3Web3 101
A WEB3 HANDBOOK · ENGLISH

Web3 101

A beginner-friendly Web3 handbook. No jargon overload, no hype, no trading calls — just plain language for what Web3 actually is.

17 sections CC BY 4.0 2026
Chapters
15
Appendices
2
Parts
5
Est. reading
~238min
Reading path
30 minutes
Read Part 1 for the core intuition
Hold a conversation
Finish Parts 1 – 3
Follow most news
Finish Parts 1 – 5
Browse by part
Part 1 · Build the Intuition
01
Ch.

What Is Web3?

Web3 is an internet where users own their own accounts and assets.

11 min Read →
02
Ch.

What Is a Blockchain?

A blockchain is a public ledger maintained by a network, visible to everyone, and hard for any single party to tamper with.

12 min Read →
03
Ch.

Public Chains, Layer 1, and Layer 2

A public chain is a blockchain network anyone can use. Layer 1 is the base chain. Layer 2 is a faster, cheaper layer built on top.

12 min Read →
04
Ch.

What Is Gas?

Gas is the network fee you pay for an on-chain action. Part of it compensates validators or miners, and on some chains part of it is burned by the p…

10 min Read →
Part 2 · Wallets & Identity
05
Ch.

Wallets, Addresses, Private Keys, and Seed Phrases

A wallet is a key manager. An address is like a public safe number. A private key is the key itself. A seed phrase is the master recovery key for a…

18 min Read →
06
Ch.

Hot Wallets vs Cold Wallets

A hot wallet is connected to the internet and convenient but riskier. A cold wallet keeps signing keys offline and is safer but less convenient.

13 min Read →
07
Ch.

What Is Signing?

Signing means using your private key to stamp approval on a piece of data. Many thefts happen because users are tricked into stamping the wrong thing.

11 min Read →
Part 3 · Assets
08
Ch.

Tokens, Coins, and Token Standards

A coin is the native currency of a blockchain. A token is an asset issued on top of a blockchain, usually through a smart contract.

12 min Read →
09
Ch.

Stablecoins

Stablecoins are tokens that try to stay near 1 dollar. They are a bridge between crypto markets and the real world.

14 min Read →
10
Ch.

NFTs

An NFT is a unique on-chain certificate. It is not usually the image itself. It proves that a certain token ID belongs to a certain address.

12 min Read →
Part 4 · Applications
11
Ch.

What Is DeFi?

DeFi means decentralized finance. It rebuilds parts of banking, trading, lending, and asset management with smart contracts. Core rules run on-chain…

14 min Read →
12
Ch.

DEXs and AMMs

A DEX is an on-chain exchange. An AMM is the most common pricing mechanism: instead of an order book, it uses a mathematical formula.

13 min Read →
13
Ch.

DAOs

A DAO is a decentralized autonomous organization: a group that uses wallets and voting to manage a shared treasury or project. Ideally, no single CE…

12 min Read →
Part 5 · Trading & Safety
14
Ch.

Centralized Exchanges vs Decentralized Exchanges

A CEX is a company-run exchange. A DEX is an on-chain trading contract or protocol. They are not enemies; they solve different problems.

14 min Read →
15
Ch.

Common Scams and How to Avoid Them

Web3 is a dream environment for scammers: transactions are hard to reverse, support is limited, and users must understand what they sign.

38 min Read →
Appendix
A
Ch.

Glossary

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14 min Read →
B
Ch.

Recommended Resources

Hot wallets

8 min Read →