What Is Web3 Messaging and How Does It Work?

With all the buzz around the transition from Web2 to Web3, you might wonder what it will be like using the internet of the future. More specifically, will online communication be the same or more enhanced?

Web3 is already transforming how we communicate online, from giving us more control over our data to introducing inbox transactions. In short, Web3 messaging is here.

What Is Web3 Messaging?

Web3 messaging is communication enabled on Web3, the next phase of the internet that integrates peer-to-peer networking, blockchain technology, and token-based economies to achieve decentralization. In Web3, users can communicate with one another without the need for a centralized entity with control over their data.

Blockchain technology enables Web3 messaging to utilize decentralized storage, digital signature, and end-to-end encryption, allowing users to attain more privacy, enhanced security, and autonomy over their messaging data. In addition, it enables the seamless integration of decentralized applications and services, which brings more opportunities for collaboration.

How Does Web3 Messaging Work?

Web3 messaging is founded on blockchain technology and peer-to-peer networking. Blockchain technology enables the sending of messages between users without dependence on centralized servers. This is possible because of a distributed network of computers that maintain a shared database.

Meanwhile, peer-to-peer networking technology enables data encryption, sharing, and storage across network nodes. In such networks, only the sender and the receiver have the private keys to decrypt and access the data. Therefore, the system benefits from decentralized resource-sharing while keeping data secure.

Courtesy of dependence on the two technologies, Web3 messaging features several concepts, such as:

• Encryption: End-to-end encryption ensures that data is secure while being transmitted from the sender to the receiver, and even if it’s intercepted during the transmission, its contents remain confidential.
• Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs): Decentralized Identifiers are unique digital IDs given to users not tied to any centralized authority, enabling users to have autonomy over their digital identities while interacting online. This brings more privacy on board.
• Interoperability: Web3 messaging protocols can allow users on different platforms to communicate seamlessly. Open standards and protocols in the Web3 environment enable inter-platform communications, allowing users to truly own their messaging data.
• Integration of apps and services: Blockchain technology enables the integration of decentralized applications and services, for instance, cryptocurrency transactions in messaging platforms. Meanwhile, smart contracts can be added to facilitate automated interactions such as escrow services.

With such features applicable in the Web3 messaging environment, it’s easy to see how the technology can foster collaboration, data exchange, and user interaction, creating better user experiences.

How Is Web3 Messaging Different From Traditional Messaging?

Web3 messaging enables communication between people just like traditional messaging. However, besides the fundamental difference between Web3 and Web2, it differs from its predecessor in several ways.

• Decentralization: Traditional messaging platforms are routed through and stored on centralized servers provided by private companies. Web3 is different. By design, your data is distributed to a network of nodes. This means there’s no single point of failure. Decentralization makes Web3 messaging more resilient.
• Data control: In traditional messaging platforms, service providers have access to users’ data, and users can only hope their data will remain private and secure. In contrast, Web3 messaging gives users more autonomy over their data and end-to-end encryption, leading to better privacy and security.
• Censorship resistance: Traditional messaging platforms depend on servers to enable communication. If the government wants to censor its citizens, it shuts down the servers. With Web3, censorship is almost impossible as data is distributed across thousands of nodes worldwide. Hence, no central point of control can be targeted for censorship.
• Interoperability: In traditional messaging, you can only send messages to contacts within the same platform. This means communication is limited to the platform. In contrast, Web3 messaging allows you to send messages across different platforms using open standards and protocols.

Notably, Web3 messaging differs from traditional messaging through its ability to leverage blockchain technology to provide more secure, private, and resilient communication without relying on centralized entities.

Applications of Web3 Messaging

Besides the obvious use case, texting, Web3 has the potential to improve the whole online communication experience by introducing new modes of interaction and enhancing existing ones.

Web3 messaging powers decentralized social networking. Social media platforms occasionally face criticism from users after incidents of data privacy violations. However, Web3 messaging introduces a trustless system that gives people more data privacy and control. As people value privacy, decentralized social media will thrive.

Web3 messaging also enables decentralized e-commerce. If people can communicate with one another, they can also trade. Web3 messaging can facilitate communication between buyers, sellers, and escrow services in decentralized marketplaces, ensuring secure transactions and dispute resolution.

Gaming, too, can be significantly impacted by Web3 messaging. Imagine interacting and trading in-game assets with other gamers across different gaming platforms securely and in a decentralized manner. Web3 messaging technology can improve the overall gaming experience by creating such opportunities for interaction.

The content industry also stands to benefit from Web3 messaging, especially artists and musicians. If well implemented, creators can use Web3 messaging to interact with their audiences directly, share digital content, and manage licensing agreements without intermediaries.

Other sectors that could benefit from Web3 messaging include supply chain management, governance, healthcare, identity management systems, the Internet of Things, and much more. Decentralized communication and seamless transactions in messaging will change the nature of online interactions.

Limitations of Web3 Messaging

As expected of any innovation that adopts different concepts to create a solution, the original technologies’ challenges will likely be transferred to the solution. In this case, the challenges of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies are integrated into messaging to bring about Web3 messaging.

1. Scalability: Most blockchain protocols already have a scalability issue. Take that to the online communication space where billions of messages are sent daily, and it will fail on the first launch day. Unless you can find a way around it, like the XMTP protocol Coinbase Wallet Messaging uses, which takes messaging off-chain, Web3 messaging is difficult.
2. “User-unfriendliness“: Web3 platforms require tech-savviness to use. For instance, some top deterrents to crypto adoption include using complicated addresses and seed phrases and the hoops one has to go through to access their account. Not many people will be motivated to try Web3 messaging if these complications are introduced to messaging.
3. Cybercrime. While blockchain technology is generally considered safer and more secure, it hasn’t stopped cybercriminals from finding ingenious ways to exploit users. Considering the decentralized nature of Web3, it will make it even more difficult for law enforcement agencies to track down these criminals.

Web3 messaging can transform online communications. However, wide adoption will not be easy unless these challenges are tackled by designing scalable systems, creating user-friendly Web3 platforms, and developing regulations to protect users.

Give Web3 Messaging a Try

Web3 messaging is still in its infancy. It’s only recently that big industry players started integrating upcoming messaging protocols. However, it’s worth giving these tools to try to explore their possibilities.

Embracing this shift aligns with the growing demand for control over personal data and enhanced security and contributes to the evolution of a more trustworthy and inclusive digital ecosystem.