Web3
web · dapp
A broad term for internet apps that use blockchains, wallets, smart contracts, and tokens for ownership or coordination.
Web3 describes applications where users interact through wallets, smart contracts, and on-chain assets rather than only through accounts controlled by a central platform. The term covers many designs and is not a single protocol.
Web3 systems can still rely on centralized frontends, hosted RPC providers, admin keys, bridges, or off-chain data. Evaluating the actual trust model matters more than the label.
Related terms
Decentralized Application (DApp)
→A decentralized application (DApp) uses smart contracts or decentralized networks to provide app logic without a single operator controlling the backend.
blockchain · software
Wallet
→Software or hardware that manages signing credentials, addresses, transactions, and access to blockchain assets.
wallet · security
Smart Contract
→Blockchain-enforced program or script logic that controls how assets or state may change.
blockchain · scripting