"Stop asking what Web3 is and look at what it's already done."
Web3 has been labeled too much in the past few years:
"Air projects", "leek-cutting", "geek toys", "decentralized utopias" ......
But when it comes to 2025, these labels are being ripped off one by one.
Web3 is no longer a concept on paper, it'sGetting real, creating value, reinventing business modelsof new infrastructure.
According to the latest data.The global Web3 market has reached $21.35 billion.In the first half of the year, the number of people with disabilities is projected to soar to 5.1 trillion dollarsThe compound annual growth rate is as high as 70.4% The
In China, the scale of Web3-related industries (including blockchain, privacy computing, and digital identity) has also exceeded 20 billion The
Today, we'll leave the jargon behind and useSpecific scenarios, real-life examples, market data, speak clearly:
What's so great about Web3? What can ordinary people do with it? What are the definite opportunities for the future?
🔑 Core features of Web3: not "technology stacking", but "power redistribution".
The essence of Web3, not blockchain, not NFT, and not DAO, is that "User Sovereignty"The
It is a complete reimagining of the Web2 era through four technological pillars:
| Web2 (now) | Web3 (future) |
|---|---|
| The platform owns your data | You have your own data. |
| Content owned by the platform | The content is yours and can be freely relocated |
| Platform commission 30%+ | Creators cash in directly, no middleman |
| The rules are set by the company | Rules are voted on by the community (DAO) |
Underpinning all of this are four major underlying technologies:
- blockchain: A tamper-proof public ledger that provides a foundation of trust;
- smart contract: Self-executing "digital law" without intermediaries;
- NFT: A unique digital asset voucher that proves ownership;
- Decentralized Identity (DID): Your digital ID that doesn't rely on WeChat/Google.
Web3 is not about "overthrowing the Internet", it's about making the InternetReturn to user orientationThe
🌍 Five Real-World Application Scenarios for Web3 in 2025
✅ 1. Decentralized Finance (DeFi): your bank, under your control
- status quo: Global DeFi lock-up value (TVL) over $120 billionThe user is over 20 million.;
- case (law)::
- Aave, Compound: Deposit USDC, annualized return 4%~8%, seconds to account;
- Uniswap: No need for an exchange, trade tokens directly from your wallet;
- Stabilized Coin (USDT/USDC): has held more than $123.4 billion in United States Treasuries. and become a new variable in the financial system .
You no longer need a bank to approve a loan, just pledge your digital assets and the smart contract automatically lends the money.
✅ 2. NFT: From "expensive avatars" to "useful assets"
- status quo: NFT has moved from hype to practicality.Branding, ticketing, membership systemBecome the new hot spot;
- case (law)::
- Starbucks Odyssey: Purchase NFT to enjoy exclusive coffee and offline activities;
- Ticketmaster: Concert tickets are issued with NFT to eliminate scalping;
- China Culture and Tourism Program: Dunhuang and the Forbidden City launch digital collections, tied to offline guided tours.
NFT is no longer "a map" butProgrammable Entitlement CardThe
✅ 3. DAO: The company without an owner that is making money
- status quo: Global active DAOs exceed 5000Assets under management exceeded $25 billion.;
- case (law)::
- ConstitutionDAO: $47 million raised in seven days to bid on the original U.S. Constitution;
- Gitcoin: Developers are rewarded with tokens for contributing code, and the community is self-governing;
- A design studio in China: Distribute project revenues using the DAO model, with members voting for dividends based on their contributions.
In the future, your side hustle, community of interest, or even neighborhood property may be run with a DAO.
✅ 4. GameFi: Earn while you play, gaming assets are truly yours!
- status quo: Super 3100 Web3 games onlineRoblox becomes a branded sales channel;
- case (law)::
- Axie Infinity: Filipino gamers earn $500 a month playing the game;
- Illuvium3A open world with tradable and rentable equipment;
- Domestic Games: WeChat mini game access to NFT, props are permanently saved, cross-game common.
The money you spend on the game is no longer a "sunk cost", it's aNegotiable assetsThe
✅ 5. Decentralized Identity (DID): one wallet, login to all sites
- status quoEU eIDAS 2.0 and China's "Trusted Digital Identity" pilot are in progress;
- case (law)::
- ENS (ethereum domain name)::
yourname.ethas a uniform identity; - Login with Ethereum: No registration required, one-click wallet login dApp;
- Job Search Platform: Academic qualifications and work experience are uplinked, and companies can verify authenticity without the need for intermediaries.
Say goodbye to "registering 10 accounts and not being able to remember your password".One wallet for the whole worldThe
📈 Status of the market by 2025
| dimension (math.) | status quo |
|---|---|
| market size | Global $21.35 billion, China over $20 billion |
| user growth | Wallet address super 500 millionIn addition, there are more active users than 100 million |
| policy environment | China Supports "Coinless Web3," Focuses on Data Elements, Digital Government; Europe and the U.S. Accelerate Regulatory Framework Construction |
| technological bottleneck | Lower gas fees (Layer2 popularization), improved user experience (one-click wallet login), and significant progress in cross-chain interoperability. |
| capitalist attitude | a16z, Sequoia continue to raise their bets, but are looking more at theReal Revenue and User RetentionNot a "coin story." |
Web3 is moving from being "speculation-driven" to "value-driven".
🔮 Certainty of opportunity over the next 5 years
1️⃣ creator economy
- Use NFT to distribute music, photography, and lessons to sell directly to fans;
- Write articles via Mirror.xyz and have reader rewards arrive in your wallet.
2️⃣ Digital Identity Service Provider (DISP)
- Help enterprises build DID system, provide KYC and data authorization services;
- Development of an "Identity Aggregator" to allow users to unify the management of reputation in the chain.
3️⃣ RWA (Real World Asset Tokenization)
- RWA Market Size by 2025 $202.5 billion .;
- Real estate, carbon credits, and supply chain notes are on the chain, and ordinary people can invest in small amounts.
4️⃣ AI + Web3 combined
- The AI Agent automatically executes trades and manages assets through the wallet;
- Decentralized AI model training with token rewards for data providers.
🌟 Write in the end
The ultimate goal of Web3 is not for everyone to speculate on coins, but toRebuilding trust and equity in the digital worldThe
It may not be perfect - hard to use wallets, fluctuating Gas fees, unclear regulation ......
But it's unmistakable in its direction:
Bringing data back to the user, value back to the creator, and rules back to the community.
As one Web3 founder put it:
"we're not building a better Facebook.
We are building a world where Facebook cannot exist."
And you, perhaps, are standing at the entrance to this new world.
How do I start?
- Client MetaMask Wallet (your Web3 ID);
- Experience a dApp (e.g., Uniswap, Lens Protocol);
- Follow a DAO community (e.g. Gitcoin, Bankless).
Risk Warning: This article does not constitute investment advice, Web3 project risk is high, please be careful to participate.