The Web3 Book
The Web3 Book

All 35 chapters

Parts I and II are free to read. Part III opens to subscribers and the friends they invite. The rest is in the book, with a summary of every chapter here.

Free to readFree for subscribersIn the book

Part I · The Question and Its Framing

  1. 01Introduction: The Question "What Is Web3?" and Why It Resists a Simple AnswerFree
  2. 02A Reader's Primer: Computers, Networks, and Software in Plain LanguageFree

Part II · Historical and Conceptual Genesis

  1. 03The Internet and the World Wide Web: Origins and ArchitectureFree
  2. 04Web 1.0: The Read Era (1990s–early 2000s)Free
  3. 05Web 2.0: The Read–Write Era and the Platform EconomyFree
  4. 06The Discontents of Web 2.0: Centralization, Surveillance Capitalism, and the Data QuestionFree
  5. 07The Etymology and Intellectual History of "Web3"Free

Part III · Technical Foundations, Explained Accessibly

  1. 08Cryptography for Non-Specialists: Hashing, Keys, and Digital SignaturesSubscribers
  2. 09Advanced Cryptography: Zero-Knowledge Proofs and the Privacy FrontierSubscribers
  3. 10Distributed Systems, Trust, and the Byzantine Generals ProblemSubscribers
  4. 11The Blockchain: Data Structure, Ledger, and ImmutabilitySubscribers
  5. 12Bitcoin: The First Working Application of the BlockchainSubscribers
  6. 13Ethereum and Smart Contracts: The Programmable BlockchainSubscribers
  7. 14Consensus Mechanisms: Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and Their Trade-offsSubscribers
  8. 15Scaling and Connecting Blockchains: Layer-2s, Interoperability, and Multichain VisionsSubscribers

Part IV · The Components of Web3

  1. 16Tokens: Cryptocurrencies, Fungible Tokens, and Stablecoins
  2. 17Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Idea of Digital Ownership
  3. 18Wallets, Keys, and Self-Custody: The Mechanics of "Owning"
  4. 19Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
  5. 20Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and On-Chain Governance
  6. 21The Organization as Protocol: Toward the Trustless Firm
  7. 22Decentralized Identity, Reputation, and Naming
  8. 23Decentralized Storage and Computation
  9. 24Oracles, Bridges, and the Link to the Off-Chain World

Part V · Defining Web3

  1. 25Toward a Definition: "Read, Write, Own" and Competing Framings
  2. 26Web3 as Ideology: Decentralization, Cypherpunk Roots, and the Politics of Trust
  3. 27Disentangling the Terms: Web3 vs. the Semantic Web (Web 3.0) vs. the Metaverse

Part VI · Applications, Evidence, and Critique

  1. 28Use Cases and Case Studies: Finance, Art, Gaming, Identity, and the Public Sector
  2. 29Critiques and Skepticism: Hype, Scams, and Recentralization in Practice
  3. 30Externalities: Environmental, Economic, and Social Dimensions
  4. 31Law, Regulation, and Policy
  5. 32Security, Risk, and the Human Factor

Part VII · Synthesis and Future

  1. 33The State of the Evidence: What Can and Cannot Be Claimed
  2. 34Possible Futures and Open Research Questions
  3. 35Conclusion: A Considered Answer to "What Is Web3?"

Preface: How to Read This Book →