How to become an early adopter of Web3

(NATIONAL) Web3. The buzzword of 2021, despite being around since 2014. 

But what is Web3, and what does it mean for you and me? 

We asked Andrew Zhao, CEO of Throwlights, if he could break it down in the simplest way possible. He did not disappoint. 

Zhao tells us Web3 is just what it sounds like- the third evolution of the internet. 

“Web 1.0 was back in, like, let's say the early 2000s, right before Facebook and Myspace,” Zhao said. “And that was when we were just using our browser to go on and read things that people had put on a blog or a website.

STORY CODE: THROWLIGHTS

“Web 2.0 was when we now have the ability to read and write, so that's like when social media came out, you know, message boards.

“Web3 is you're actually able to read, write, and you can also own. These web pages are actually interacting with your crypto wallet.”  

That’s because Web3 runs on the blockchain, as opposed to Web2, which runs on centralized servers. 

“Basically, the block chain is a distributed ledger,” Zhao said. “And a ledger is essentially like a list of accounting transactions, an accounting document, but it's distributed, so it's owned by many computers all across the world. And this history of transactions is all there, it's all on the blockchain, it's immutable. It's permanently there forever. 

“You don't have to trust a company or a person to say, yeah, this blockchain is legit. It's out there, everyone has the same blockchain.”  

It’s the future for enterprising entrepreneurs like Zhao, whose company serves light show artists and enthusiasts. 

“Light show artists are an emerging art form that came from electronic music festivals sometime in the mid-2000s,” Zhao said. “Essentially a light show is any time you use light to do a performance, and it's usually done to music.” 

Zhao said they create the physical products people use to give light shows, but they’ve recently started producing digital items for the NFT marketplace after getting into the Web3 space into a few months ago. 

“I had someone who introduced me to Web3,” Zhao said. “This person was someone that I met in the light show community. I thought their head was up in the clouds. I was like, this person's crazy. You know it’s going to change the world, it’s this and it’s that. And I was like, okay.” 

But Zhao said he kept in touch with the guy, who later brought him into his virtual reality world. 

“I didn't even have my headset on” Zhao said. “I didn't have my Oculus or anything. I was just there in 2D. But even seeing that, I was like, wow, this is really interesting. 

Forward thinkers like Zhao say Web3 and virtual reality worlds will eventually be part of everyone’s future, but we’re still aways off. 

“A lot of people understand that this is the future, and even like the big firms are going out there and getting Ethereum addresses or releasing NTs, or even buying up cryptocurrency,” Zhao said. “And it's being talked about, but I think the barriers of entry are stopping it from being as big as it can and will be.” 

Barriers like cost of virtual reality equipment, and gas fees for buying and selling digital products like NFTs, for instance. 

On the other side of the token, Zhao said the technology was not built for the elite. Just the opposite. 

“What's actually really special about this space is that it gives everyone across the entire world the same opportunities that we get based on our geographical location,” Zhao said. “Anyone in any country, anywhere has the same access to the blockchain and to these NFT platforms.”  

Like any other new technology, there is vulnerability for new and even seasoned users. 

"It's like the wild west out there," Zhao said. "A lot of people trying to take advantage of other people. As much opportunity is there, there's also the darker side of things as well, so you want to be careful."  

Zhao said members of our Verified News Community who want to be an early adopter of Web3 are welcome to use him as a resource. He’ll help walk you through the process and even hook you up with a free NFT. 

Just like he helped us get our first NFT.  

If interested, message him on Twitter, username @wildr0gue