Author(s): Chris Dixon

Science

A playbook for the future of the internet written by the world's most successful blockchain investor

What will the internet of the future look like?

The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of unbridled innovation. In the past decade, the internet has fallen under the control of a tiny group of massive companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. But it doesn't have to be that way.

In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon reveals how to save the internet from itself. Drawing on 25 years at the vanguard of internet innovation, Dixon offers an epic account of the three ages of the internet. First came the 'read' era, in which the earliest networks democratized information - creating an anarchic playground for bloggers, coders and artists. Next came the 'read-write' era, in which sprawling corporations democratized publishing - turning us all into small-time content creators but seizing the proceeds for themselves.

Now, we are entering the third age of the internet- an era in which blockchain networks have begun to democratize ownership, granting power and economic benefits to all who use the internet. Some call it the era of web3. Dixon calls it the era of 'read-write-own'.

Read Write Own cuts through the hype around crypto, blockchains and NFTs to offer a clear-eyed account of where we're going. It is not just an intoxicating vision of a better internet. It is a playbook for how to build it.