### Web 3, or the decentralized web, is rapidly growing its market share. Learn the fundamentals through this short article.

#### Web 3 Defined
Web 3 is defined in many ways. Developer Nader Dabit recommends the definition expressed by engineer Jake Bruckham:

<blockquote className="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">web3 is the stack of protocols that enable fully decentralized applications.<br/><br/>Once applications can iterate as quickly as frontends today, we enter a new rate of growth.</p>&mdash; Jake Brukhman is in NYC (@jbrukh) <a href="https://twitter.com/jbrukh/status/1449734638788821002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2021</a></blockquote>  

#### Decentralized Applications
Decentralized applications are digital applications that run on decentralized networks such as the blockchain. 

#### Characteristics of Web 3
Dabit shares the following [characteristics](https://edgeandnode.com/blog/defining-the-web3-stack/) of the decentralized web:

1. Decentralized infrastructure (i.e., the blockchain)
2. Ownership of data, content, and the platform used
3. Native digital payments
4. Self-sovereign identity
5. Distributed, trust-less infrastructure.
6. Open, public, composable backends.

Of the above, the most critical elements to begin developing web 3 applications are: blockchain knowledge, decentralized storage, unforgeable identity through web3 wallets, and a flexible mindset. 

#### This article will discuss the above elements of the blockchain, decentralized storage, identity, and the importance of flexible approaches as key fundamentals for Web 3 Development, especially when learning to develop applications targetting new users. 

#### Element One: The Blockchain 
Blockchain technology has evolved to allow both transaction recording and the execution of business processes to happen through a distributed global computer. 

The Ethereum Virtual Machine is an example of blockchain technology working to enable value transfers and automate processes such as voting, escrow, sales, and dividend distributions in a fully transparent way with minimized fraud risk. 

Options for developers are voluminous. When starting out, it is wise to stick to the well established platforms such as Ethereum and Polygon.

To learn blockchain development, it is prudent to start with popular frameworks such as Truffle and Ganache, as these have helpful documentation to set you on the right path. 

#### Element Two: Storage
Decentralized applications typically use decentralized storage options that do not necessarily utilize blockchains, as the costs of storing information on chain are very high. 

What is the difference between decentralized storage and something like Google Cloud Storage or Amazon S3? It is in the resilience and immutability of the data. Due to the centralized nature of Amazon and Google, your data is at risk of destruction or seizure if/when Amazon or Google change policies or cease to exist. While such possibilities are remote, the risk is mitigated even further when storage solutions like the Inter Planetary File System are used.  

As to immutability, this pertains to the hash assigned to the data upon creation / uploading to a decentralized system. Identification through a hash means there is certainty that the data will not change over time, so things like NFT metadata cannot be swapped out at the storage side. 

 #### Element Three: Identity
Web 3 applications allow the use of web3 wallets such as Metamask or Trust. These technologies allow a user to control their identity and interact with decentralized applications in a way that fully respects their ownership of data and resources. 

A web 3 wallet that signs a login message is capable of producing a unique fingerprint that cryptographically syncs perfectly with the wallet's public address. 

By using one-way hashing algorithms, a web3 wallet signs transactions but keeps the private key (an all-powerful password to control a blockchain account) secret. 

All a decentralized application needs is the public address and the signed transaction to confirm that the user is genuine. The private key remains a secret because the resulting signature cannot be reverse-engineered to discover the private key.  

#### Element Four: Flexibility
Instead of providing a recommended set of technologies, we wrote this article to encourage developers to take on a flexible mindset and approach, where web technologies are blended with current systems to give users a gentle onramp to web 3. While this might irk some purists, we think that new user experiences must be prioritized while the web3 space onboards its first billion users. 

Why be flexible? A pure web3 stack would require a developer to ask new users to make stark adjustments to their mindset with little to no prior exposure. This abrupt journey from standard web experiences to web3 experiences can cause rejection. For example, users that know how to sign in with a user name and password might balk at the idea of having to install a wallet extension on their first day trying out a decentralized app.

Instead of making a web3 wallet a barrier to usage, why not combine the login options so that users can understand the new technology gradually? 

As users learn the superiority of ownership offered by web3 / crypto wallets, those who prefer the technology can make the natural shift. However, for a user to reach a point of prudent decision, they must first be given a journey that caters to their needs and context. 

There you have it. The four elements of effective web 3 development for novices are: 

1. Strong Blockchain fundamentals
2. Decentralized storage. 
3. Unforgeable Identity 
4. A flexible mindset that considers the needs of new users.


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For a list of web 3 technologies (if this is what you need), please see Nader Dabit's well-maintained [Notion page](https://naderdabit.notion.site/Nader-s-web3-Resources-for-Developers-a200ed2ef21c4d578dc158df2b882c63). 


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