WEB 3.0（或者更广为人知的“ Web3 ”）是一套关于未来网络应该如何外观和操作的相对松散的想法。我们目前处于Web 2.0(Web 2.0)和Web 3.0的世界之间，未来 Web 的确切形态还没有确定。我们将探索Web3是什么，并查看一些适合Web3模式的特定技术示例。
互联网(Internet)和万维网(Web)是不同(Different)的
在我们开始在网络上进行任何讨论之前，您需要了解的一个重要事实是它与互联网不同。互联网是保持世界连接的物理网络设备和计算机，以及描述所有这些设备如何相互通信的互联网协议。如果您想了解更多有关互联网架构的信息，请查看谁拥有互联网？网络架构解释(Who Owns the Internet? Web Architecture Explained)。
Web 是在 Internet 上运行的一种服务（或服务组）。它是 Internet 中最常见的面向用户的部分，但其他服务（例如FTP或BitTorrent）不是 Web 的一部分。它们只是共享相同的带宽。
Web的演变：Web 1.0 和Web 2.0解释
万维网(World Wide Web)在90 年代中期首次出现。这就是现在所认为的Web 1.0。早期的网站托管在许多地方。有些位于公司 IT 部门的大型服务器上，有些则托管在人们的家用计算机上。Web内容还没有集中到我们今天所知道的巨型数据中心。
Web 1.0内容主要是非交互式的“只读”静态网页(Web)。换句话说，您会访问一个网站以获取信息，但您不会将任何数据返回给它。这就是Web 1.0(Web 1.0)和Web 2.0之间的决定性区别。
在Web 2.0中，信息开始双向流动。这是社交媒体平台和用户生成内容的时代。在这个社交网络上，最终用户将他们的照片、个人信息等发布到Facebook和LinkedIn等社交网络上，每个人都可以看到。
托管服务开始集中到少数强大的科技公司拥有的数据中心。Web 浏览器变得如此先进，以至于它们基本上可以运行具有复杂 3D 图形的 Web 应用程序。
对于这些组织来说，用户(User)数据是最有价值的商品，他们使用它来促进电子商务或将其出售给第三方玩家。搜索(Search)引擎巨头谷歌(Google)也许是最著名的例子。尽管如此，微软(Microsoft)和亚马逊(Amazon)等公司仍投资于提供集中式网络服务，这些服务可以吸收个人数据并将其转化为有利可图的见解。
Web3 的价值观
从本质上讲， Web3(Web3)的理念是一个不受少数中央机构控制的网络。这些是政府还是公司无关紧要，Web3（理论上）将用户数据和网络内容交到用户手中。它还允许建立一个网络，用户可以直接从他们的数据和每天在网络上移动的所有资金中获利。
“Web3”这个词是由以太坊区块链的联合创始人 Gavin Wood 在 2014 年创造的，(Ethereum)我们稍后(Gavin Wood)会讨论。
Web3旨在符合特定值。一方面，它是去中心化的，并且没有拥有所有数据和从中获利的中央机构。Web3应用程序是开源的。这意味着每个人都可以透明地查看应用程序中的算法和软件功能，而不会偷偷进入后门。
因此，总而言之，Web3是一个基于开源应用程序的民主化网络，它让用户可以完全控制他们的数据以及分享内容产生的利润的方法。
Tim Berners-Lee 和旧 Web 3.0
由于“网络之父”蒂姆·伯纳斯-李（Tim Berners-Lee ）提出了另一个名为(” Tim Berners-Lee)Web 3.0的完全不同的概念，因此有些混乱。万维网联盟(World Wide Web Consortium)( W3C )将Web 3.0（“语义网(Web)” ）概述为Web技术标准的扩展。
语义网可能比Web3更难理解。尽管如此，它归结为允许各种机器对机器操作的正式元数据标准，这反过来又允许对 Web 内容的语义理解。
在实践中，这个Web 3.0并没有成为现实，尽管现代 Web 技术已经可以做一些Web 3.0理念所描述的事情。我们不会在这里多说语义网，但请记住，您可能在Web 3.0标签下阅读的某些内容与(Web 3.0)Web3完全不同，而“ Web3 ”仅指我们在此讨论的内容。
既然我们已经弄清楚了Web 3.0(Web 3.0)和Web3之间的区别，那么让我们看看一些符合Web3条件的 Web 技术。
1. 区块链技术
区块链(Blockchain)技术可能是最能激发Web3理念的一项技术，因此它是最直接的例子。许多其他Web3技术依赖于区块链来工作，因此它是Web3的基础。
有关区块链技术的深入解释，请查看HDG 解释：什么是区块链数据库？(HDG Explains: What Is a Blockchain Database?)但如果你没有时间，这里就是它的要点。
区块链是交易的分类账或记录。区块链完整地存在于遍布互联网的多台计算机上。每当一个新的交易“区块”添加到链中时，所有数据库副本都必须同意并进行修改。所有交易都对公众开放，并且是永久性的。
任何干预记录的尝试都会破坏链，并且由于数据库的经过验证的副本遍布整个网络，因此没有中央机构可以控制它。区块链(Blockchain)技术可用于任何应用程序以记录交易，但大多数人将其与加密货币相关联，我们将在接下来解决这个问题。
2. 加密货币
加密货币(Cryptocurrency)（也称为“加密货币”）是分散的数字现金，不受任何政府或银行等中央机构的控制。加密货币(Cryptocurrency)使用区块链技术来记录有多少货币以及谁持有多少。
加密货币的供应通过“挖矿”增加，挖矿提供计算能力来运行区块链以换取新货币。至少，这就是它与比特币(Bitcoin)等“经典”加密货币一起工作的方式。例如，在以太坊区块链的情况下，最终用户支付“汽油费”，该费用由处理交易的以太(Ethereum)坊(Ethereum)矿工收取。
3. 初始硬币产品（ICO）
初始硬币(Coin)产品与加密货币有关，因为提供的“硬币”是加密货币。当你发明一种新型加密货币（可能是一项令人兴奋的创新）时，你需要初始资金才能让事情顺利进行。
将钱投入ICO的人正在购买你的加密货币，而它并不值钱，希望像比特币(Bitcoin)和以太坊(Ethereum)一样，加密货币的价值会爆炸并在一夜之间让他们发财。
ICO(ICOs)有时更像是公司的股票，尽管它们不授予买家所有权。然后，硬币的价值与公司或其产品承诺的价值挂钩。这就是为什么ICO(ICOs)在寻求不涉及银行、天使投资人或风险投资的替代资金的初创公司中如此受欢迎的原因。
ICO 有很多炒作，(ICOs)但骗局(scams)也困扰着他们，很多人赔了钱。这是因为ICO(ICOs)尚未像IPO（首次公开募股(Initial Public Offering)）那样受到监管，任何人都可以发起ICO。
4. 不可替代代币（NFT）
这可能是您已经听说过的，但NFT(NFTs)是Web3的另一个基石。NFT(NFTs)本质上是一种加密形式，但每个NFT都是独一无二的，不能相互交换。这就是名称中不可替代的部分的含义。NFT(NFTs)与数字或实物资产相关联的方式与房屋的纸质地契代表所有权的方式相同。
一个大问题是任何法律机构都不一定承认NFT(NFTs)，所以最终，你现在所购买的只是控制一串字母和数字。然而，随着NFT技术的发展并可能从立法中受益，这种情况可能会改变。
如果您有兴趣了解有关NFT(NFTs)的更多信息，请查看在iPhone 上创建 NFT 的 5 个应用程序以及如何销售它们(5 Apps to Create NFTs on Your iPhone and How to Sell Them)。
5. 去中心化应用程序（dApps）
当您使用Google Docs等基于云的服务时，您使用的是集中式应用程序。Google可以访问您文档中的所有信息，可以阅读并控制所有信息。权衡是我们可以将我们的信息存储在云中，轻松地与他人协作，并享受一长串其他云应用程序的便利。
但是，如果您可以在不提交中央机构的情况下获得这些云服务的优势呢？这就是去中心化应用程序或“dApps”出现的地方。大多数 dApp 使用以太坊区块(Ethereum)链进行在线计算，因此使用以太坊“(Ethereum “) gas”费用支付计算费用。
但是，dApp 符合Web3的公开、开源和通过密码学保护的要求。因此，dApp 用户可以控制他们的数据以及谁可以看到这些数据，同时受益于基于云的计算能力来运行特定 dApp 设计的任何功能。如果您想查看可用的 dApp，请查看我们的 dApp 状态(State of the dApps)，其中记录了最重要的 dApp。
以太坊区块(Ethereum)链旨在从头开始支持Web3技术，甚至有一个名为Web3.js的专用JavaScript库来帮助开发人员快速开始他们的 Web3 项目。
6. 智能合约
如果您今天购买汽车并从银行贷款来做这件事，就会涉及很多文书工作。银行与您签订合同，描述双方的权利和义务。根据合同，如果您拖欠付款，银行必须根据协议强制执行特定行动（例如收回汽车）。
智能合约可以完成完全相同的工作，但它们不需要中央机构来执行或监控任何事情。这一切都根据合约的规则和逻辑自动发生。
智能合约使提供金融服务或在各方之间起草法律协议成为可能，以比传统合同更实惠的方式。它们也更公平，一旦激活就不能被操纵。
当然，与任何合约一样，智能合约仅取决于其中的条款和逻辑，但假设合约是公平的，那么智能合约将被公正地执行。
7. 分布式计算(Computing)（边缘计算(Edge Computing)）
边缘(Edge)计算就是在尽可能靠近请求或生成的地方提供在线数据和服务。边缘(Edge)计算几乎是大规模集中式计算机中心中“大数据”计算的对立面，而边缘计算发生在网络的实际边缘。
例如，数据可能会在您的本地 PC 上进行处理，然后再发送到中心位置进行汇总。这意味着您可以将网络边缘设备的处理能力结合到一台巨大的分散式超级计算机中。随着数十亿IoT（物联网(Internet of Things)）设备在智能家居、工厂和零售店中收集信息，拥有足够的计算能力来处理这些数据是一个真正的挑战。边缘(Edge)计算提供了一种方法来满足这些需求、节省带宽并快速交付数据请求。
8. 去中心化自治组织（DAO(DAOs)）
组织，如企业或慈善机构，具有集中式结构。各级行政人员和管理层都有指挥和控制，以协调所有为必须完成的工作做出贡献的不同人员。
DAO使整个结构变得平坦。没有CEO、CFO或类似的东西。该组织的每个成员都有发言权，可以决定何时从国库中花钱以及花在什么地方。
该组织的规则是使用创新的合约技术在无许可（也称为无信任）区块链中编码的。传统组织已经开发出复杂且成本高昂的行政部门来维持一切正常运转。DAO(DAOs)还使得几乎不可能进行欺诈，因为每笔交易及其历史都受到公众监督，
9.机器学习(Learning)和人工智能(Artificial Intelligence)
在过去的几年里，我们见证了机器学习技术和人工智能其他重要领域的迅速崛起。我们的智能手机配备了这些技术，这就是 Apple 的Siri等应用程序的工作方式。多亏了自然语言处理(Natural Language Processing)( NLP )，您可以与智能代理交谈，他们可以解析您的要求。
机器学习还用于实时处理大量数据，以预测我们的需求和行为。多亏了物联网(Internet)( IoT )，我们到处都有智能联网设备。(Things)这创造了许多收集数据并从中获得有价值的东西的机会。
让我们看看像Wolfram Alpha这样的服务，它使用人工智能从数据中生成知识。我们体验了一个向所有人开放公共数据的民主化网络会是什么样子。
10. 元宇宙
Metaverse是另一个定义不明确的概念，看起来它将与Web3概念重叠并相互关联，或者应该实现。
Metaverse是我们未来网络界面的愿景。它在很大程度上依赖虚拟现实 (VR) 和增强现实(Reality)(AR) 来创建持久和集成的用户体验。
在Metaverse中，您拥有的数字物品与自然世界融为一体，您以更加具体的方式与网络互动。这有点像Ready Player One的虚拟世界，但希望少一点反乌托邦。
Web3 面临严峻挑战
预计的第三代网络在纸面上听起来令人兴奋，但实际挑战阻碍了成为现实，至少在其纯粹的理想主义形式上是如此。Web3代表了互联网上从未见过的连接级别。与现代网络一样复杂，与专注于去中心化网络的Web3场景中涉及的大量节点相比，它算不上什么。
然而，Web3最大的问题不是技术问题，而是政治问题。关于隐私存在严重的问题。尽管受到公众监督，但它使哪些新的欺诈和操纵方法成为可能？我们可以完全摆脱某些中央政府吗？Web3在概念上是如此激进，以至于我们需要一段时间才能知道这些问题的答案，而且在某些情况下，放弃久经考验的系统的风险可能太高而无法进行实验。
10 Web 3.0 Examples: Is It the Future of the Internet?
WEB 3.0 (or as it’s more commonly known “Web3”) is a relatively loose set of ideas about how the future web shoυld look and operate. We are currently somewhere betwеen the world of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, and the exact shape of the future web isn’t set by any means. We’ll explоre what Web3 is and loоk at some specific examples of technоlogies that fit the Web3 mold.
The Internet and the Web are Different
One important fact you need to be aware of before we start any discussion on the web is that it’s different from the internet. The internet is the physical network equipment and computers that keep the world connected, along with the internet protocol describing how all these devices speak to each other. If you want to know more about internet architecture, check out Who Owns the Internet? Web Architecture Explained.
The web is one type of service (or group of services) that runs on the internet. It’s the most common user-facing part of the internet, but other services (such as FTP or BitTorrent) are not part of the web. They just share the same bandwidth.
The Evolution of the Web: Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 Explained
The World Wide Web first came into its own in the mid-90s. This is what’s now thought of as Web 1.0. Early websites were hosted in many places. Some were on large servers inside a company’s IT department, and others were hosted on people’s home computers. Web content wasn’t yet centralized into the giant data centers we know today.
Web 1.0 content mainly was “read-only” static Web pages that weren’t interactive. In other words, you’d visit a website to get information, but you wouldn’t give it any data back. That’s the defining difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.
With Web 2.0, information began flowing in both directions. This was the age of social media platforms and user-generated content. On this social web, end-users put their photos, personal information, and more onto social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, where everyone could see it.
Hosting services began to centralize into data centers owned by a small handful of powerful tech companies. Web browsers became so advanced that they could essentially run web applications with sophisticated 3D graphics.
User data is the most valuable commodity to these organizations, who use it to boost eCommerce or sell it to third-party players. Search engine giant Google is perhaps the most famous example. Still, companies like Microsoft and Amazon are invested in providing centralized web services that suck up personal data and convert it into profitable insights.
The Values of Web3
At its core, the idea of Web3 is a web that’s not controlled by a small number of central authorities. Whether these are governments or corporations is irrelevant, Web3 (theoretically) puts user data and web content into users’ hands. It also allows for a web where users can profit directly from their data and all that money moving around the web every day.
The term “Web3” was coined back in 2014 by Gavin Wood, a co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, which we’ll be discussing a little later.
Web3 is meant to conform to specific values. For one thing, it’s decentralized and doesn’t have a central authority that owns all the data and profits from it. Web3 applications are open source. This means that everyone can transparently look at the algorithms and software functions in an app without the possibility of sneaking in back doors.
So, in summary, Web3 is a democratized web-based on an open-source application that gives users complete control of their data and the means to share in the profits generated by their content.
Tim Berners-Lee and the Old Web 3.0
There’s some confusion because another completely different concept named Web 3.0 was coined by “father of the web” Tim Berners-Lee. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) outlined Web 3.0 (the “Semantic Web”) as an extension to the Web technology standard.
The semantic web may be harder to wrap your head around than Web3. Still, it boils down to formal metadata standards that allow for all kinds of machine-to-machine operations, which in turn would allow for a semantic understanding of web content.
In practice, this Web 3.0 hasn’t become a reality, although modern web technology can already do some things that the Web 3.0 idea describes. We won’t say more about the semantic web here, but keep in mind that some things you might read under the label Web 3.0 is about something completely different than Web3, while “Web3” only refers to what we’re discussing here.
Now that we’ve cleared up the difference between Web 3.0 and Web3, let’s look at some web technologies that qualify as Web3.
1. Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology is perhaps the one technology that most inspired the idea of Web3, and so it’s the most on-the-nose example. Many other Web3 technologies rely on a blockchain to work, so it is foundational to Web3.
For an in-depth explanation of blockchain technology, check out HDG Explains: What Is a Blockchain Database? But if you don’t have the time, here’s the gist of it.
The blockchain is a ledger or record of transactions. The blockchain exists in its entirety on multiple computers spread across the internet. Whenever a new “block” of transactions is added to the chain, all database copies must agree and be amended. All transactions are open to public view and permanent.
Any attempt to meddle with the record corrupts the chain, and since validated copies of the database are spread all over the web, no central authority can control it. Blockchain technology can be used for any application to keep a record of transactions, but most people associate it with cryptocurrency, which we’ll tackle next.
2. Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency (also known as “crypto”) is decentralized digital cash that isn’t controlled by any government or a central authority like a bank. Cryptocurrency uses blockchain technology to record how much currency there is and who holds what amount of it.
The supply of cryptocurrency is increased through “mining,” which provides computational power to run the blockchain in exchange for new currency. At least, that’s the way it works with “classic” cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. In the case of the Ethereum blockchain, for example, end-users pay a “gas fee,” which is received by Ethereum miners who process transactions.
3. Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
Initial Coin Offerings are related to cryptocurrencies because the “coins” on offer are crypto. When you invent a new type of cryptocurrency (presumably with an exciting innovation), you need initial money to get the ball rolling.
People who put money into an ICO are buying your crypto while it’s not worth anything, hoping that, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, the value of the crypto will explode and make them a fortune overnight.
ICOs are sometimes sold more like shares in a company, although they confer no ownership to buyers. The value of the coins is then linked to how valuable the company or its products promise to be. This is why ICOs have been so popular with startups looking for alternative funding that doesn’t involve a bank, angel investors, or venture capital.
There has been a lot of hype around ICOs, but scams have also plagued them, and many folks have lost their money. That’s because ICOs are not yet regulated the way an IPO (Initial Public Offering) is, and anyone can launch an ICO.
4. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
This is probably one you’ve already heard of, but NFTs are another cornerstone of Web3. NFTs are essentially a form of crypto, but each NFT is unique and cannot be exchanged for another. That’s what the non-fungible part of the name means. NFTs are linked to digital or physical assets in the same way that the paper title deed for a house represents ownership.
One big catch is that any legal authority does not necessarily recognize NFTs, so ultimately, all you’re buying at this point is control over a string of letters and numbers. However, as NFT technology evolves and perhaps benefits from legislation, that may change.
If you’re interested to know more about NFTs, have a look at 5 Apps to Create NFTs on Your iPhone and How to Sell Them.
5. Decentralized Apps (dApps)
When you use a cloud-based service like Google Docs, you’re using a centralized app. Google has access to all the information in your documents, can read it all, and control it. The tradeoff is that we can store our information in the cloud, easily collaborate with others, and enjoy a long list of other cloud-app conveniences.
But what if you could have the advantages of these cloud services without submitting to a central authority? That’s where decentralized apps or “dApps” come into the picture. Most dApps use the Ethereum blockchain to do their online computation, and so that computation is paid for using Ethereum “gas” fees.
However, dApps conform to Web3 requirements to be public, open-source, and secured through cryptography. So dApp users control their data and who can see it while benefiting from cloud-based computing power to run whatever function a specific dApp is designed for. If you want to see what dApps are available, check our State of the dApps, which record the most important ones.
The Ethereum blockchain is designed to support Web3 technologies from the ground up and even has a dedicated JavaScript library called Web3.js to help developers get going with their Web3 projects quickly.
6. Smart Contracts
If you buy a car today and take a loan from the bank to do it, there’s a lot of paperwork involved. The bank sets up a contract with you describing the rights and obligations of both parties. According to the contract, if you default on your payment, the bank has to enforce specific actions (such as repossessing the car) according to the agreement.
Smart contracts can do precisely the same job, but they don’t require a central authority to enforce or monitor anything. It all happens automatically according to the rules and logic of the contract.
Smart contracts make it possible to provide financial services, or draw up legal agreements between parties, in a much more affordable way than traditional contacts. They are also much fairer and can’t be manipulated once activated.
Of course, like any contract, a smart contract is only as good as the terms and logic within it, but assuming that the contract is a fair one, then a smart contract will be enforced with impartiality.
7. Distributed Computing (Edge Computing)
Edge computing is all about delivering online data and services as close to where it’s being requested or generated as possible. Edge computing is almost the antithesis of “Big Data” computing in massive centralized computer centers, whereas edge computing happens at the literal edges of the network.
For example, data might be processed on your local PC before being sent along to a central location to be aggregated. This means you can combine the processing power of devices along the edges of your network into one giant decentralized supercomputer. With billions of IoT (Internet of Things) devices collecting information in smart homes, factories, and retail stores, having enough computing power to process that data is a real challenge. Edge computing offers a way to meet those demands, save on bandwidth, and deliver on data requests quickly.
8. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
An organization, like a business or charity, has a centralized structure. There’s command and control from executives and management at every level to coordinate all the different people who contribute to the work that has to be done.
A DAO flattens out that entire structure. There is no CEO, CFO, or anything like that. Every member of the organization has a voice and decides when money is spent from the treasury and on what.
The organization’s rules are encoded using innovative contract technology in a permissionless (aka trustless) blockchain. There’s no need for the complex and costly administrative departments that traditional organizations have developed to keep everything going. DAOs also make it virtually impossible to commit fraud since every transaction and its history is open to public scrutiny,
9. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
In the past few years, we’ve seen the rapid rise of machine learning technology and other significant areas of artificial intelligence. Our smartphones are packed with these technologies, which is how applications like Apple’s Siri work. Thanks to Natural Language Processing (NLP), you can speak to an intelligent agent, and they can parse what you’re asking for.
Machine learning is also used to process massive amounts of data in real-time to predict our needs and behavior. Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), we have intelligent network-connected devices everywhere. This creates many opportunities to gather data and make something valuable from it.
Let’s look at services like Wolfram Alpha, which uses artificial intelligence to generate knowledge from data. We get a taste of what a democratized web with public data open to everyone could be like.
10. The Metaverse
The Metaverse is another ill-defined concept that looks like it will overlap and interlink with Web3 concepts, should either ever come to fruition.
The Metaverse is a vision of what our future interface to the web will look like. It depends heavily on virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to create a persistent and integrated user experience.
In the Metaverse, the digital items you own blend with the natural world, and you interact with the web in a much more embodied way. It’s a little like the virtual world of Ready Player One, but hopefully just a little less dystopian.
Web3 Has Serious Challenges
The predicted third generation of the web sounds exciting on paper, but practical challenges stand in the way of becoming a reality, at least in its pure, idealistic form. Web3 represents a level of connectivity that’s never before been seen on the internet. As complex as the modern web is, it’s nothing compared to the sheer number of nodes involved in the Web3 scenario focusing on a decentralized web.
However, the biggest problem with Web3 is not an issue of technology but one of politics. There are serious questions about privacy. Despite being open to public scrutiny, what new methods of fraud and manipulation does it make possible? Can we completely move away from certain central authorities? Web3 is so radical in concept that it will be some time before we know the answers to these questions, and in some cases, the risks of abandoning tried-and-tested systems might be too high for experimentation.
