老贼

Introduction#

✍️ The blogger has recently observed a trend: many remote job opportunities, especially for freelancers and digital nomads, are coming from the Web3 industry. Designers, developers, content creators, operators... this industry seems to be the next collective migration destination for digital nomads.

So I decided to systematically figure out what Web3 is all about. Starting from this article, I will document my learning process. Step by step from "I've heard of it but don't understand" to "I can write it down and explain it."

What is P2P?#

P2P, short for Peer-to-Peer, is called point-to-point network in Chinese.

The first time you might have encountered this term could be during the downloading era: when using Thunder, eMule, or BT to download resources. When you download a movie, you are not actually pulling files from a single server, but downloading bits from many people's computers and then piecing them together. This method does not rely on any one website or server; anyone can be an uploader, and everyone helps each other "share."

In simple terms, P2P means:

"Everyone is both a consumer and a provider; there is no central node, and everyone is directly interconnected."

So it is more resistant to censorship and more "free" than traditional centralized networks (for example, when you scroll through Douyin, you are connected to Douyin's server).

This network structure later became the foundational framework for blockchain and Web3.

What is Blockchain?#

"Blockchain" sounds like a very profound concept, but its essence is quite simple; it is a decentralized database (public distributed ledger). This database does not exist in a single company or server but is distributed across thousands of nodes (computers), where everyone keeps their own accounts and verifies each other's ledgers (the minority obeys the majority [PoW proof of work]).

How does Blockchain work?#

1. Anyone can initiate a transaction (like a transfer).
2. Nodes broadcast these transactions to the entire network.
3. Miners package these transactions (mining) into "blocks."
4. Miners compete to see "who can package successfully first."
5. The winner broadcasts the block, and everyone acknowledges it as a valid account.
6. The block is added to the "chain," cannot be tampered with, and no one can change history.

Thus, a continuously extending chain is formed—this is "blockchain."

What is a Block?#

It can be understood as "packaged transaction records." For example, if you transfer 0.1 Bitcoin to a friend today, this transaction will be packaged into a certain "block" along with thousands of other transactions and written into the ledger.

Each block contains:

• Transaction records
• The hash of the previous block (equivalent to a "chain")
• Timestamp
• Other parameters (depending on the specific chain)

Why do Miners Compete to Package?#

Miners achieve three core goals through mining:

1. Confirm transaction validity: Package transfer records into blocks.
2. Maintain network security: Use computing power to resist tampering attacks.
3. Generate digital currency: Produce new Bitcoins through block rewards.

Taking Bitcoin as an example, miners earn two sources of income for each successfully packaged block:

• New Bitcoins rewarded by the system (currently 3.125 BTC/block, halving every four years).
• Transaction fees for all transactions within that block.

This design allows miners across the network to spontaneously form a community of interest: only by honestly verifying transactions can they earn rewards; if they want to tamper with records, they need to control 51% of the computing power (workload), which is nearly impossible in reality.

The issuance mechanism of Bitcoin is thus established: a total cap of 21 million coins, gradually released through halving block rewards every four years, expected to be fully mined by 2140.

The Internet Under Blockchain: Web3#

Almost everything in the traditional internet is built on "centralized platforms":

• Want to publish content → Go to Weibo, public accounts, YouTube.
• Want to sell something → Go to Taobao, JD, Amazon.
• Want to save money → Use Alipay, WeChat, bank apps.

You do not own your data; the platform can suspend your account, close your account, or delete your content at any time.

In the Web3 era:

• A wallet is your bank, no need to open an account.
• Content is published on the chain and cannot be taken down.
• Contracts are public and transparent, automatically executed, without needing trusted intermediaries.

P2P → Blockchain → Decentralization → Web3#

P2P, blockchain, decentralization, Web3. What is the relationship between them? Who is the foundation of whom? Here is a summary using a technological evolution chain:

1. P2P is a network structure

   → A connection method where "each node is equal," without needing a server as an intermediary.

   → Everyone is both a provider and a receiver of data.

2. Blockchain is a database built on P2P

   → All nodes together maintain a "ledger that everyone recognizes."

   → Once data is written, it cannot be tampered with, relying on consensus mechanisms to reach agreement.

3. Decentralization is the core feature of blockchain

   → Data is not controlled by a single platform but is "jointly held by everyone."

   → There is no need for banks, platforms, or companies to mediate trust.

4. Web3 is a new internet paradigm built on the concept of "decentralization"

   → Users can own their identities, data, and assets.

   → Core tools include wallets, smart contracts, DAOs, NFTs, etc.

In summary, this chain can be expressed as:

Web3 is a new form of the internet based on the "decentralization concept," with blockchain as its technological foundation, and blockchain operates as a distributed ledger on a P2P network.

What are the Differences Between Web1, Web2, and Web3?#

In simple terms:

• Web1 is where you go to "see what others have written."
• Web2 is "you can also post," but the content belongs to the platform.
• Web3 is "what you post is yours," and others cannot delete or modify it.

Starting from Structure, Understanding What Web3 Is?#

Many people encounter Web3 because of cryptocurrency trading, NFTs, or some airdrop projects. But if you only see these, it’s easy to think it’s full of bubbles and not grounded.

However, when you reinterpret it from a technical structure perspective, you will find:

Web3 is actually another possibility for the internet; it attempts to let us regain control over data, identity, and assets, and the starting point for all this is the P2P network that has existed for over a decade.