Dedicated Page about Web3 and Polkadot (w3f#5187)

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docs/general/web3-and-polkadot.md

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+---
+id: web3-and-polkadot
+title: Web3 and Polkadot
+sidebar_label: Web3 and Polkadot
+description: Introduction to Web3 and Polkadot's Role in shaping the Web3 Vision.
+keywords: [web3, polkadot, light clients, decentralization]
+slug: ../web3-and-polkadot
+---
+
+Back in the early 2000's the internet featured read-only, static, basic web pages. The online
+connected world at the time was only the beginning of virtual data, identities, and more. The
+internet during this time can be viewed as its first version (Web1).
+
+As social media platforms and online businesses began to emerge, the internet transformed into its
+next iteration - the Web2. This upgraded internet, which we use today, features dynamic, interactive
+web pages, where users can read and write information and publish their own for others to see.
+However, this version of the web comes with downsides, dealing with data control, privacy issues,
+and the consequences of trusting centralized entities storing our data on their servers. This is
+where Web3 comes into the picture.
+
+Web3 is transforming applications hosted on centralized infrastructure into decentralized
+applications (dApps) powered by trust-free blockchain protocols. The goal is to transform the
+internet into a decentralized web, where users control their data and identity in a trust-free
+environment. The Web3 movement aims to remove intermediaries and build trustless infrastructure.
+Web3 is an interactive and collaborative web where users can read, write, and **own** data.
+
+:::note The Web3 Movement
+
+To learn more about the Web3 movement, check out this video from the
+[Web3 Summit](https://youtu.be/l44z35vabvA)
+
+:::
+
+## Data Ownership
+
+In web3, ownership is achieved and validated through cryptography. Each user has a digital identity
+bound to a set of cryptographic keys usually based on the public key cryptographic scheme, i.e., the
+famous **public and private key pair**.
+
+Unlike Web2 which is driven by email IDs, phone numbers, and passwords, users onboarding to Web3
+just need to generate a key pair. The public key can be the identity that can be shared with anybody
+to send you messages or assets, while the private key is used to access your account, sign messages,
+transfer funds, edit identity details, etc. [Keeping your private key secure](./scams.md) is
+essential to avoid identity theft or consequent loss of funds. Currently, It is one of the main
+factors hindering web3 adoption. No legitimate person or entity will ever ask you to share your
+private key, and those who attempt to do so are likely trying to steal your digital identity and
+anything you own related to it.
+
+To mitigate risks of key mismanagement (for **non-custodial** accounts, i.e. when you have custody
+of your keys) there are [account abstraction](../learn/learn-account-abstraction.md) solutions that
+separate the key management from the user experience. To mitigate key hacks, there are cold wallet
+solutions where the private key is generated and stored on dedicated devices with secure elements
+that are not exposed to the internet (see [Ledger](./ledger.md)), or dedicated applications that can
+be installed on air-gapped devices such as phones (see [Polkadot Vault](./polkadot-vault.md)). For
+**custodial** accounts, you trust third parties to manage your keys and give you access whenever
+needed.
+
+To summarize, data ownership comes from the fact that any message you sign with your private key
+comes from your digital identity, and the signature proof can be cryptographically verified. Unless
+someone else stole your keys, you and only you are held accountable for signing the messages and are
+responsible for the information on your account. Transferring an [NFT](./learn-nft-index) between
+two accounts is essentially a transfer of ownership.
+
+## Trustless Environment
+
+Cryptography also brings the possibility of building a trustless environment where we do not have to
+trust third parties, or have any relationship between the sender and receiver of a message. We do
+not need to trust centralized entities since we can verify who wrote the message and who owns what
+just by using cryptography. Trust is embedded in the code. Well-audited and reviewed code ultimately
+provides a solid, trustless environment.
+
+## Data Immutability
+
+But what if the data we own can be easily modified or tampered with after they have been signed and
+stored?
+
+Here is where **blockchain** technology plays an important role. Blockchain networks comprise of
+distributed state machines where increments of data are stored within blocks that build on each
+other using hash functions. For example, the hash of block `N + 1` contains data of that block
+together with the hash of the previous block `N`. This creates the situation where if you modify the
+content of block `N` you will change the hash of block `N + 1`, `N + 2`, etc. essentially breaking
+the chain. Although it can be possible to add an invalid block (a block with invalid transactions)
+or censor certain transactions, if the blockchain network is nor sufficiently decentralized. In
+decentralized proof-of-stake blockchains like
+{{ polkadot: Polkadot :polkadot }}{{ kusama: Kusama :kusama }} such attacks are financially
+expensive, and attempting to do it can get you
+[slashed](../learn/learn-staking-advanced.md#slashing).
+
+So, with blockchain as a means of storing data and transactions permanently without an option to
+modify them, we can ensure what we cryptographically sign with our digital identity is set in stone
+digitally.
+
+## Data Availability
+
+But what if our data are stored in a blockchain, but that blockchain is run on a centralized server
+or by different computers belonging to the same operator?
+
+That server or those computers can be easily shut down, the blockchain can be stopped from running
+and its data wiped out. This can be achieved from the inside by the malicious network participants
+or from the outside by regulatory rules and other forces. Though blockchain offers immutability,
+there would be little sense in using a centralized blockchain to prove ownership as it can possibly
+cease to exist in the future.
+
+Data availability is dependent on how resilient the blockchain is. Resiliency is achieved through
+elements such as decentralization, economic incentives, and on-chain governance to ensure the
+network can sustain on its own.
+
+### Decentralization
+
+Having multiple nodes belonging to numerous independent identities increases network resiliency and
+thus data availability.
+
+Blockchain is a state machine, and consensus must be achieved on every single state transition by
+every node on the blockchain network. In Proof of Work (PoW) based blockchains, which let any node
+in the network produce a block, consensus is achieved probabilistically by building on the longest
+chain (at the cost of energy-intensive computations). Proof of Stake (PoS) based blockchains like
+Polkadot enable deterministic consensus by allowing only a limited number of privileged nodes to
+produce blocks. A PoW blockchain can be considered centralized if a single entity can capture 51% of
+network nodes. Similarly, a PoS blockchain can be considered centralized if a single entity controls
+more than one-third of nodes, as a two-thirds majority is required to arrive at a deterministic
+consensus. Different blockchains have different levels of decentralization.
+
+Nowadays, most of the nodes cannot be run on consumer-grade hardware. Node running equipment is
+typically rented through service providers. Resiliency is also achieved by ensuring nodes run on as
+many different providers as possible and avoiding a significant share of the nodes being run under
+the same provider in the same geographic region. A legislation change or a natural disaster could
+impact a considerable fraction of the nodes and potentially stop the network.
+{{ polkadot: Pokadot :polkadot }}{{ kusama: Kusama :kusama }} level of decentralization can be
+explored through the [Polkawatch app](https://polkawatch.app/).
+
+The [One Thousand Validator Programme](./thousand-validators.md) aims to incentivize the creation of
+new validator nodes to increase the level of node decentralization.
+
+### Decentralized Storage
+
+[Blockspace](./glossary/#blockspace) is limited and valuable. Not all data we have can be stored on
+the blockchain. Large files like pictures, music, movies, etc., typically will never be held on the
+blockchain. But where can we stored those files? To stick to the web3 vision, we need a resilient
+and decentralized storage solution.
+
+The most important thing is that the proof of ownership is stored on the blockchain through the
+hashes of data and metadata. The files are uploaded on decentralized storage networks hosting
+protocols like [IPFS](https://ipfs.tech/).
+
+### Stake Allocation
+
+In Proof-of-Stake blockchains, security is dictated by how much stake is locked on-chain (financial
+security). In a decentralized network, you want to ensure that the difficulty level for a financial
+attack to happen is equally difficult across all nodes.
+{{ polkadot: Polkadot :polkadot }}{{ kusama: Kusama :kusama }}'s
+[election algorithm](../learn/learn-phragmen.md) makes sure that the stake is maximized across all
+active validators, and the variance in stake across validators is minimized as much as possible.
+
+### Economic Incentives
+
+Strong incentives are essential to incentivize network participants to run nodes and secure the
+network. Strong incentives are possible because blockchain is a trustless system where there are no
+intermediaries between who sends a message and who receives it. Such incentives, coupled with
+punishment for bad behavior, ensure that most of the participants make the interest of the network
+and work together to improve it.
+
+But from where are those incentives coming from? Polkadot's native token
+[DOT is inflationary](../learn/learn-inflation.md). Inflation is used to pay validators for running
+nodes and reward nominators for providing the necessary stake to secure the network. Depending on
+the staking rate, part of the inflation is diverted to the treasury.
+
+### Governance and Treasury
+
+In {{ polkadot: Polkadot :polkadot }}{{ kusama: Kusama :kusama }} an on-chain
+[treasury](../learn/learn-polkadot-opengov-treasury.md) together with an
+[open governance](../learn/learn-polkadot-opengov.md) model allow to access funds in a fully
+decentralized manner without any bank transaction whatsoever. This opens up the possibility to come
+to a decision through on-chain voting mechanism, promoting a sense of community and creating an
+independent socio-economical environment.
+
+## Decentralized Access Points
+
+But what if we have data we own stored on a resilient blockchain, but the only way to access the
+blockchain is through an RPC server? Whoever is behind the server or an attacker could present us
+data that is not the truth. How can we trustlessly verify that the data is true?
+
+Here is where light clients play a key role. Light clients are clients that can sit on a web browser
+and can fetch data directly from blockchain. The figure below shows the architectural difference
+between web2 and web3 applications.
+
+![light-clients](../assets/light-clients.png)
+
+In web2 applications, data are stored on a centralized server, while in web3 applications, data (or
+better data proofs) are stored on the blockchain. With light clients, it is possible to access
+blockchain data through a full node and verify the validity of such data. They efficiently
+synchronize (_warp sync_ in case of Polkadot) with a full node to obtain (Merkle Root) commitment of
+the latest chain state, and hence can trustlessly verify any response by full node against the
+commitment. In this way, we can always verify that the data we see is the truth, which is done
+automatically by the light client. Polkadot has a browser-embedded light client
+[Substrate connect](../build/build-substrate.md) that uses the
+[smoldot](https://github.com/smol-dot/smoldot) codebase. Most web3 applications today access
+blockchain data through a centralized RPC server.
+
+## Interoperability
+
+The Web3 landscape's expansion into a multi-layered ecosystem highlights the need for
+interoperability. Blockchains compete and differentiate themselves based on decentralization,
+throughput, and specific use case focus. Some aim for a single high-performance base-layer
+blockchain, while others focus on decentralization through layer-2 networks. With such diverse
+approaches, it's crucial for distinct on-chain environments to interoperate, especially for
+developers building cross-chain applications and traditional systems interacting with multiple
+blockchains.
+
+Various cross-chain interactions are employed to achieve interoperability, including token swaps,
+token bridges, native payments, contract calls, and programmable token bridges. Each mechanism
+serves specific functions, such as facilitating the exchange of tokens between different blockchains
+or enabling smart contract interactions across chains. Other interoperability solutions validate the
+state of a source blockchain and relay transactions to the destination blockchain, which is
+essential for completing cross-chain interactions.
+
+Interoperability between chains having different consensus has been a challenging task. Most of
+hacks have exploited vulnerabilities in interoperability protocols. Polkadot provides secure
+interoperability through [XCM](../learn/learn-xcm.md) and [XCMP](../learn/learn-xcm-transport.md) to
+all blockchains attached to it. For more information, see the [Polkadot 1.0 page](./polkadot-v1.md)
+and
+[the section about XCM and Accords in Polkadot Direction page](./polkadot-direction.md#xcm-and-accords).

polkadot-wiki/sidebars.js

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ module.exports = {
           },
           items: [
             "general/getting-started",
+            "general/web3-and-polkadot",
             {
               type: "category",
               label: "Polkadot Vision",