What is Web3? and is Apple getting involved?

some coins on a mobile phone
(Image credit: Jirapong Manustrong via Getty Images)

We’ve had Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, and recently you’ve probably heard about Web 3.0, aka Web3. Could this ill-defined term really be the future of the internet? Despite the lack of clarity about what Web3 means, it is broadly understood as an emerging version of the internet based on the blockchain and encompassing cryptocurrencies, NFTs (non-fungible tokens – see our guide to what are NFTs for the basics) and the metaverse. That’s because Web3 is, according to its proponents, all about decentralisation, a response to the current era of the web that is dominated by giant platforms such as Facebook – sorry, we mean Meta – and Google.

The Web3 Foundation says its "passion is delivering Web 3.0, a decentralised and fair internet where users control their own data, identity and destiny". In Web 2.0, powered by social media, we, the users, are ultimately the product. However, that is not the case in an idealised version of Web3.

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Charlotte is a journalist and author covering media and technology. Based in London, she is the UK Associate of The Mac Observer, hosts its Media+ podcast and has written for various other outlets. Her first book, Not Buying It, was published in 2019.

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