Orca Crypto
Web3 term

Web2 vs Web3

The difference is who owns the account, the data and the exit.

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Updated 2026-08-303 min readDefinition
Definition

The difference is who owns the account, the data and the exit.

In Web2 the platform holds your account, your content and your audience. The service is usually free, polished and fast, and the platform can change the rules, take a larger cut, or remove you at any time.

In Web3 you hold the keys, the assets and the social graph, and you can leave with them. The service is usually slower, rougher and requires more of you, and nobody can remove you.

In practice

A Web2 marketplace can delist your item and freeze your payout. A Web3 marketplace can refuse to display it, and the item stays in your wallet and can be listed elsewhere.

Where to go next

More web3 terms

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