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updated abstract to avoid dismissals from nft holders
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SmartLayer committed Nov 15, 2023
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title: "Smart Token: The Building Block for the Next-Generation Token-Centric Web"
date: "13th November, 2023"
abstract: |
The Web has evolved significantly, transitioning from Web 1.0's flat, book-like architecture to Web 2.0's application platform. This transformation led to a "reverse pyramid" structure, with contemporary internet behemoths forming the narrow, foundational base. Such centralisation has stifled the Web's innovative potential, hindering the democratic spirit that underpins the Internet. As the number of users and websites has surged, the past decade has witnessed a plateau in transformative platforms or groundbreaking innovations, with the digital terrain largely commandeered by a few familiar giants. This paper delves into the root causes of this innovation drought, emphasising the indispensable role of trust anchors in nurturing a vibrant web ecosystem. We introduce the concept of a Token-Centric Web, a vision for the next-generation Internet that decentralises trust and enables an ecosystem of integrations. In this context, we propose "Smart Tokens," leveraging smart contracts, as an architectural choice to instantiate trust anchors in this Token-Centric Web to amplify user experience, bolster privacy, reduce dependence on monolithic Internet titans, and foster a new wave of web innovation. The paper further probes the potential for transformative shifts across various web dimensions and delineates the technical challenges, potential pitfalls, and adoption hurdles. We argue that the democratisation of trust anchors through Smart Tokens can pave the way for a more equitable and participatory Internet, turning it into a public good that benefits all.
The Web has evolved significantly, transitioning from Web 1.0's flat, book-like architecture to Web 2.0's application platform. This transformation led to a "reverse pyramid" structure, dominated by a few internet behemoths at its narrow base. Such centralisation has stifled the Web's broader innovative potential, hindering the democratic spirit that underpins the Internet. In contrast to the dynamic evolution in parallel fields like NFTs and DeFi, in the core Web ecosystem, the past decade witnessed a plateau in transformative platforms or groundbreaking innovations, with the digital landscape largely commandeered by familiar giants. This paper delves into the root causes of this innovation drought in the Web, emphasising the indispensable role of trust anchors in nurturing a vibrant web ecosystem. We introduce the concept of a Token-Centric Web, a vision for the next-generation Internet that decentralises trust and enables an ecosystem of integrations. "Smart Tokens," leveraging smart contracts, are proposed as an architectural choice to instantiate trust anchors in this Token-Centric Web, aiming to amplify user experience, bolster privacy, reduce dependence on monolithic Internet titans, and foster a new wave of web innovation. The paper probes the potential for transformative shifts across various web dimensions and delineates the technical challenges, potential pitfalls, and adoption hurdles. We argue that democratising trust anchors through Smart Tokens can pave the way for a more equitable and participatory Internet, turning it into a public good that benefits all.
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# Web Foundations and Trust Anchors: Towards a Democratised Model
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