If you count crypto in general as web 3, check out Monero.
It offers anonymized payments with low fees. Like Bitcoin but without the chain being visible to anybody.
Unlike with regular payments, the transactions are anonymous, irreversible, and requires no KYC. Most crypto are not fully anonymous. Beware other privacy coins based on zksnarks since their creators are generally anti-anonymity (in the sense they don’t want their tokens to be used in illicit transactions and have pledged to make that harder - this defeats the entire purpose of a privacy coin, and any solution to this would reduce privacy).
While monero is not fully anonymous under 100% of cases - it’s possible to do something to allow transactions to be linked back, such as using the same receiving and sending sub addresses multiple times for transactions - it’s pretty dang good. It’s pretty close to being digital cash. And the fees are pretty low (last I checked maybe $0.10?), which is more or less a permanent feature because it has dynamic block sizes.
BTW, for any blockchain, it’s a good thing for ex fees to be non-zero. Otherwise there is no cost to “spamming” the blockchain which congests the network and increases the size of the chain (potentially making it harder to host).
It is unfortunately based on POW, but on the bright side it uses an asic resistant CPU-based algorithm to prevent centralization.
> If you count crypto in general as web 3, check out Monero.
Genuine question, is crypto sometimes not counted as part of web3 by people in the space? I understand blockchain technology is distinct from crypto currency, but crypto always seems to be included as part of web3 no?
I'll check it out.
I know generally one focus of "web 3" is to simplify transactions especially by not having to integrate or work with credit card companies, local regulations etc especially in countries that don't have that infrastructure to as strong a degree.
Certainly an admirable goal, and one I'd love to see - but I don't believe that a lot of these issues can't be solved better and faster with "web 2" technologies (minus the anonymous piece which is a fair and clear advantage).
I think that main web3 innovation is more like mindset innovation rather than more common technology innovation that improves performance, efficiency, etc.
Take bitcoin as an example, of course you can make internet money cheaper using centralized service but it would be bad because you have to put a lot of trust into someone’s hands. That culture and mindset grows into whole finance applications where you get defi and property rights where you get nft. Nft is not only digital art you can use nft to represent domain names and this will cut out authority middle man out of the equation - your keys your domain, it’s impossible to do with web2.
Some people dismiss these as important but that’s what people in crypto are concerned with - replacement of unnecessary middleman, gatekeepers, regulations with transparent cryptography and code. If you subscribe to this values than you add new constraints and previous solutions that can be better and faster no longer work.
I would include general crypto tokens in web3. Though monero is not exactly “WWW” which maybe some people think is what web3 is on?
The only reason I mention monero is that it’s one of the only cryptos that is not vaporware (it isn’t hyped up based on some as-yet unimplemented capabilities) and has real world uses (digital cash. Battle tested, most popular token for tx on the dark web). You can also imagine that instead of being used on the dark web, it can be used to route around oppressive regimes or evade censorship. It’s permissionless and anonymous which is a unique combo for payment systems. It also has a decent online ecosystem for onboarding from fiat at localmonero.co
If you want the privacy of Monero with actual Web3, SCRT makes a lot more sense. Privacy is optional, and admittedly, not as battle-tested as Monero, but Monero, for all its innovation, doesn't really have a place in web3 discussions.
I’m contrasting payments in general there, centralized always requires KYC legally and is pretty well enforced vs decentralized payments it may be required legally but is not enforced via the protocol. No crypto (that I know of) has KYC built into it at a protocol level, some are varying levels of anonymous and low friction.
I do think what you’re implying is correct that you actually do need to go through KYC for some payments/business relationships regardless of whether they’re conducted through the regular banking system, cash, or crypto. I’m not a lawyer though
It offers anonymized payments with low fees. Like Bitcoin but without the chain being visible to anybody.
Unlike with regular payments, the transactions are anonymous, irreversible, and requires no KYC. Most crypto are not fully anonymous. Beware other privacy coins based on zksnarks since their creators are generally anti-anonymity (in the sense they don’t want their tokens to be used in illicit transactions and have pledged to make that harder - this defeats the entire purpose of a privacy coin, and any solution to this would reduce privacy).
While monero is not fully anonymous under 100% of cases - it’s possible to do something to allow transactions to be linked back, such as using the same receiving and sending sub addresses multiple times for transactions - it’s pretty dang good. It’s pretty close to being digital cash. And the fees are pretty low (last I checked maybe $0.10?), which is more or less a permanent feature because it has dynamic block sizes.
BTW, for any blockchain, it’s a good thing for ex fees to be non-zero. Otherwise there is no cost to “spamming” the blockchain which congests the network and increases the size of the chain (potentially making it harder to host).
It is unfortunately based on POW, but on the bright side it uses an asic resistant CPU-based algorithm to prevent centralization.