GlossaryBeginner
Web3
A proposed next phase of the internet built on blockchain infrastructure, emphasizing user-owned data, identity, and assets.
Web3 is a term for a proposed next phase of the internet built around blockchain-based infrastructure, where users hold their own data, identity, and digital assets directly rather than depending entirely on centrally-owned platforms. It's generally credited to Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood, who coined it in 2014.
It's a conceptual label covering several technologies — crypto wallets, smart contracts, DeFi, tokens/NFTs, and DAOs — not a single finished product or a formally standardized protocol, and real implementations vary widely in how decentralized they actually are.
Examples
- A Web3 application typically uses a crypto wallet for login instead of a traditional username and password.
- Many applications marketed as Web3 still rely on centralized infrastructure, such as hosting or data providers, alongside their on-chain components.