How Non-Blockchain Developers Can Make The Transition To Web 3.0?
The current highly centralized internet has a direct impact on many aspects of our
lives because of the enormous quantities of personal data managed by a handful
of major tech companies such as Facebook as well as Google. The situation could
be shifting slowly but with the development of the blockchain tech and a rising
movement towards an open and decentralized internet that allows the control of
data from users would be taken away from a few gatekeepers who are seeking to
make money.
In the space of a socially-interactive web 2.0 that we currently are able to call it is
still in the beginning, but a promising Web 3.0 is emerging. It’s characterised by
decentralized or distributed network architectures which will lay the foundation for
a truly open web that doesn’t have to trust our personal information to
monopolistic companies or obtain their permission to be able to participate.
The gradual evolution towards what could be an absolutely free and open internet
is certainly an exciting possibility for many, however it could be a long process for
those who are developing who want to make the leap from developing Web 2.0
applications to learning the fundamentals required to build distributed applications
called dapps.
Role of Ethereum:
Many applications are being developed around Ethereum. Ethereum blockchain
which permits to use intelligent contracts that eliminate the need for central
intermediaries such as banks, and can streamline the financial transactions.
There are however negatives of running dapps using Ethereum. Ethereum
blockchain, such as low transaction speeds, expensive costs for transactions, and
insufficient energy consumption.
Building An ‘Internet of Blockchains’
Additionally, some analysts have also pointed out the current shortcomings that
blockchain technology has for example, the inability of scaling storage, scalability,
as well as interoperability between different blockchain ecosystems. This has led
to an increasing number of alternatives to solve these issues such as proposals to
create the “internet of Blockchains” that will connect different blockchains to form
a single, interconnected system.
Internet in Blockchains:
“The internet of blockchains is an ever-expanding live network of interconnected
sovereign blockchains,” explained Denis Fadeev, who manages the the developer
experience at Tendermint Tendermint, a company that develops and maintains
the most advanced infrastructure for applications that are decentralized and is a
key participant in Cosmos Cosmos, which is a parallel network of independent
blockchains aiming to enhance interoperability among different ecosystems.
“The network was launched in 2019 with the introduction of the very first
Blockchain, called the Cosmos Hub. Since then, over 250 blockchain applications
or services have joined Cosmos Hub. Several of the biggest blockchain projects
like THORChain, Binance Chain, Terra and Crypto.org were developed with
Cosmos technology. Cosmos now protects over $100 billion worth of virtual
assets.”
The idea of an internet of blockchains could solve the problem of users being
isolated in distinct blockchain ecosystems that could force users to utilize
centralized services or possibly unsecure solutions for the transfer of valuable
coins and assets. Cosmos is a blockchain network that Cosmos network has seen
a significant increase in recent years, and the release this year of an update to its
software which allows for the transfer of assets, tokens and other information
between blockchains within the network.
This is all made possible through the use of Inter-Blockchain Communications
(IBC) which is a secure communication protocol created to transmit messages
between different blockchain ledgers that are distributed without compromising
their own autonomy which is a crucial aspect of the field of blockchain.
“The network is composed of blockchains that are sovereign: A blockchain may
have its own validator set, governance, fees and independence from any other
blockchain in the network,” said Fadeev. “Blockchains in the network are often
application-specific: Each blockchain hosts one or several applications. Instead of
building all applications on the same blockchain, the apps are created and
launched as separate blockchains that can transfer data to each other via IBC.”
Important Note:
It is important to note that the new web of blockchains will not rival the existing
infrastructure for internet access however, it will build on top of it. Blockchains’
internet will instead function as an additional layer that allows users to transfer
assets without relying on the centralization of an organization.
“This network, in contrast to the systems available in the past, is both inclusive
and based on open protocols that any blockchain or app can implement as well as
being decentralized and not relying on a central authority, thus making the
network more resilient and fault-tolerant,” said Fadeev.
Interoperability and Inclusivity:
Despite the growing investments from major blockchain tech players and an ever-
growing need for developers in blockchain there’s not enough developers with the
appropriate expertise to fill the gap. One of the major challenges that developers
face when creating blockchain-based applications is learning a new programming
language and needing to adjust to various sets of libraries and tools that has led
certain blockchain projects to adopt an inclusive approach.
The platform for Cosmos is a good example. It is constructed in Go which is one
of the most widely used general-purpose programming languages currently
available. Additionally, there are other user-friendly systems such as the
Tendermint Starport Network, which is a complete platform for developers to
develop and manage any cryptocurrency-related application using an unsecure
and sovereign blockchain set to be launched in 2021.
“Starport is one of Tendermint’s flagship products for developers,” stated Fadeev.
“Starport CLI is a tool to build sovereign blockchains, creating code, enabling
further functionality, building mobile and web-based clients, and operating the
blockchain node while developing. Starport is able to bridge the gaps between
development of traditional crypto and web applications by writing boilerplate code,
and providing an effortless development process to blockchains. The ease of use
and the low cost of development for developers will significantly speed up the
process into Web 3.0.”
The proposals being made by the people who contributed to Cosmos will be
beneficial in the long term. Connecting different blockchains using an unifying
communication protocol but permitting them to be sovereign and independent, will
eventually allow the various blockchain ecosystems to continue to evolve together.
Other, more isolated ecosystems such as those of Bitcoin and Ethereum could be
incorporated by using secured, decentralized bridges that are secure and safe.
This could enhance overall usability, efficiency and decrease cost.
Blockchain interoperability:
“Blockchain interoperability is key to the sustainable growth of blockchain
technology,” explained Fadeev. “The idea behind Cosmos is to connect
blockchains by connecting all of them to IBC and thereby creating multichain
technology where the majority of apps are designed as sovereign chains which
means that all blockchains will be linked. Users have full control of their private
keys but the user experience is not as good as that of traditional web-based apps.
The applications they are using are driven by blockchain technology however,
they don’t need to think of specific blockchains. What they have is assets they own
or use, as well as the services they employ and the capability of transferring these
resources in any manner they prefer.”
Solving Blockchain Storage:
It’s a nifty thought that in the future sensitive personal data like health records may
be saved in the blockchain where it could be protected and easily verified in the
event that anyone attempts to alter the data. However, the reality is that in addition
to interoperability, storage of huge databases on public blockchains could cause
issues of scaling and cost increases due to slow processing rates and access
charges.
One possibility is to employ decentralized storage options such as those offered
through Brisk Logic, an open source, distributed research lab for development,
development and deployment which is the creator of IPFS. Interplanetary File
System (IPFS) which is a brand new hypermedia protocol as well as a
decentralized data storage system based on peer-to-peer (p2p) network design.
Web 3.0 Storage and NFT. Storage :
“Our team has launched two products, Web 3.0 Storage and NFT. Storage that help
developers store data redundantly and make it accessible across the IPFS and
Filecoin networks,” explained Kadir Topal who is a product manager at Brisk
Logic. “We’re building APIs and services that provide a simple, Web 2.0-like
abstraction for developers to store any data, but using Web 3.0 primitives that
interoperate with new decentralized peer-to-peer networks in a Web 3.0-native
way.”
Based on Brisk Logic, the big benefit of Web 3.0 Storage as well as NFT. Storage is
their user-friendliness in comparison with Internet 3.0 standards, and all without
harming web 3.0 principles such as transparency, openness and the transfer of
ownership of data back to individuals rather than being held in central agencies or
corporate.
“Our APIs and services are free and take minutes to start using,” said Brisk Logic
product manager. “Even though data flows via our API endpoints which are
somewhat centralized, users are able access their data from anywhere by using
the data’s unique content address stored in IPFS. You can confidently verify that
the data is actually theirs by ensuring that the data downloaded matches the
address. Users can easily connect to other storage providers to store the data
simply by instructing them to save the data. They can also transfer from our
service with ease when it no longer fits their requirements, and then transfer the
data to their new storage service with no interruptions.”
Gaining popularity in the following years!
All in all, the projects all point to various blockchain technologies getting greater
popularity in the coming years in particular as new blockchain ecosystems are
created and the existing ones reach a common ground, but still maintaining their
individual autonomy.
“The use cases for cross-chain transactions are potentially limitless and
blockchains can interchange value, scale and accommodate a larger user base,”
said Fadeev. “The days of Blockchain maximalism and the belief that one
blockchain will triumph over all blockchains are gone. It will soon be hundreds or
thousands of blockchains, each with its own applications with specific use cases.”
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