looking back at the development of the internet, it completed the digitization of the traditional advertising industry in Web1 stage, the digitization of the content industry in Web2 stage, and the digitization of the life service industry under the catalysis of the tide of mobile internet. Finally, with the support of artificial intelligence, big data and algorithms, the Internet of Everything became the climax of the development of the internet. The development of Internet seems to have come to an end.

However, Web3 based on blockchain technology and token economy makes people see the new direction of Internet development, so venture capital funds, entrepreneurial teams and opinion leaders flock to it.

so, at what stage has the current Web3 evolved? What are the arguments and discussions around Web3?

1. at what stage has Web3 developed?

reviewing the history of Web development may inspire the development of Web3.

if we count from ARPANET, which was born in 1969, by 221, the Internet has gone through 52 years of life. It can be said that the 52 years of the Internet is a magnificent global epic and a half century of the development of human civilization and productivity at the speed of light.

the development of the internet has gone through such key stages. In the 196s, the US military launched ARPANET, which laid the technical foundation of the Internet and belonged to the beginning of its development. In 197s, with the birth of TCP/IP, computers were no longer independent individuals, and the basic protocol was called Internet. In 198s, applications such as e-mail, BBS and USEnet appeared like mushrooms after rain, which promoted the popularization and development of Internet applications.

this is the prehistoric era of the internet.

In the 199s, the birth and commercialization of the World Wide Web (WWW) made the Internet move towards thousands of households. The application of browsers, portals and e-commerce is the most distinctive feature of this era, which is also known as the Web1 stage. In the first decade of the 21st century, blogs, social media and netizens became the main producers of content. In the second decade of 21st century, the rise of 4G networks and mobile devices brought us into the era of mobile Internet. This is the Web2 stage of the Internet.

so, can the development of the internet inspire the development of Web3? Or what is the current position of Web3 in the history of Internet development?

There may be many dimensions to measure this problem, such as the number of venture capital, entrepreneurial teams, infrastructure development, etc., but the number of users is bound to be the most critical part in the measurement standard.

in 1997, according to the statistics of the world bank, the number of global internet users reached 3 million, and in 222, the number of global encrypted assets holders was no less than 3 million!

Therefore, if the number of holders of money is equal to the number of Internet users, 222 of Web3 is 1997 of the Internet.

During the five years from 1995 to 2, the Silicon Valley technology circle (representing the development of the global Internet) was magnificent. In these five years, Netscape went public in August 1995, Yahoo went public in April 1996, and Amazon went public in May 1997 ...

In 1995, Google founder sergey brin met Larry Page, and in 1996, it was launched with the name Backrub. Backrub was named Google in 1997, and Google went public in 24 seven years later. If the two founders had not wisely introduced eric schmidt as the CEO of Google in 21, and were persuaded by the latter that the best way for search engines to make money was to attract merchants to put advertisements and make strategic adjustments, the world might have lost a useful browser and an open and inclusive video media streaming website.

However, the number of active users in the chain may be a better reference.

according to the tracking data of Nansen, an online data tool, in late February, the total active address of nine major encrypted networks in the world (Ethereum/Polygon/Arbitrum, etc.) on the 7th was about 9.163 million.

The year when this figure coincides with the number of global Internet users counted by the World Bank is 1991. At that time, the number of Internet users accounted for .1%-.2% of the global population (5.4 billion). With the birth and commercialization of the World Wide Web, applications such as browsers, portals and e-commerce are the most distinctive features of this era, and they have made the Internet accessible to thousands of households.

Netscape of jim clark and Mark Andriessen, Google of sergey brin and Larry Page, Facebook of mark zuckerberg, Alibaba of Ma Yun, Yahoo of Yang Zhiyuan, Tencent of Ma Huateng and Apple of Jobs were all born in this era.

standing at the moment, in the world of Web3,

the lively scenes of public chains such as Ethereum/ICP/Solana/Avalanche/Cosmos/Polkadot/Terra/Polygon/Near/Fantom/Flow/Harmony, etc., we have to carefully search for clues for reference from the development of the Internet from 1991 to 2.

if all this is true, I prefer to assume that the current Web3 world is in the Internet from 1991 to 1997. In view of the fact that there have been too many exciting business legends, if this time period must be accurate within three years, then 1993-1995 will be the answer.

although, at present, we are still in the process of constant dispute and exploration.

2. Controversy exists at any time

Controversy in the world of Web3 revolves around Jack Dorsey's questioning of Web3.

Jack Dorsey, founder and CEO of Twitter Block, believes that in fact, a large venture capital company like a16z has invested more than $3 billion in the field of Web3 and invested in dozens of encryption companies including

OpenSea/Cryptokkitties/Dapper Labs, which will control these new network systems.

For Web3, followers said that blockchain and encrypted asset system will allow users to "own" the next generation of online games, applications and services, instead of handing over all power and profits to Web2 giants such as Google, Meta and Amazon. The new network system means having voting rights and original shares in the next large social network.

however, Jack Dorsey thinks that you don't really "own" anything in Web3, which implies that in Jack Dorsey's eyes, Web3 is a lie concocted by nihilists. Elon musk also said when forwarding Dorsey Twitter: Has anyone seen Web3? I haven't found him.

when any new technology comes, arguments are inevitable.

In the internal memo of Western Union Company in 1876, a passage was recorded, "This' telephone' has too many shortcomings to be used as a real means of communication. This thing itself is of no value to us. "

In the title page photos and preface of "A Hundred Years of Silicon Valley", the passionate entrepreneurial process of entrepreneurs in this hot land of Silicon Valley is displayed and described. They have created the greatest companies in human history, such as Oracle Bone Inscriptions, intel, AMD, Apple, Google and Amazon, as well as pioneering companies with rich funds, such as Go and Webvan, which eventually went bankrupt.

It is these entrepreneurs who have worked hard to create the evergreen tree of Internet software and hardware technology in the United States for 5 years, and also turned the barren land of Santa Clara Valley in California into the richest and most attractive area on the blue planet-which is also a model of business order.

I'm also looking forward to the story of Web3, and I expect the story of Web3 to continue to write brilliantly here.