Web3 and the Future of Big Tech

Are we on the verge of big changes for the Internet?

With so many users becoming frustrated by the current state of the Web—its privacy issues, immensely powerful social-media platforms, and perennial questions of censorship and harassment—some are pointing to a new generation of tech called Web3 as a fount of solutions. Web3 promises to decentralize the Internet, giving users greater control over their own experiences and data, using buzzy technologies like “blockchain,” “NFTs,” and “DAOs.” Yes, cryptocurrency is in the mix too.

On March 7, the Manhattan Institute hosted a conversation between Reihan Salam, president of MI, and Antonio Garcia Martinez, a fellow at the Lincoln Network and the author of Chaos Monkeys, about whether this next step for the Internet will live up to the hype.