Fans asked under my article what WEB3 is? So here comes an article: What exactly has the internet gone through? Where are we headed? I will take you from Web1's 'read-only era' all the way to Web3's 'ownership era', and sneak a peek at the spoilers for 2026.

Web1 (1991-2004): You can only watch, not touch

Keywords: read-only, static, one-way broadcast

Essence: The internet is like an electronic library, content produced by portals (Yahoo, Sina, Haofang), and you can only browse.

Power: 100% in the hands of the website.

Monetization method: Selling advertising space.

Representation: Baidu Tieba was just born, still a pure forum.

Web2 (2005-2020): You can speak, but the house isn't yours.

Keywords: Read + Write, Dynamic, Platform Economy.

Essence: The Internet has turned into a giant square. You have a microphone, but the square belongs to others. Your photos, videos, and chat records are all stored on Amazon/Aliyun's servers.

Power: 99% is in the hands of platforms (bans, algorithm promotion, removals).

Monetization method: Traffic → Advertising → Data monetization.

Representative case: In 2021, Trump was permanently banned from Twitter; in 2023, Douyin's small shop was reset to 'visible only to self' with one click.

Web3 (2021-Present): You can not only speak but also own the square.

Keywords: Read + Write + Own, Decentralization, Ownership.

Core changes:

Identity: From 'platform accounts' → 'crypto wallets.'

Data: From 'platform databases' → 'blockchain + distributed storage.'

Value: From 'monetizing traffic' → 'direct ownership of tokens/NFTs.'

2025 real picture:

  • You post on Lens Protocol, and likes automatically distribute HANDLE tokens.

  • Your AI avatar NFT is sold directly for 0.5 ETH on Paragraph.

  • Game equipment exists on Polygon, transferable across games.

  • Unemployed? Package your Xiaohongshu notes from the past 5 years into an .eth personal profile and submit it to a Web3 company for immediate approval.

Ultimate comparison table of three generations of the Internet (valuable information).

  • AI + Web3 = Personal data sovereignty Your chat records and search history are no longer fed to big companies, but stored in .eth personal data vaults. You can train any AI you want and pay with tokens.

  • DePIN brings the real world onto the blockchain.

    • Filecoin → Global hard drives.

    • Helium → Global Wi-Fi.

    • 2026: Rent out computing power from your electric vehicle during idle times to earn $DRIVE.

    • 2030: 10% of global bandwidth comes from DePIN.

  • Polkadot 2.0 + Ethereum L3, 1000 chains communicate like WeChat groups, cross-chain transfers of $0.01, arrive in 3 seconds.

  • Regulation and compliance coexist. The U.S. has recognized self-custody wallets = basic rights (no hitting allowed in the Chinese character square); Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission will open on-chain funds in Q4 2025, allowing you to buy DOT with New Taiwan Dollars and earn a 12% annualized return.

Summary.

Web1 is a library, Web2 is a giant square, Web3 is where everyone has a piece of land to build houses, open stores, plant trees, and can pass on the land deed to their grandchildren.