Bonus | Those young people waiting to change the world in Web3
Key
- Web3 Social: The future form of decentralized social networks
- DevCon: The annual developer conference of the Ethereum Foundation
- Digital Nomads: Globally mobile Web3 practitioners
- Zero - Knowledge Proof (ZK): The core technology for privacy protection
- Protocol Evolution: The technological iteration from Web1 to Web3
Abstract
Global Web3 developers are reshaping the future of the Internet in the form of digital nomads. At the DevCon conference held in Bogotá, Colombia, more than 8,000 participants from 200 countries demonstrated the vibrant innovation in the Ethereum ecosystem. From nine - year - old developers to protocol founders born in 2002, the younger generation is bypassing traditional educational paths and directly engaging in decentralized construction. The Merge of Ethereum, which completed the upgrade from Proof - of - Work (PoW) to Proof - of - Stake (PoS), is compared to a technological feat of "staying in motion during heart surgery". Meanwhile, the report From Walled Gardens to Civic Squares points out that the rise of Web3 social protocols may end the era of centralized platform monopolies, and Telegram domains and on - chain identities have become the new generation's social business cards. Although the current user base is only in the thousands, the utopian vision built by leaders such as Vitalik Buterin is attracting Generation Z to reconstruct the digital territory with the concept of "Internet countries".
Insights
The South American turn of Web3 reveals the deep - seated logic of the decentralized movement. Choosing Colombia instead of Silicon Valley to host DevCon is a declaration by the Ethereum Foundation to "de - centralize developed countries". The rise of the digital nomad economy has broken the geographical constraints on innovation, and on - chain identities and smart contracts are building governance models beyond nation - states. Notably, the combination of ZK technology and climate change issues reflects that Web3 has shifted from financial speculation to exploring social value. When post - 2000 entrepreneurs regard decentralization as the default option, the walled - garden model of traditional Internet giants is facing generational challenges.
Opinions
01 "Web3 Social Is a Historical Necessity"
"Ethereum already has a currency (Bitcoin), a settlement system (smart contracts), and a financial system (DeFi). The only thing missing is a civic square." — The protocol layer will reconstruct the data sovereignty and incentive mechanism of social products.
02 "Technological Breakthroughs in the Downturn Are More Worthy of Attention"
Amid market fluctuations, Ethereum's Layer 2 scalability, wallet abstraction, and other infrastructures are still evolving rapidly. Developers believe that "the fluctuation of cryptocurrency prices should not obscure the essence of technology".
03 "Generation Z's Digital Native Choice"
Young builders such as the founder of RSS3, who was born in 2002, are replacing traditional resumes with on - chain footprints. Telegram and.eth domains have become new social credentials.
In - Depth
The Revelation of Bogotá: How Young Web3 Believers Are Reconstructing the Future of the Internet
A Technological Utopia at 2,640 Meters Above Sea Level
When 8,000 participants in Bogotá, Colombia, suffered from altitude sickness headaches, they were witnessing a more profound cognitive upheaval. The choice of this South American city to host the 2022 DevCon conference aligns with Ethereum's core tenet of "decentralization". The panda flag hanging in the main venue symbolizes the successful "Merge" technology upgrade, a transformation that reduces carbon emissions by 99.9% and is described by developers as "changing the engine while in flight".
Digital Nomads and the New Social Landscape
Among those wandering between the exhibition booths are many young faces. A nine - year - old hackathon participant and Wusaji, a Chinese - born protocol founder born in 2002, represent a new generation that skips traditional education and starts on - chain entrepreneurship directly. Their business cards are not LinkedIn profiles but ENS domains (such as alex.eth) and Gitcoin donation records. "When you scan the QR code on Telegram to add someone, you can tell if they are Web3 native," said Hana, an attendee, describing a social screening mechanism that is forming an identity for technology believers.
The Historical Context of Protocol Evolution
A research report on social protocols released by Jason, a Stanford graduate, sparked heated discussions. Its core argument is that the walled - garden model of the AOL era was just an interlude in Internet development. Just as Netscape Navigator in Web1 and the iPhone in Web2, Web3 needs its own "protocol - level breakthrough". Data shows that the monthly active users (MAU) of current decentralized social applications are less than 10,000, and the main interactions still occur on Web2 platforms such as Twitter Space. However, the privacy alliances built by ZK technology and the community governance driven by smart contracts have shown the potential to replace traditional social architectures.
The Real - World Dilemma of Technological Idealism
Although Vitalik Buterin's seven consecutive speeches have inspired admiration, the real - world challenges cannot be ignored:
- User Experience Gap: Most DApps still rely on the PC, and the mobile experience is far inferior to Web2 products.
- Class Paradox: Behaviors such as NFT collection are forming new privileged circles, creating a tension with the concept of decentralization.
- Regulatory Gray Area: Although emerging markets like Colombia have an open attitude, the status of fiat currency has not been clearly defined.
"It's like predicting Google in 1995," said an attendee. When post - 2000 developers regard on - chain life as the default option, the "iPhone moment" of Web3 social may be brewing at a hackathon on the South American plateau. As the report states: History does not simply repeat itself, but the rhythm of technological evolution is always similar. Protocol innovation will eventually give rise to phenomenon - level products, but this time, the dominance may no longer belong to Silicon Valley.