It was out of complete necessity. Computers around the world needed a way to communicate.
Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, innovators developed the protocols that serve as the foundation for every email, text message, file transfer, and phone call that we send or receive.
These were the building blocks of Web 1.0… the beginnings of the World Wide Web. And the “internet” back then, if we could call it that, was largely decentralized. No chokepoints or centralized organizations were controlling it.
From that starting point, some people involved in these early technological developments went on to found the most iconic internet companies in history. Marc Andreessen founded Netscape in 1994 to capitalize and commercialize the web browser. And in just a few years, AOL bought Netscape for $10 billion, an incredible sum at the time.
From there, some of the largest, most successful, and most profitable companies were built on the backs of these invaluable protocols. Think of Netflix, Facebook, Google, and Amazon.
Taken together, these companies helped to create what we know today as the modern internet – “Web 2.0.”
And what do all these companies have in common? They are all applications that run on top of these fundamental protocols underlying the modern internet. The technology companies that built these applications captured all the value from those internet protocols.
And these companies’ executives and early investors made life-changing sums… generational wealth.
So today, I’d like to tell you about the next big shift we’re seeing… the next big opportunity for building wealth – Web 3.0.
The Rapid Shift to Centralize
Something strange happened after the internet bubble popped in the late ‘90s. Companies that emerged from the rubble managed to survive the crash and continue to build their businesses.
Only this time, the focus wasn’t decentralization and the development of open protocols that everyone could use freely. It was all about proprietary technology, centralized control, money, and yes… power.
Companies hid behind catchphrases like “Don’t be evil,” while wresting as much control over the internet as they could. The financial rewards were simply too massive. Billionaires became the modern version of multimillionaires.
And now Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google (the original FANG stocks) combined control over 55% of the total digital ad market.
What does this all mean?
We’ve seen a massive migration to giant corporations hosting cloud-based services in highly centralized architectures. This structure is the antithesis of the foundations of the internet.
The internet was meant to be decentralized – open, free, and resistant to censorship. It was a place where anyone and everyone could share their thoughts and opinions.
The internet was also intended to democratize economic power and influence. The goal was to provide everyone unfettered access to the internet and information.
But the opposite has happened.
Power and influence have gravitated toward Facebook, Google, and Amazon.
Want to search for someone? Facebook. Need to search for information? Google. In need of a product? Search on Amazon.
Facebook and Google surveil and collect our data daily whether we know it or not. It is nearly impossible to protect against, and these companies monetize that information daily without any benefit to us consumers.
And these “faults” of the second-generation internet are the catalyst for the third generation – or Web 3.0.
The Next Generation of the Internet
Longtime readers will know how excited I am for the rollout of 5G wireless technology. I’ve said that the transition from 4G to 5G will be a “revolution.”
But the transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 will be far more profound. If 5G is a “revolution,” then Web 3.0 is an existential sea change.
Web 3.0 is not only a wildly different technological architecture but also a completely different philosophical approach to solving very complex problems.
It has been 50 years since the original internet protocols were created. In that time, the industry has developed a new profound technology.
This new technology offers the fundamental protocols and open specifications of Web 1.0… along with the monetary incentives that rewarded the second generation of the internet.
I’m talking about blockchain technology… a distributed, decentralized, permissionless, immutable, and highly secure internet technology.
What is happening right now is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for savvy investors to get in at the ground floor of the next generation of the internet.
It’s not just about investing in the next Google, Amazon, Facebook, or Netflix – although that will certainly be possible.
It’s about taking a stake in the protocols – the cornerstone technology – that will give rise to the next group of trillion-dollar technology giants.
There is no other way to put it. The technology being built today will be used for the next two or three decades.
Our opportunity is now.
Blockchain technology projects are often decentralized, usually open, and almost always community-driven. They are very rarely controlled by single corporations. And even if there is one entity in charge, there are typically foundations that guide the project’s technical direction and research and development spending.
In other words, Web 3.0 and blockchain technology aim to return to the true mission of the internet. They will deliver on the promise of a truly open, decentralized internet. It will wrest control away from the Googles and Facebooks of the world.
And we’re just getting started.
The Blockchain Revolution Is Just Beginning
If you are reading this now, I can tell you that we are still in the early stages of the development of the third generation of the internet and blockchain technology. Basic infrastructure is still being built out.
As evidence, there are currently 38.7 million digital wallets in existence that hold the largest cryptocurrency asset – bitcoin. Furthermore, most users who hold cryptocurrencies have multiple wallets. I would speculate that there are far fewer individuals actively participating in this market.
There are 7.9 billion people on the planet and more than one billion credit card users… In short, we have a long way to go.
Imagine what it would be worth to invest in transmission control protocol (TCP) and internet protocol (IP) back in the late 1970s. Or what about Microsoft’s operating system in the ‘90s?
These are the types of investments that produce generational wealth.
These investments have changed my life. And they have all but guaranteed that my family will be happy and secure in the decades to come.
A handful of smart investments in Web 3.0 companies can do the same for your family.
That’s why I’m holding an upcoming event… to tell investors all about this opportunity.
So, if you would like to learn more about how second-generation internet technology is being disrupted by third generation blockchain-based tech… and how to invest in this shift… please go right here to sign up for my upcoming presentation Click for Crypto.
It will take place TOMORROW at 8 p.m. ET.
There, I’ll share how to begin investing in this explosive space.
Regards,
Jeff Brown
Editor, The Bleeding Edge