If you are a developer, you probably heard of Web3 . There is a a massive gold rush to web3 with a ton of capital and talent flocking to the ecosystem. No matter if you are for or against crypto, it’s probably a good idea to do some research on this new Web3 thing. In this article I will explain:
- what is Web3?
- what you can do with Web3?
- and how you can start building on Web3?
Let’s get started!
What is Web3?
* With Web1, we would read data using static websites * With Web2, we could read and write data using web applications, which have a centralized backend * With Web3, we can read and write data in decentralized apps, which have a decentralized backend on Blockchains like Ethereum.
Compared to Web2, with Web3 we have the following benefits :
- users are able to retain much more value, as there is no intermediary
- open to everybody
- censorship-resistance
- permission-less, which means anybody can execute a smart contract, no need to ask for API access
- composable, which means we can build smart contracts on top of each other
- safer, as there is no centralized point of failure
Next, let’s see what are the main uses cases for Web3.
Web3 use cases
The first use case of web3 was to build cryptocurrencies. But Web3 is capable of so much more:
- With DeFi protocols we can re-invent finance in a decentralized way, open to anyone and without regulation or banks standing in the way.
- With NFTs, we can create unique digital assets, which have many use cases like in-game assets or digital arts.
- With DAOs, we can create decentralized organizations that are able to vote and spend their treasury, without all the red-tape and limitations of traditional companies.
Building Web3 apps
To build Web3 apps, you need to already know web development, including html, css, js and React.
After, you can focus your efforts on the Ethereum Blockchain, which has the largest ecosystem and the best development tools.
You first have to learn the architecture of a decentralized application, with a web frontend connected to smart contracts, these small programs that run on the Blockchain.
You have to learn the Solidity language for writing smart contracts. Y
You also have to learn either Truffle or Hardhat, 2 popular frameworks for smart contracts.
To interact with Ethereum, you have to learn Web3.js or Ethers, 2 popular JS libraries.
And you also have to learn how to integrate your Dapp with Metamask, the most-used Ethereum wallet.
Conclusion
That was a very short intro to web3 development. If you want a longer intro to web3 development you will find more details here, including a full roadmap to become a Blockchain developer in 2022. I will see you there 🙂
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