Web3: From Personal Computers to Global Supercomputers

The concept of Web3 can be traced back to the era of personal computers. Its core is to empower individuals to control their privacy and assets, allowing people to shape their lives according to their own will. This idea has continued the personal computing philosophy that has existed since the 1960s.

Although people often associate Web3 with the evolution of the internet or the cryptocurrency revolution, these views fail to touch upon its deeper spiritual core. The essence of Web3 is to return technological dominance to individuals, enabling users to autonomously create and manage accounts and wallets, interact with others without the need for trust, and freely participate in network governance.

This concept aligns closely with the values that emerged during the rise of personal computers in the late 1960s, resonating with the countercultural wave of that time, and later integrating into the open-source movement and the spirit of the internet.

"The Whole Earth Catalog": The Spiritual Fire Seed of a Generation

In the 1960s, American society experienced post-war economic prosperity, but also faced the dilemma of standardized living. Against this backdrop, the magazine "Whole Earth Catalog" emerged with the slogan "Access to Tools", dedicated to introducing various tools that could help individuals think independently and take control of their destinies.

The magazine wrote in its inaugural issue: "In the past, those distant powers and glories, although they had their achievements, their serious flaws have overshadowed real progress. In response, a kind of intimate, personal power is developing — individuals can take charge of their education, seek inspiration, shape their environment, and share this adventurous journey with those who are interested."

The spirit that coincides with the contemporary Web3 philosophy is clearly visible in this passage.

Entering the 1970s, the path to the popularization of personal computers became increasingly clear. Organizations like "People's Computer Company" began to warn that if technology was misused, it could become a tool for controlling people. They urged: "It's time to change all of this - we need a 'People's Computer Company.'"

Hacker Culture and the Free Software Movement

In the 1980s, open source technology began to emerge, and the "Free Software Movement" followed. Richard Stallman and others firmly believed that software should grant users the most basic freedoms and control. They argued from an ethical perspective that technological freedom is related to individual freedom.

At the same time, hacker culture has gradually formed a unique ideological system known as "hacker ethics." This concept emphasizes that everyone should have the right to unrestricted access to computers, all information should be free, decentralization should be promoted, and computers can improve life.

Awakening of the Crypto Spirit

In the 1990s, with the popularization of the internet, government regulation of cybercrime also strengthened. Against this backdrop, the Electronic Frontier Foundation was established to defend freedom of speech and user rights in the digital age.

In 1993, the "Cypherpunk Manifesto" was published, emphasizing the central role of digital privacy in an open society. This series of ideas propelled the development of cryptography, ultimately leading people to a true technological revolution—the birth of Bitcoin.

The Official Birth of Web3

After the 2008 financial crisis, the decentralized currency concept of Bitcoin provided a new option for those disappointed with the financial system. In the following years, the WikiLeaks and Snowden incidents further strengthened people's belief in resisting abuse of power.

In 2013, Vitalik Buterin proposed expanding blockchain technology from a single currency use case to a general computing platform, which evolved into the prototype of Ethereum. In the early stages of the project, Gavin Wood joined and helped turn theory into practice.

It was during this period that Gavin Wood first systematically proposed the concept of "Web3". This is not only the birth of a new term but also a vision for a completely new social infrastructure: to build a new world that is trustless, intermediary-free, and centered around individuals.

From Hardware Terminals to Global Supercomputers

From Ethereum to Polkadot, and to the advancing JAM protocol, each project is rooted in the core value of "freedom". If the personal computer revolution was about creating hardware terminals that are "available to everyone", then the Web3 philosophy is about building a "programmable by everyone" supercomputer for the world.

The evolution of personal computers from Apple I to iPhone took 31 years. Today, we are standing on the threshold of another era: a "global Supercomputer" based on Web3, born for everyone, is taking shape.

Regardless of how the future unfolds, there will always be a group of people crossing the boundaries of technology, systems, and culture, striving to achieve a common vision - to build a truly human-centered digital world that empowers individuals with the greatest freedom and creativity.