# Web3 essentials for Web2 developers · Learn Chromia

> This course helps you move from Web2 development to building decentralized applications (dapps) for Web3. It closes common knowledge gaps and gives you…

Source: https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/introduction/

Web3 essentials for Web2 developersLesson 1 of 11

1. [01Web3 essentials for Web2 developers](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/introduction/)
2. [02Traditional web app overview](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/classic-web2-stack/)
3. [03Chromia dapp overview](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/chromia-web3-stack/)
4. [04Comparing backends](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/compare-backend/)
5. [05Comparing frontends](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/compare-frontend/)
6. [06Authentication](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/compare-authentication/)
7. [07Web3 pros and cons](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/web3-benefits/)
8. [08Scalability](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/scalability/)
9. [09Security](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/security/)
10. [10Revenue streams and running costs](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/revenues-and-op-costs/)
11. [11Summary](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/summary/)

[Learn](https://chromia.com/learn/)[Web3 essentials for Web2 developers](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/)

01 / 11Beginner

# Web3 essentials for Web2 developers

This course helps you move from Web2 development to building decentralized applications (dapps) for Web3. It closes common knowledge gaps and gives you hands-on skills for working on the next generation of the web.

You will compare how a traditional Web2 application is structured with how a Web3 dapp on Chromia is structured. Code examples show you where the Web2 concepts you already know fit into dapp development on Chromia.

The final part of the course goes past programming and covers scalability, security, and operating costs on Web3 platforms.

The course draws on the documentation below. Refer to it for background on the underlying concepts:

| Section | Type | Documentation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Overview | Architecture | [Chromia Architecture](https://docs.chromia.com/get-started/about/architecture/platform-architecture/) |
| FT4 | Overview | [FT4 Introduction](https://docs.chromia.com/build/ft4/intro/) |

## What is Web3, and why does it matter?

The web has already gone through two major stages. A third is now under way.

Web1, also known as the *Static Web*, was the earliest form of the internet. Pages were mostly static: their content stayed the same until someone edited it by hand. It worked much like an online newspaper. You could open a site to read an article, look up a schedule, or download a file, but you had few ways to interact with the content or add your own.

## Web1: The static web

Read-only, static pages built mainly for consuming information. Users at this stage mostly read content and had little opportunity to interact or contribute.

* **Architecture:** Websites made of static HTML pages, hosted on centralized servers
* **Key Technologies:** HTML, CGI
* **Business Model:** Subscriptions, banner advertising, online directories
* **Examples:** Early Yahoo!, AltaVista, and GeoCities

Web2 followed, with dynamic platforms where users could create, share, and edit content instead of only reading it. Sites such as Facebook and YouTube let anyone post their story or show off a skill, turning passive readers into active contributors. These platforms functioned as communities, not just websites, and user input carried weight. Collaboration and sharing reached an unprecedented scale. Control, however, stayed with central authorities, and users had little or no influence over how the platforms operated.

## Web2: The social web

Interactive, dynamic platforms driven by user-generated content. Users moved from consuming content to collaborating on it.

* **Architecture:** Web applications and centralized platforms
* **Key Technologies:** AJAX, RSS, Blogs, APIs
* **Business Model:** SaaS, affiliate marketing, targeted advertising
* **Examples:** Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WordPress

Web3 is the transition happening now. Its core aim is to return power to users by means of blockchain and other decentralized technologies. Instead of sitting in one central repository, data is distributed across a network of nodes, so no single party fully controls it. Users keep ownership and control of their data through cryptographic keys.

## Web3: The decentralized web

An interconnected, decentralized web built on technologies such as blockchain. Users create content, genuinely own it, and help govern the platforms where it is shared. Cryptocurrencies make it possible to build and run entire economies in code, with no need to trust a central authority.

* **Architecture:** Decentralized platforms and applications, frequently built on blockchain technology
* **Key Technologies:** Blockchain, smart contracts, decentralized applications (dapps), tokens, cryptocurrencies
* **Shared Governance**: Decisions are reached by consensus, especially within decentralized applications (dapps)
* **Protected Data Ownership**: Data is stored publicly, but ownership is controlled privately. Anyone on the network can view the data, yet cryptographic keys mean only their holders can change it, which keeps personal data under the user's control.
* **Examples:** Chromia, Ethereum, Polkadot, Polygon

You now have a short history of the web and a first look at what Web3 involves. The next lesson turns practical and compares a traditional web app's tech stack with that of a dapp on Chromia.

Written for this site from Chromia’s public course. Code samples are the course’s own.

[← Course**Web3 essentials for Web2 developers**](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/)[Next →**Traditional web app overview**](https://chromia.com/learn/web3-for-web2-devs/classic-web2-stack/)

On this page

* [What is Web3, and why does it matter?](#what-is-web3-and-why-does-it-matter)
* [Web1: The static web](#web1-the-static-web)
* [Web2: The social web](#web2-the-social-web)
* [Web3: The decentralized web](#web3-the-decentralized-web)