 Equal Data Access

• Whether it's a large company or an individual developer, permissions for on-chain data are equal
• No API restrictions, no data barriers, no entry thresholds
• A small team of one person can compete on the same starting line as large companies
• Truly realizes a "bottom-up" innovation model

V. New Business Models

Web3 is not just a technological revolution; it also brings fundamental changes to business models:

5.1 Data Chain Collaboration

• In Web3, data between different projects can flow and collaborate freely
• The output of one project can become the input for another
• Forms an open, decentralized data collaboration chain
• Value flows throughout the ecosystem, rather than being captured by a single platform

5.2 Token Economic Incentives

Tokens are a core innovation in Web3 business models:

• Incentive Mechanism: Users who contribute to the network (providing liquidity, participating in governance, contributing data) can receive token rewards
• Value Capture: Token prices reflect the value of the protocol, and early participants can receive greater returns
• Governance Rights: Users holding tokens can participate in the governance and decision-making of the protocol
• Network Effects: Token incentives attract more users → network value grows → token value grows → attracts more users, forming a positive flywheel

This model breaks the dilemma of traditional internet where "users create value, platforms capture value," allowing all participants to share in the network's growth dividends.

VI. Web3 Developer Roadmap

For developers looking to enter the Web3 field, they can follow these three progressive stages:

6.1 Entry Stage: Master Basic Tools and Skills

Development Tools:
- Remix: Browser-based Solidity IDE, suitable for quick start and learning
- Truffle: Veteran Ethereum development framework, providing an integrated solution for compilation, deployment, and testing
- Hardhat: Next-generation development framework, with better debugging experience and a rich plugin ecosystem

Development Languages:
- Solidity: The primary programming language for Ethereum smart contracts, with syntax similar to JavaScript
- Web3.js / Ethers.js: JavaScript libraries for frontend interaction with the blockchain

Blockchain Basics:
- Understand core concepts such as blocks, transactions, Gas, and consensus mechanisms
- Understand the working principles of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)
- Learn to use testnets for development and debugging

6.2 Improvement Stage: Delve into Core Technologies

• Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP): Proving the validity of data without revealing the data itself, a key technology for privacy protection and scaling
• Cross-Chain Technology: Enabling asset and data interoperability between different blockchains
• OpenZeppelin: Industry-standard smart contract security library, providing audited contract templates
• DeFi (Decentralized Finance): Deeply understand core DeFi protocols such as DEX, lending, staking, and liquidity mining
• NFT (Non-Fungible Token): Understand ERC-721/ERC-1155 standards and their application scenarios

6.3 Cultivation Stage: Security and Design

• Contract Security Auditing: Learn to identify and prevent common smart contract vulnerabilities (reentrancy attacks, integer overflows, flash loan attacks, etc.)
• Economic Model Design (Tokenomics): Design reasonable token distribution, release, and incentive mechanisms to ensure the long-term sustainable development of the protocol

Summary

Web3 represents a paradigm shift for the internet from "platforms owning data" to "users owning data." It is not just a technological innovation but a restructuring of production relations. For developers, Web3 offers unprecedented space and opportunities for innovation. Starting with mastering basic tools, gradually delving into core technologies, and finally acquiring the ability for security auditing and economic design, one can find their place in this new field.

Next article: 02-Blockchain Core Technologies