Web3

Web2 (aka the centralized web) is the web as we know it today. It is dominated and controlled by our tech overlords. Web3 (aka the decentralized web) is supposed to replace it, releasing us from our data servitude. It won’t. For reasons I will share with you, it will be obvious that it can’t. We are already living in a hybrid world where Web2 and Web3 technologies are each leveraged to their best purposes. You can call it Web2.5 – it’s a more accurate description of where we are now and where we are likely to go next. Let’s review. Continue Reading →

When someone says "the metaverse," what do they mean? At the moment, the observable metaverse is a continuum that spans experiences from virtual reality (VR) through mixed reality (MR) to augmented reality (AR). The experiences are different, but some of the most successful metaverse projects share many common creative and technological attributes. What are they? To help figure it out, we've been developing a framework we call the Standard Model of the Metaverse. Continue Reading →

I was honored to be asked to do the opening keynote at Block Im Park (Block in the Park) at Frankfurt's Deutsche Bank Park this past week. Hosted by Eintracht Frankfurt, it was an extraordinarily diverse gathering of business and tech professionals focused on innovation. Continue Reading →

A nearly-completed text of MiCA (The European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets) regulations has leaked, and it is going to be brutal. How brutal is yet unknown, but lawmakers seem to be happy with their work. Continue Reading →

Christie's, the 256-year-old British auction house, has launched its own NFT marketplace on Ethereum dubbed "Christie's 3.0." The new auction platform is fully automated and smart contract-driven from end-to-end. Said differently, Christie's 3.0 is "inspired by" (knocked off from) platforms like OpenSea and Sorare. Continue Reading →

Dapper’s official NFL platform has topped the NFT charts lately, thanks to rising activity on game days. Continue Reading →

When trying to predict the future success of any technology, one of the oldest (and best) tricks of the trade is to follow the interests and participation of key engineering talent. The strategy is simple; if a technology attracts the best engineers, they are going to create the best hardware and software for it, and its likelihood of success greatly increases. While not a foolproof strategy, it's easy to understand and relatively easy to execute. Continue Reading →

Monday, the SEC filed a federal lawsuit against crypto influencer Ian Balina for his failure to register a cryptocurrency as a security before launching a 2018 initial coin offering (ICO). Not an unusual lawsuit; the SEC is in the practice of suing purveyors of ICOs it believes fall under its jurisdiction. However... Continue Reading →

A friend invited me to a dinner party. When we were introduced, the host asked what I did for a living, I answered, "I run a consulting practice focused on Web3 strategy and solutions," to which she responded, "Web3 is B.S. You don't even know what Web3 is." Continue Reading →

I decided to shut down my ETH mining operations a few hours before the Merge last night. It was getting close to midnight, and I didn't want my mining rigs grinding away at "nothing" in the middle of the night. So, with all due pomp and circumstance, I began an orderly, ceremonious abandonment of my mining operations. Continue Reading →