Web3, Web4, and Web5 Explained: Key Differences and the Future of the Internet

Web3, Web4, and Web5: What Are They and How Do They Differ?

The evolution of the Internet has seen several distinct stages. In the 1990s, it was a simple collection of static web pages with text and images. Today, it's a vast ecosystem of social networks, online services, streaming platforms, digital finance, and even metaverses. Understanding the difference between Web3, Web4, and Web5 is crucial, as these terms reflect not just marketing trends but fundamentally different models of how the Internet is structured-who owns the data, how users interact with services, and the role of decentralization.

1. What Are Web1, Web2, and Web3?

Web1: The Static Web (1989-2004)

• Websites were simple HTML pages.
• Content was static: users could read but not modify anything.
• Site creation was mostly by developers and companies.
• Examples include early Yahoo!, the first news portals, and personal homepages.

Main feature of Web1: one-way interaction. The user is just a reader.

Web2: The Social Web (2004-2015 and ongoing)

• Users became both consumers and creators of content.
• Social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), video hosting (YouTube), blogs, and forums emerged.
• Companies began collecting user data for personalization and advertising.

Main feature of Web2: user-generated content, but control remains with corporations.

• We post, upload photos, and share videos, but all data is stored on servers owned by giants like Facebook, Google, and TikTok.
• Privacy concerns became central: platforms, not users, own the data.

Web3: The Decentralized Web (2015-present)

Web3 emerged in response to criticism of Web2 and is often described as the "ownership Internet."

• Built on blockchain and decentralization.
• Users control their data through cryptographic keys.
• Key roles are played by cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations).
• There's no single point of control-network participants share governance, not corporations.

Example: Instead of storing photos on Facebook's servers, users can store them in decentralized storage (like IPFS), with access controlled by cryptographic keys.

Advantages of Web3:

• User control over data.
• Direct transactions without intermediaries (banks, payment systems).
• New forms of interaction: DAOs, DeFi (decentralized finance).

Drawbacks of Web3:

• High entry barrier: complex technology for the average user.
• Scalability and speed issues.
• Lack of clear regulation.

In summary:

• Web1 = Reading.
• Web2 = Reading + Interaction.
• Web3 = Reading + Interaction + Ownership.

For more on how decentralized technologies are transforming business, read the article: Web3 and Decentralization: How New Technologies Are Changing Business.

2. What Is Web4?

While Web3 is actively developing with decentralized apps, blockchain networks, and cryptocurrencies, Web4 remains largely conceptual. It's sometimes called the "symbiotic Internet" or "Internet of senses."

2.1. Definition of Web4

Web4 envisions deeper integration between humans and technology. If Web2 made the Internet social and Web3 made it decentralized, Web4 aims to be a smarter, more contextual Internet-where machines deeply understand users' needs. Some researchers refer to Web4 as the "semantic web," with AI and machine learning linking data so devices and services can "understand" context.

2.2. Key Technologies of Web4

1. Internet of Things (IoT): Billions of smart devices, from city sensors to home appliances.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Data analysis and personalization systems.
3. AR/VR and Metaverses: Merging the physical and digital worlds.
4. 5G/6G Networks: Ultra-fast, low-latency connectivity enabling seamless interactions.

2.3. Web4 Use Cases

• Smart cities: integrated transport, ecology, and energy systems.
• Personalized services: the Internet understands not just user requests, but also context (location, mood, habits).
• AR glasses and metaverses: blending digital and physical realities.
• Next-gen healthcare: devices monitor health in real time and instantly share data with doctors.

Main difference from Web3: Web4 focuses on human-technology symbiosis, not decentralization.

3. What Is Web5?

Web5 is perhaps the most intriguing concept, introduced by Jack Dorsey (creator of Twitter and founder of Block, formerly Square).

3.1. Who Proposed Web5?

In 2022, TBD, a division of Block, announced the Web5 project. Unlike Web3, which is developed by many startups and blockchain communities, Web5 was presented as the "next step" for the Internet, built on Bitcoin and decentralized identity.

3.2. Why Web5 Instead of Web4?

Jack Dorsey and his team argued that Web4 is an intermediate step that can be skipped. In their view, Web3 hasn't solved the key challenge-user control over data and digital identity. Instead of moving gradually from Web3 to Web4, they propose leaping straight to Web5, combining the social web (Web2) and the decentralized web (Web3):

• Web2 + Web3 = Web5.
• An integration of social Internet and decentralized Internet.

3.3. Core Principles of Web5

1. Decentralized Identity (DID): Each user has a digital identifier independent of corporations or governments.
2. User-Owned Data Storage: Data is not "rented" from services; users decide where it's stored (on their device or in decentralized storage) and who can access it.
3. Apps Without Intermediaries: Decentralized apps interact directly with user data, not copying it to company servers.
4. Bitcoin as the Foundation: Unlike Web3, which uses many blockchains (Ethereum, Solana, Polkadot, etc.), Web5 is built on Bitcoin infrastructure.

3.4. Web5 and Blockchain

• Blockchain ensures identity verification and trust.
• The main goal is to create an Internet where users truly own their digital identity and information.

3.5. Potential Web5 Use Cases

• Social networks where users, not companies, store their own data (photos, messages).
• Payment systems enabling direct transfers between people, without banks or intermediaries.
• Personal digital wallets containing IDs, diplomas, and medical records.

Main difference from Web3 and Web4: Web5 centers on digital identity and privacy. While Web3 emphasizes asset ownership (tokens, NFTs) and Web4 focuses on technology integration, Web5 prioritizes control over personal data and user freedom.

4. Web3 vs Web4 vs Web5: A Comparison

To better understand the relationship and differences between these Internet generations, here's a comparative overview:

4.1. How Web5 Differs from Web3

• Web3 focuses on digital asset ownership (tokens, NFTs).
• Web5 focuses on personal data and digital identity ownership.
• Web3 apps often still use centralized elements (exchanges, storage). Web5 aims for full user control.

4.2. How Web5 Differs from Web4

• Web4 emphasizes technology symbiosis (IoT, AI, AR).
• Web5 emphasizes decentralization and privacy.
• Web4 involves close human-smart system interaction, often in centralized forms. Web5 seeks to remove intermediaries.

Bottom line: Web3, Web4, and Web5 are not just sequential versions, but different visions for the future of the Internet.

5. Applications and Future Prospects

5.1. Where Is Web3 Used?

• Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and hundreds more).
• DeFi-decentralized finance platforms (Uniswap, Aave).
• NFTs-digital tokens confirming ownership of content.
• DAOs-user-governed decentralized organizations.

Web3 prospects:

• Development of decentralized social networks
• New types of digital ownership
• Crypto market regulation and integration with the financial system

5.2. Potential Web4 Scenarios

• Smart cities: traffic analysis, environmental monitoring, smart lighting.
• Healthcare: IoT devices send real-time health data.
• Education and AR/VR: virtual classrooms and simulators.
• Metaverses: merging real and digital worlds.

Web4 prospects:

• Widespread adoption of AR glasses
• Full integration of IoT devices
• AI deeply embedded in daily life

5.3. The Possible Future of Web5

• Next-gen social networks: users store their data, companies can't sell or exploit it.
• Private messengers: only participants have access to their conversations.
• Digital IDs: passports, diplomas, and medical records in users' digital wallets.
• Financial systems without intermediaries: direct money transfers and storage in decentralized apps.

Web5 prospects:

• Growing interest in digital identity and privacy
• Development of apps built on Bitcoin and other decentralized systems
• First Web5 services may appear by the late 2020s

Conclusion

The Internet has traveled a long path from static pages to ideas of decentralized networks and digital identity.

• Web1 was the era of reading: information was available, but interaction was minimal.
• Web2 made the Internet social: users became content creators, but corporations gained control over data.
• Web3 introduced decentralization: blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, DAOs-ownership of assets is central.
• Web4 is described as the "symbiotic Internet," where IoT, AI, and AR/VR are deeply integrated into daily life.
• Web5, proposed by Jack Dorsey, focuses on digital identity and full user control over personal data.

Key takeaway: Web3, Web4, and Web5 are not linear stages, but different concepts for the Internet's future. They may evolve in parallel, with elements of each merging into a new kind of Internet.

FAQ

1. What is Web5 in simple terms?

It's a concept for the future Internet where users fully control their data and digital identity, and apps operate without company intermediaries or servers.

2. Who invented Web5?

Web5 was introduced by Jack Dorsey (creator of Twitter and head of Block) through the TBD division in 2022.

3. How does Web5 differ from Web3?

Web3 focuses on digital asset ownership via blockchain, while Web5 is about owning personal data and digital identity.

4. How does Web5 differ from Web4?

Web4 is linked with the symbiosis of technologies (AI, IoT, AR/VR), while Web5 is about privacy, decentralization, and data control.

5. Does Web5 use blockchain?

Yes. Web5 is based on Bitcoin infrastructure and decentralized identity (DID).

6. Are there real Web5 projects in 2025?

Web5 remains a concept. Work is underway on digital identifiers and decentralized apps based on Bitcoin, but there are no mainstream services yet.

7. What comes next: Web3, Web4, or Web5?

Most likely, all three directions will coexist: decentralization (Web3), technology symbiosis (Web4), and identity control (Web5).