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Maxine Apolito

Maxine Apolito

Tech Trend Researcher Maxine helps identify new trends shaping industries across technology.
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The Digital Enabler of Sustainable Infrastructure

Publisher
Maxine Apolito
December 16
The lines between our physical world are blurring toward a digital existence. As with all new technologies, the beginnings are not always easy, and the urgent need for sustainable energy transition is crucial for Web3 success. (Web3 has become a catch-all term for the vision of a new internet. At its core, Web3 uses blockchains, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs to give power back to the users in the form of ownership.) One of the main criticisms of blockchain technology is its intense energy use and the resulting carbon emissions. Since bitcoin's creation in 2009, the rate of crypto adoption has increased by over 110% each year. This is a more dramatic adoption rate than the internet itself. Due to this, the U.S. government emphasized researching digital assets' climate effects. In light of these growing concerns, legislation has been put in place that will impact developers building Web3 systems to think more about how they will enact a low-carbon future.
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The Token Economy: A Shift in Value

Publisher
Maxine Apolito
October 11
If we assume the WWW revolutionized information during Web1 and Web2 revolutionized our interactions, then Web3 could revolutionize how and what we associate as valuable. Tokenization (in sequence with Blockchain technology and DeFi protocols) offers a new way of making real-world assets into a digitized ownership model using digital tokens. Digital tokens take on new molds from physical and virtual assets. Real estate, commodities, credit lines, derivatives, digital identity, valuable collectibles, or investments convert these modes into digital units that can be bought, sold, traded, and exchanged with no centralized intermediaries. This digital economy is still in its early stages still, but the possibilities of these technology are beyond our grasp and have the potential to shift the entire financial model of exchange of value. The rapid pace of open accessibility (DeFi ecosystem) allows users to digitize their assets in the same form, shape, and realm bringing endless accessibility to what the web will do for us.
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On-Chain Identity: The Social Web3

When it comes to Web3 and its pillars of distinction from what we know as Web2 today, identity sits at the forefront of this emerging technology. The internet was created without a native identity layer for people. The digital identity issue was relegated by websites and applications relying on centralized authorities (Facebook, Google) to encompass the many policies, services, and technologies. This allows organizations to verify users and levels of access. Even though legislative breakthroughs such as GDPR in Europe and CCPA in the U.S., centralized identity (a process of authentication where usernames and passwords continue to be the dominant paradigm) have been a way of controlling the narrative and algorithmic base approach. This form relies on users not owning their online identity but instead interpreted as space users rent from centralized entities, giving users a trade-off mechanism “We give you access in exchange for your data.” Platforms gain many insights from likes, dislikes and preferences which is why Web3 looks to change this method with a renewed emphasis on creating robust identity applications as its success and key differentiator.
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Web3: Narratives of Disruption

Instead of pursuing a false debate on whether this next-generation technology should be centralized or decentralized, we should ask how best can we arrange the narrative for desirable decentralization. This engaging narrative is constructed by making the mission and objectives among Web3 platforms more about coordination. In turn, this will create a space that allows individuals to maintain ownership and autonomy of the internet and its foundations. This is not some kind of freakish fiction but rather a reality of what is possible in today's Web3 repository. Through innovative technologies (NFT platforms, currency exchange, and wallet providers) in tandem with people-powered initiatives, Web3 is blossoming into a system of efficiently solving the problem found in centralized systems. Allowing self-sovereign identities their right for communication, privacy, and governance, but that doesn't come without its obstacles.