What exactly is Web3.0? Why is it regarded as the future of the internet, and what transformative opportunities will it bring?

In recent years, the term Web3.0 has frequently appeared in various media and project whitepapers, making it difficult for many investors to discern truth from falsehood. To find truly valuable projects in this space, one must first understand the essence of Web3.0, its relationship with blockchain, and the investment opportunities it contains.

The Core Philosophy Behind Web3.0

When discussing the definition of Web3.0, the industry has not reached a consensus, but the statements of two key figures are highly valuable references.

In 2006, Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, proposed a vision: Web3.0 should enable users to truly own their data rights, rather than being controlled by platforms. By 2014, Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood further elaborated that Web3.0 is a censorship-resistant, anti-monopoly, low-threshold network protocol that can protect user information through cryptography.

In short, Web3.0 is the umbrella term for the third generation of the internet, built on blockchain technology, aiming to achieve user data ownership, autonomous governance, and economic freedom. Due to its reliance on blockchain technology, Web3.0 naturally inherits all its features: decentralization, immutability, full traceability, transparency, permissionless access, and trustless operation based on cryptography.

The Evolution from Web1.0 to Web3.0

The three generations of the internet represent different power structures:

Web1.0 era (1990-2004): Users could only passively read content; platforms were the sole content publishers.

Web2.0 era (2004 to present): Users gained read-write permissions, creating content and earning income on platforms like Instagram, X, Facebook. However, this seemingly mutually beneficial model harbors deep issues: Who owns the content—the user or the platform? How are ad revenues distributed? Is personal information secure? If platforms malfunction or are attacked, user data can be lost.

Web3.0 era (2014 to present): Users not only read and write but also own. Data ownership, identity authentication, and property control are all returned to users. Decentralized identities replace usernames and passwords, cryptocurrencies become the new economic model, and programmability reaches unprecedented heights.

How Web3.0 Addresses Real-World Challenges

Currently, the internet faces three major pain points: monopolization by giants, centralization risks, and privacy leaks.

For example, a content creator shares work daily on social platforms, attracting millions of likes, comments, and shares, but can never control their content or income flow. Platforms can arbitrarily change distribution rules, delete content, or even sell user privacy data.

Web3.0 uses blockchain and smart contracts to return control to users. Creators can interact directly with fans, with smart contracts automatically distributing earnings, eliminating the need for intermediaries. Data is stored across decentralized nodes, preventing data loss due to platform failures. Identity verification via cryptography naturally protects privacy.

The Ecosystem Relationship of Web3.0, Cryptocurrency, NFT, and Metaverse

Many people tend to confuse these concepts. In fact, there is a clear hierarchical relationship:

Blockchain is the underlying infrastructure, providing decentralized, immutable data recording capabilities.

Web3.0 is the application vision, aiming to reconstruct the internet’s power structure.

Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, Metaverse, and DeFi are specific applications, all relying on blockchain technology to empower the Web3.0 ecosystem. For example, cryptocurrencies solve value transfer issues; NFTs carry digital asset ownership; DeFi offers decentralized financial services; and the Metaverse is the ultimate application scenario of Web3.0.

Without blockchain technology, Web3.0 is just empty talk; without tools like cryptocurrencies and NFTs, Web3.0 cannot achieve economic incentives.

Investment Landscape of the Web3.0 Track

According to market data, the total market cap of the Web3.0 sector is approximately $23 billion, ranking 59th among all crypto asset sectors, accounting for 2.18%. This indicates that the space is still in its early stages with huge growth potential.

Currently, there are over 200 Web3.0-related projects, including notable ones such as:

• Polkadot (DOT): Building heterogeneous blockchain interoperability protocols to solve Web3.0 infrastructure issues
• Chainlink (LINK): Providing oracle services to connect on-chain and off-chain data
• Filecoin (FIL): Distributed storage network offering data storage solutions for Web3.0
• ApeCoin (APE): Community governance token embodying Web3.0’s decentralization and autonomy principles

It is important to note that not all projects claiming to be Web3.0 have real applications. The screening criteria should include: Does the project solve actual problems? What is the background of the technical team? Is there a mature mainnet operation? Projects like DOT, LINK, and FIL are worth attention because they have addressed infrastructure challenges, formed formidable moats, and can sustain vitality in bear markets and potentially explode in bull markets.

Future Outlook and Strategic Recommendations for Web3.0

The concept of Web3.0 has been around for nearly 20 years, but systematic development has only been ongoing for two or three years, and the current scale is relatively small—this is normal. To some extent, Web3.0 may still contain bubbles, similar to the AI sector before the internet bubble burst; after the hype, a cooling-off period may follow.

However, Web3.0 addresses genuine needs. Data breaches, monopolization by giants, and privacy violations are real societal issues, not illusions. Although current achievements in Web3.0 have not fully met expectations, this does not negate its long-term value and development trajectory.

For investors optimistic about this space, it is recommended to allocate a small proportion of funds for exploratory deployment, gradually building positions after fully understanding project mechanisms and risks. After all, the maturity of any revolutionary technology takes time, and Web3.0 is currently testing its practicality in this process.